Photo: jenaragon94—CC BY 2.0
Brenda Martinez
- Born
- Sep 8, 1987 (39 years old)
- Birthplace
- Upland, United States
- Events
- 800 m · 1500 m
Brenda Martinez (born September 8, 1987) is an American middle-distance runner and Olympian. Born in Upland, California, she won a silver medal in the 800 meters at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow and finished first in the 800 meters at the 2014 Diamond League Final. She represented the US at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 1500 meters.
Martinez twice set the world record in the Distance Medley Relay at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston; first on February 7, 2015, and then breaking her own record on January 28, 2017. In 2016, Martinez qualified for the U.S. Olympic team competing in the 1500 meters after beating Amanda Eccleston by 0.03 seconds.
Her training is planned by veteran coach Joe Vigil and assisted by Martinez's husband and former Concordia University (California) runner, Carlos Handler. In 2015, along with her husband, she started Big Bear Track Club, a nonprofit, working with post-collegians to help develop American distance runners into world-class athletes. Their first recruited was Boris Berian.
As of Nov 2, 2026: 800 m 1:57.91 (#176 all-time), 1500 m 4:00.94 (#215 all-time), 2021 season best 1:59.87 (May 9, 2021, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, CA (USA)) · Last competition: U.S. Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, OR, Jun 24, 2021, 2:02.72 · World Championships: 1 silver · 39 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships | – | 1 | – | 1 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 800m | 1:59.87 | – | May 9, 2021 | USATF Golden Games |
| 2020 | 800m | 2:02.32 | – | Aug 22, 2020 | Los Angeles, CA (USA) |
| 2019 | 1500m Indoor | 4:10.17 | – | Jan 26, 2019 | New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Reggie Lewis Center, Boston, MA (i) - Split times |
| 2019 | 1500m-short-track Indoor | 4:10.17 | – | Jan 26, 2019 | New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Reggie Lewis Center, Boston, MA (i) - Split times |
| 2019 | mile-short-track Indoor | 4:29.11 | – | Jan 26, 2019 | New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Reggie Lewis Center, Boston, MA (i) - Split times |
| 2019 | Mile Indoor | 4:29.11 | – | Jan 26, 2019 | New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Reggie Lewis Center, Boston, MA (i) - Split times |
| 2018 | 800m | 2:00.74 | – | Jun 7, 2018 | Oslo Bislett Games, Bislett Stadion, Oslo - Diamond Discipline |
| 2018 | 1500m | 4:02.65 | – | May 26, 2018 | Eugene Prefontaine Classic, Hayward Field, Eugene, OR - Promotional Events |