Photo: Erik van Leeuwen—CC BY 4.0
Rai Benjamin
United StatesActive- Born
- Jul 27, 1997 (29 years old)
- Birthplace
- Mount Vernon, United States
- Events
- 400 m hurdles · 300 Metres Hurdles
Rai Benjamin, born on July 27, 1997, is an American hurdler and sprinter specializing in the 400 m and 400 m hurdles. He is the second fastest man in history in the 400 m hurdles with a personal best of 46.17 seconds and the 2024 Olympic champion in the event.
Benjamin won a silver medal at his first Olympic Games in 2021 before claiming gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics. On the world stage, he earned silver medals at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships in the 400 m hurdles, along with gold medals in the 4x400 m relay in 2019 and 2021.
In college, Benjamin competed for the UCLA Bruins and then the USC Trojans, where in 2018 he helped set the world best time in the indoor 4x400 m relay at 3:00.77, recording a split of 44.35 seconds, the fastest ever in an indoor race at the time. That same year, he also helped set the NCAA record in the outdoor 4x400 m relay and ran a then-historic 47.02 seconds in the 400 m hurdles.
As of Oct 27, 2026: 400 m hurdles 46.17 (#2 all-time), 300 Metres Hurdles 33.22, 2026 season best 46.40 (Sep 11, 2026) · Last competition: World Athletics Ultimate Championship, Sep 11, 2026, 44.15 · Olympic Games: 3 gold, 1 silver · World Championships: 3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze · Area record (400 m hurdles) · 29 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 3 | 1 | – | 4 |
| World Championships | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Total | 6 | 4 | 1 | 11 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 400m | 43.83 | – | Aug 22, 2026 | Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial |
| 2026 | 400mH | 46.40 | – | Sep 11, 2026 | World Athletics Ultimate Championship |
| 2025 | 300m Indoor | 32.21 | – | Feb 2, 2025 | New Balance Indoor Grand Prix |
| 2025 | 300m-short-track Indoor | 32.21 | – | Feb 2, 2025 | New Balance Indoor Grand Prix |
| 2025 | 300MetresH | 33.22 | – | Jun 12, 2025 | Oslo Bislett Games, Bislett Stadion, Oslo - Diamond Discipline |
| 2025 | 400mH | 46.52 | – | Sep 19, 2025 | World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025, National Stadium, Tokyo |
| 2025 | 4x400m | 2:57.83 | – | Sep 21, 2025 | World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025, National Stadium, Tokyo |
| 2024 | 400m | 44.42 | – | Apr 20, 2024 | Mt. SAC Relays, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, CA - Elite Event |