Marcin Lewandowski - Me and My Brother

"he was working in the UK to earn some money for me and himself to have better conditions for training."

With the help of his older brother, Marcin Lewandowski was able to harness his talent and joy for track and field into something very special. Over a storied career, Lewandowski would etch his name into track and field history for his fast times, and championship performances. Though he has become arguably the greatest Polish middle distance runner of all time, Marcin Lewandowski would not be where he is today without his brother.

From a young age Lewandowski would find pure happiness in running, in the first few years the sport would not become anything serious. Getting into running is different in Poland than in North America, Lewandowski would need to seek out a coach to help him since there was not a lot of support from clubs. “When I was fourteen, I start to run and from that moment he[Lewandowski’s brother] was my coach from the beginning. He was struggling for few years; he was struggling because it was not so easy without foundations and sponsorships.” Having to find support to fund his running career, “It was not always easy because in Poland we do not really have big support from the clubs let’s say or government, so if you want to go for a camp let’s say. It was not that easy that’s why my brother is my coach because when I was in high school … he was working in the UK to earn some money for me and himself to have better conditions for training.” Money was a big issue for Marcin Lewandowski, him and his family would have to sacrifice a lot for him to succeed in track and field. Though funding his running was one of the issues in his young career, Lewandowski once in high school was able to train as much as he wanted while not in class. “When I was then in high school, I was living in a boarding school… I could do training whenever I want except, I had to remember about school. When I finished school, I’d say it was two or three pm so then I was able to do training.” Having the ability to train at any time in the evening or night was helpful to Lewandowski’s development, the issue though was that the school system did not support track and field meaning he could not miss any time for his running.

Racing in high school for the polish middle distance star would bring its own challenge on top of others during this time in his life. Not being allowed to miss school, “Summer season starts late may in Europe, so it was almost when we finished [the] student year so during when I was in the school year, I didn’t compete actually. I was training for months and months and then the summer season starts for me almost when I finish student year.” Not able to compete during the school year Lewandowski would be forced to race in a small two or three month period. During the summer racing season Marcin Lewandowski would have limited opportunities to race against talent that was at the same caliber. “When I was a junior I was only racing in Poland, there was not so many races but when I was a junior in Poland the more important races for me were national championships and maybe European Junior Championships. I had maybe before three, four small races, local races, and that’s all.” Becoming a junior runner was crucial for Marcin Lewandowski to be treated properly, he would gain more credibility which lead to him gaining the resources he needed.

At 18 years old everything would become easier for Lewandowski and his coach who had been struggling for the first four years. “When I was 18, Thomas was only 24, he was very young then, he started to be a national coach, I was in the national team as well and then it was a little bit easier then.” The ability to get help from others was important and they final got that support leading into the World Junior Championships, the biggest race of his life to this point. “The biggest thing for me, this World Junior Championships in Beijing, 2006, I was only one European in the finals and with 200 to go I was leading so that was big thing. At the finals, I crossed the finish line in position four but still that was still big for me.” Finishing in fourth place was a big accomplishment for Lewandowski as the race would lead to instrumental moments in his life. Starting with becoming a professional, “after this moment I can say I was a professional athlete but just after that moment. … and that was the moment that I get some local sponsors here.” These sponsors were crucial to Lewandowski being able to go to training camps and traveling to meets. Another important part of this World Junior Championship was that, “After this moment I got an international agent, a sport agent, when I was in Beijing, one of the workers for global sport communication … started to talk to me in English and I was really stressed then because I never really spoke English much.” Having an agent would help Lewandowski be able to gain those local sponsors that he needed during this time to be able to continue with the track and field.

After graduating from High school, Marcin Lewandowski would continue his education in Poland while being able to take track and field more seriously. “I decided to study physical education but I had a special program because I was one of the best athletes in Poland, I had individual program which means I don’t have to stay all the time at the university, I can focus on the training and go for a sports camp and I can focus on track and field.” This program would give him opportunities to compete at the highest level of track and field in the coming years. Now able to get the proper support and training Lewandowski qualified for the Olympics in 2008; “I was very happy just to be there, honestly I didn’t think about the Olympic medal or something at that time. My goal was at this Olympics was just to be there and get experience for the future.” After making the Olympics at the young age of 21, Marcin Lewandowski was able to grow and learn from this experience for the future. “My first senior final was 2009 in Berlin and since that time I was almost in every final, year by year depends on Olympics or World Championship except for London 2012 and Beijing 2015 and the rest of that I was in the finals.” Having the ability to make his first finals in 2009 and still do this a decade later, is astounding for any athlete. Even though he made all these finals at global championships, Lewandowski would not be satisfied with his results because he would not reach his goal of medaling. “Honestly [until] 2018 I was not really that much happy because I missed medals all the time by just a little bit. … I almost could taste it but never take it, so I was a little bit frustrated.” Missing out on medals was taking a toll on Lewandowski, finishing between fourth and eighth was starting to feel a little less special.

One moment during this stretch of finals, Lewandowski was on home soil competing at the World Championships and raced very well but an unforeseen circumstances would arise. “I remember 2014 when I was in the finals, Indoor World Championships in my place in Sopot, Poland and finally after that many years of fighting, finally I took a bronze medal for 800 but after 30 minutes they disqualified me so I didn’t have a medal again.” This moment of relief and happiness was taking away from him, along with his medal and placement, Marcin Lewandowski would have to wait another four years to get that feeling back. “Finally, after many years of waiting for that, I took my first World medal, indoors at Birmingham, 2018.” Lewandowski’s time had come for him to be on the podium finally after coming so close for so many years. This race though was significant for another reason, it would mark the opportunity him and his coach were waiting for, they could now change events. “I knew that from the beginning when I was 20 maybe 22, I knew that my future was gonna be 1500 metres but we wait all the time. Me and my coach for the right moment because I was one of the best athletes for 800, I did many finals and I missed the medal all the time just by a little bit and that’s why I continue all the time with 800 because I still have something to do for the 800, that was my dream to get a medal for 800.” Now having that medal he had always wanted, Marcin Lewandowski was able to move up in distance to the 1500 metres with great success. “Then I did great personal best for 1500 when I moved from 800 to 1500 in 3:31 and then I took bronze medal in the World Championships in Doha so it was worth it, wait such a long time for this bronze medal, it even tastes much better because I was waited so long.” After waiting a decade to win a medal on the global stage, Lewandowski won back to back bronze medals in two different events. With the Olympics ahead, Lewandowski has another opportunity to win a medal from a global championship.

Overcoming adversity from a young age, Marcin Lewandowski was able and is still able to compete at the highest level. Being able to win medals at the World Championship took time and patience but, in the end, it was worth waiting for. In the foreseeable future people will continue seeing Marcin Lewandowski’s name in the finals of global championships and ranked as one of the top middle distance athletes. As Marcin Lewandowski says, “Kenyans always say train hard, win easy, Europeans say train smart, not hard, but Lewandowski said train smart and hard.”