CJ Allen

CJ Allen (born February 14, 1995) is an American track and field athlete who competes in the 400 meters hurdles. He is the US men's national record holder over 400m hurdles indoors.

Early life
From Belfair, Washington, he attended North Mason High School.

Career
In 2017, Allen ran 49.44 seconds for Washington State University in the NCAA 400-meter hurdle heats, but finished ninth and missed the final of the NCAA by one spot. In 2022, he ran personal-best time of 48.17s at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, but finished fourth in the USA final, and missed earning a place on the United States' World Athletics Championships team in Eugene by one spot.

In January 2023, Allen broke the American national record for the 400m hurdles indoors. He ran 48.88 seconds at the American Track League Pro Puma Classic meet held at the University of Iowa. He beat the 49.78 seconds set by Reuben McCoy in 2011, and was a one-hundredth of a second (.01) from the world record of 48.78, set in 2012 by Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic.

Allen won the 400m hurdles in 47.92 seconds at the Meeting de Paris at Stade Charlety, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Paris. Allen set a new personal best time for the 400m hurdles competing at the Oslo Diamond League meeting in 2023.

Competing at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Eugene, Oregon, he finished second in the 400m hurdles finals behind Rai Benjamin, qualifying for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023. In Budapest, he reached the semi finals.

In May 2024, he finished runner-up in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2024 Doha Diamond League. He followed that up with a third place at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic, and third place at the 2024 BAUHAUS-galan Diamond League event in Stockholm. In June 2024, he finished second in the 400 metres hurdles at the US Olympic trials.