Niels Laros

Niels Laros (born 17 April 2005) is a Dutch middle and long-distance runner. In 2022, he became European under-18 champion over 3000m and 5000m. In 2023, he set a new Dutch senior record in the 1500 metres.

Early and personal life
From Oosterhout, Laros' parents, Marcel Laros and Sandra Laros-Hofmans, were both runners. His brother Lars is a college athlete. He attended school at Oelbert Gymnasium in Oosterhout. He began to be coached by Tomasz Lewandowski in 2022. He divided his final high school in two parts to allow him to participate in training camps with Lewandowski.

Career
In 2022, Laros set new U18 European 1500m and 3000m records which had previously been held by Jakob Ingebrigtsen. In May 2023, he lowered the Dutch national junior record in the 5000 meters to 13.23.01.

In June 2023 running in Nice, aged eighteen, he equalled the 22 year-old Dutch 1500m national record of 3:32.89 held by Gert-Jan Liefers. He was selected to represent the Netherlands in the men's 1500m at the 2023 European Athletics Team Championships. He finished third in the event, behind winner Mohamed Katir.

Selected for the 1500m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, he qualified for the final, in which he ran a new national record time of 3:31.25.

In September 2023, he set a new national record of 3:48.93 in the mile, at the Diamond League final in Eugene, Oregon.

In February 2024, he set a new Dutch record and European U20 record for the 5km, running 13:26 on the road in Monaco. In July 2024, he set a world under-20 record over 1000 metres of 2:14.37 in Hengelo.

Personal bests
Information from his World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

International competitions
Information from his World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.