Lukas Verzbicas (born Lukas Veržbickas, January 6, 1993, in Kaunas, Lithuania) is a Lithuanian-American former elite distance runner and triathlete. He is best known for setting the U.S. high school national record in the two-mile run (8:29.46) and becoming the fifth American high school boy to run a sub-four-minute mile (3:59.71). He also won the 2011 ITU World Triathlon Junior Championships.
Early Life
Verzbicas was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, and moved to the United States with his mother and stepfather at age nine. The family settled in Orland Park, Illinois, where he attended Carl Sandburg High School, graduating in May 2011 after only three years. His mother is a former Lithuanian record-holder in the 3,000 meters.
Running Career
High School
In May 2009, Verzbicas won the Pan American Triathlon Confederation Junior Championships. Later that year, he won the Duathlon World Junior Championships and the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (15:08). In June 2010, he won the Adidas High School Boys' Dream Mile in 4:04.
In fall 2010, he finished 4th at the ITU World Junior Triathlon Championships and won the IHSA Class 3A state championship in the 3-mile run (13:53.7). In December 2010, he won both the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (14:59) and the Nike Cross Nationals invitational (15:59), becoming the first runner to win both events in the same year.
In March 2011, at the New Balance Indoor National meet, he won the 5,000 meters (14:06), the 2-mile (8:40), and the mile (4:10), becoming the first high school runner to win all three events at the national meet. His 5,000-meter time stood as the high school indoor national record until February 2012.
In June 2011, at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, Verzbicas set the national high school record in the 2-mile with a time of 8:29.46, breaking German Fernandez's previous record of 8:34.23. One week later, he won the 2011 Adidas High School Boys' Dream Mile in 3:59.71, joining Jim Ryun, Tim Danielson, Marty Liquori, and Alan Webb as the only American high school runners to break four minutes in the mile. His time also set a new Lithuanian mile outdoor record.
Collegiate
Verzbicas signed a national letter of intent to run for the University of Oregon in fall 2011. However, after running in only two cross country races, he announced in November 2011 that he would leave the school to pursue a professional triathlon career.
Professional Triathlon Career
In 2012, Verzbicas trained at the U.S. Olympic Training Center as a professional triathlete. He won the 2012 Dallas ITU Triathlon Pan American Cup and the 2012 Banyoles ITU Triathlon World Cup in Barcelona, Spain.
On July 31, 2012, Verzbicas was involved in a serious bicycle accident while training in Colorado Springs. He suffered a broken collarbone, two fractured vertebrae, a collapsed lung, and post-operative paralysis in his right leg, from which he slowly regained motor control.
Retirement
Verzbicas retired from competitive running and triathlon in 2016 due to the lingering effects of his 2012 injuries.
Post-Athletic Career
In 2025, Verzbicas was inducted into the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame. He also ran as a candidate for the District 230 Board of Education in Illinois during the April 2025 election.
Personal Bests
- Mile: 3:59.71
- 2-mile: 8:29.46 (U.S. high school national record at the time)
- Indoor 5,000 meters: 14:06.78
Medal Record
- ITU Triathlon World Championships (Junior): Gold medal – 2011, Beijing
