Curtis Beach

Curtis Lee Beach (born July 22, 1990) is a retired American decathlete and a two-time NCAA heptathlon champion who holds the world heptathlon best in the 1000 meters.

Curtis Beach

Beach in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Curtis Lee Beach
Nationality	United States
Born	(1990-07-22) July 22, 1990 (age 35) Albuquerque, New Mexico
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[1]
Weight	166 lb (75 kg)[1]
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event	Decathlon
College team	Duke Blue Devils (2009–14)
Now coaching	PLNU Sea Lions (2025–)
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Decathlon: 8,084 (2011) Heptathlon: 6,190 (2014)
Medal record Representing the  United States Pan American Junior Championships 2009 Port-of-Spain Decathlon[2] USATF Indoor Championships 2016 Portland Heptathlon

Early life and high school

Beach was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the oldest son of Jeana King-Beach and David Beach.^[3] From a young age, he showed athletic promise, joining a track club at eight and competing in his first decathlon at fourteen.^[4][5][6] At Albuquerque Academy, he won 17 individual New Mexico state titles and set national high school records in the pentathlon and decathlon (with both high school and international implements).^{[7][8][9][10]} DyeStat later declared him "the greatest US high school decathlete ever."^[11]

College

Beach attended Duke University, where he became a two-time NCAA national champion in the indoor heptathlon, winning in 2012 and 2014.^[12][13] In 2011, he set a collegiate record in the decathlon 1500 meters, and then set back-to-back world records in the heptathlon 1000 meters in 2010 and 2012.^[14][15][16] He also secured a second-place finish in the decathlon at the NCAA Championships in 2011.^[17]

Professional career

After graduating from Duke, Beach underwent Tommy John surgery,^[18][19] then for the next three years competed professionally for Nike.^[20][21] In 2016, he won a U.S. indoor national championship and placed fourth at the World Indoor Championships.^[22][23] He also explored other events, including a focus on the 400 meters hurdles in 2017.^[24]

Personal bests

Information from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

Outdoor

As of June 26, 2025

Event	Performance	Location	Date
Long jump	7.88 m (25 ft 10 in) (+0.0 m/s)	New York	June 14, 2013
200 meters	21.57 (+1.8 m/s)	Claremont	June 3, 2017
800 meters	1:47.36	New York	July 6, 2017
400m hurdles	49.83	Claremont	June 3, 2017

Event	Performance	Location	Date	Score	Ref.
Decathlon	—	Des Moines	June 9–10, 2011	8,084 points	—
100 meters	10.52 (+1.9 m/s)	Chula Vista	May 22, 2015	970 points	[25]
Long jump	7.85 m (25 ft 9 in) (+1.3 m/s)	Chula Vista	May 22, 2015	1,022 points	[25]
Shot put	12.64 m (41 ft 5+1⁄2 in)	Chula Vista	May 22, 2015	645 points	[25]
High jump	2.05 m (6 ft 8+1⁄2 in)	Eugene	June 25, 2009	850 points	[26]
400 meters	46.72	Raleigh	April 19, 2013	972 points	[27]
110m hurdles	14.23 (+1.0 m/s)	Azusa	April 14, 2016	945 points
Discus throw	39.44 m (129 ft 4+3⁄4 in)	Eugene	June 23, 2012	653 points	[28]
Pole vault	5.10 m (16 ft 8+3⁄4 in)	Austin	March 28, 2013	941 points	[29]
Javelin throw	48.42 m (158 ft 10+1⁄4 in)	Des Moines	June 10, 2011	565 points	[30]
1500 meters	3:59.13	Des Moines	June 10, 2011	960 points	[31]
Virtual Best Performance				8,523 points	—

Indoor

As of June 26, 2025

Event	Performance	Location	Date	Ref.
500 meters	1:01.50	New York	February 7, 2014	[32]
600 meters	1:16.38	Albuquerque	March 4, 2017	[33]
800 meters	1:52.72	New York	March 15, 2009	[34]

Event	Performance	Location	Date	Score	Ref.
Heptathlon	—	Albuquerque	March 14–15, 2014	6,190 points	—
60 meters	7.01	Crete	February 26, 2016	879 points	[23]
Long jump	7.67 m (25 ft 1+3⁄4 in)	Albuquerque	March 14, 2014	977 points	[35]
Shot put	13.12 m (43 ft 1⁄2 in)	Portland	March 18, 2016	675 points	[22]
High jump	2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)	Albuquerque	March 1, 2013	906 points	[36]
60m hurdles	8.07	Crete	February 27, 2016	964 points	[23]
Pole vault	5.10 m (16 ft 8+3⁄4 in)	Crete	February 27, 2016	941 points	[23]
1000 meters	2:23.63	Nampa	March 10, 2012	1,064 points	[37][a]
Virtual Best Performance				6,406 points	—

^a Heptathlon best

Post-career

Beach announced his retirement from the decathlon in April 2021.^[38] He is currently an assistant coach for the women's track & field team at Point Loma Nazarene University, primarily working with vertical and horizontal jumps.^[21]

Honors and awards

Governor Bill Richardson declared July 1, 2009, to be "Curtis Lee Beach Day" in recognition of the day that Beach was named the 2009 Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.^[1][39][40] He received the Fair Play award for cheering on Ashton Eaton during the final leg of the decathlon 1500 meters at the 2012 US Olympic Trials.^[41][42][43] In 2015, he was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.^[44][45]