Not from lane nine. Not after the setbacks. Nobody saw it coming — and certainly not like this. But this sprinter from Kentucky tore up the script and left the track world stunned, blasting to a 19.84s personal best to claim the NCAA 200m title. And the second-fastest time of 2025. A field stacked with sub-20 runners, including world leader T’Mars McCallum, stood no chance once this Kentucky star hit full stride. What looked like a high-stakes sprint quickly turned into a solo exhibition of speed, control, and something deeper no stopwatch could measure.
So, who are we talking about? Well, it’s none other than Carli Makarawu. Just months ago, Makarawu was the NCAA indoor champion, but by spring, injuries had thrown his outdoor season into uncertainty. Some doubted he’d even make the final. Others thought lane nine would bury him. But when the gun went off, Makarawu launched like a man possessed. He powered through the curve and didn’t once look back. His rivals were still chasing the stagger when he crossed the finish line. Alone, victorious, and emotional. This wasn’t just a race. It was a breakthrough.
But what really fueled that performance? It wasn’t just training. It wasn’t just talent. It was faith. Makarawu revealed what few knew. The most important moment of his championship day didn’t happen on the track. In his chat with DyeStat post the win, he revealed, “I was just praising God, man, reflecting on the build-up. “I prayed yesterday before I slept, I prayed today in the morning, I prayed before I came to church with my parents, I prayed again when I ran the 4×1, I prayed again in the bathroom before I ran the 200,” added Makarawu. Yes, in the bathroom. That’s where the real story begins.
Hey, whatever works, right?
Carli Makarawu was praying just about anywhere you could think of before going on to win the #NCAATF men’s 200m title.
Full interview https://t.co/7MQBmxQHvi
: Tim Healy pic.twitter.com/CrB4cIcsHM
— DyeStat (@DyeStat) June 14, 2025
A private, almost surreal moment in the chaos of race day. “It is crazy, man,” he said. “I was talking to God because I went in the bathroom, I kneeled down… beside the chamber and I started praying,” Makarawu continued. It was a final plea, not for speed, but for strength. And in that quiet space, he believed he was heard.
Now, with the Tokyo World Championships on the horizon and redemption in his eyes after a sixth-place finish at the Paris Olympics, Makarawu isn’t just running for medals. He’s running on conviction. And after what happened Friday, no one’s doubting him anymore. Meanwhile, Makarawu has been showing his class for some time now. Back in Paris, he reached the 200m finals with a stunning performance.
Behind Carli Makarawu’s historic feat
In the final heat of the semifinals, the 23-year-old Zimbabwean exploded out of the blocks with a reaction time of 0.139 seconds (the fastest in his group) and surged ahead of heavyweights like Erriyon Knighton and Joseph Fahnbulleh at the 100-meter mark. As they rounded into the home stretch at Stade de France, Makarawu found himself in the lead. But with 30 meters to go, the chase tightened. He was eventually edged out by Knighton and Fahnbulleh, finishing third in the heat with a time of 20.16 seconds.
Carli Makarawu (Image Credit: X/@omiliasports)
That time, however, would prove to be golden. It earned Makarawu the coveted top non-automatic qualifying spot for the final, slotting him into the last two available lanes. What made the performance stand out wasn’t just how close he came to a heat win, but the sheer competitiveness of Heat 3. Knighton clocked 20.09, Fahnbulleh 20.12, both faster than the winners of other heats, highlighting just how intense Makarawu’s route was. His third-place finish was the fastest non-automatic qualifier across all heats.
He didn’t just make history for himself. Along with compatriot Makanakaishe Charamba, who also advanced with a 20.31, Carli Makarawu became part of Zimbabwe’s first-ever 200m Olympic final duo. The seven-time national champion had already run 20.07 in Round 1 from Lane 3. A lane he would have repeated in the final, until a protest from Kenny Bednarek prompted a lane swap, moving Makarawu to Lane 2. But his focus never wavered.
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