Jamaica's 800m national record holder, Navasky Anderson, has officially joined the UA Mission Run Baltimore team, adding his exceptional talent to a dynamic middle-distance program. The announcement was made by the club on social media, welcoming Anderson to what they described as the “#Baltimore800m sqUAd” and noting that “#charmcity just got a little faster.”
Anderson’s move to the Under Armour-backed professional group marks a new chapter in his career, which has seen a steady rise on the international stage. In his Instagram post, Anderson reflected on the significance of the transition, saying, “The process already started; let’s leave the journey in God’s hands.”
The 24-year-old has established himself as one of Jamaica’s premier middle-distance runners, rewriting the history books for his country in the 800m. Anderson first etched his name in Jamaican athletics lore at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he clocked 1:45.02 to claim silver and set a new national record. That year, he also represented Jamaica at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, and made his first senior final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he finished fifth.
Anderson continued to raise the bar for Jamaican middle-distance running in 2023. At the Music City Challenge in Nashville, Tennessee, he broke the Jamaican indoor 800m record with a time of 1:46.58. Later that year, he set a new outdoor national record of 1:44.70 on July 30. He capped the season with a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
This year, Anderson competed at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. While the Olympic Games provided invaluable experience, his move to the UA Mission Run Baltimore club signals a renewed focus on achieving even greater heights in his career.
The Baltimore-based club is renowned for fostering middle-distance talent, and Anderson’s presence will undoubtedly elevate their profile. For Jamaican athletics, his move represents another step in the nation’s ongoing pursuit of excellence across a wide range of disciplines.