Who is Rai Benjamin's coach and where does he train? Everything about American 400m hurdler's track mentor

Rai Benjamin, the second-fastest hurdler in the world, is gearing up to participate in the 400m hurdles at the Paris Olympics. In his opening event at the Paris Games, Benjamin advanced to the semi-finals after winning the preliminary heat 1 in 48.82 seconds.

The runner is now scheduled to compete in the 400m hurdles semi-finals, that will be taking place on Wednesday, August 7. If he makes it through to the final, Benjamin could find himself locking horns with his Norwegian rival Karsten Warholm, to whom he lost the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Rai Benjamin honed his track running talent while competing for the University of Southern California's Trojans and the UCLA Bruins. He achieved several milestones, like assisting the Trojans in breaking the 4 × 400m indoor relay world record, when the team clocked 3:00.77 in 2018.

He trains under Joanna Hayes, a former 100m hurdles Olympic champion and the 2003 Pan American 400m hurdles champion. Let's dive in and find out more about Hayes, who mentored Rai Benjamin into becoming one of the world's top hurdlers.

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Who is Rai Benjamin's coach Joanna Hayes?

2024 Pac-12 Track and Field Championships - Boulder, CO - Source: Getty

Hayes was born on December 23, 1976, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. On the collegiate level, she represented John W. North High School in Riverside, California, winning the 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles at the 1995 California State Meet and setting a meet record in the former. She then attended the University of California, where she won the NCAA and Pac-10 titles while running for the Bruins.

She then became the assistant coach of the UCLA Bruins track and field from 2014 to 2016, and for USC Trojans from 2017 to 2024. In June 2024, she was named the athletic director of track and field and cross-country operations at UCLA. Besides Rai Benjamin, Hayes also coached the reigning 400m hurdles and 4×400 m relay Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone from 2018 to 2020.

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Her coaching career

31st Annual Prefontaine Classic Track Meet - June 4, 2005 - Source: Getty

Hayes was with the Trojans for eight seasons, first as an assistant coach, followed by a role as a voluntary coach. Under her guidance, USC won multiple All-American honors in both hurdles and relay categories. She also helped Anna Cockrell achieve All-American status in the 100m and 400m hurdles events.

When she was named the 2018 West Region Women's Track Assistant Coach of the Year, the Trojans won the Pac-12 Championships. In 2021, Hayes was given the responsibility to assist USC athletes with their training and competitive strategies, as a result of which Cockrell won both the 100m and 400m hurdles NCAA titles, followed by the 2021 Pac-12 title as well.

For her efforts, Hayes received the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCA) West Region Men's Coach of the Year in 2023, adding another feather to her crown.