Professional
Following graduation, Tegenkamp stayed in Madison to train as a professional under Schumacher. In 2006, he set personal bests at 1,500 meters (3:35.96), 3,000 meters (7:34.98) and the two-mile (8:16.50). Tegenkamp also ended his 2006 season by getting a bronze medal in the 5000m at the IAAF World Cup in Athletics, with a time of 13:36.83.
In 2007, he won the USA Indoor National 3k with a time of 7:46.08. Then, he set a personal and American record in the two-mile run at the Prefontaine Classic with a time of 8:07.07, breaking the existing record set by Alan Webb by more than four seconds.
Tegenkamp also finished second behind Bernard Lagat in the 5,000m at the 2007 U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which earned him the right to compete at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka. At the 2007 IAAF world championships Matt finished fourth in the 5,000m event, missing out on the bronze medal by .03 second, with a time of 13:46.78 to Moses Ndiema Kipsiro of Uganda's 13:46.75.
In 2008, Teg earned his first trip to the Olympic Games. As a "tune-up" for the Olympic Games, he ran the 1500m in 3:37.94 (a facility and state of Wisconsin record) at the UW-Madison McClimon Outdoor Track along with some of his training partners and one pacer for the first 2.75 laps on 15 July 2008. At the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, Tegenkamp qualified by finishing second to Lagat in the 5,000-meter run with a time 13:29.68.
Soon after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Matt and wife Michelle Carson, and Matt's coach began efforts of moving to Portland, Oregon for Nike's Oregon Project along with other professional team members that were training under coach Schumacher at that time in Madison, WI.
In 2009, Tegenkamp became one of only 6 non-African runners to break the 13 minute barrier in the 5000 meters with his PR of 12:58.56.
In 2011, Tegenkamp made his first attempt at the 10,000 meter distance. He was once quoted saying, "Teg don't run no 10k," though he later retracted this statement and made his track 10,000 meter début on May 1, 2011 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, running 27:28.22.
In 2012, he qualified for the Olympics by placing second at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Tegenkamp then went on to compete in the 10,000 meters at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where he finished 19th at 28:18.26.
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