Joel was a standout prep competitor at White Bear Lake High School where he posted a personal best of 4:17.46 in the 1600m.  He was a four-time Cross Country All-Conference runner and finished 9th and 20th at the Minnesota State AA High School Cross Country Championships.  In his senior track season in 2012, he placed 9th in the 1600m at the 2012 Minnesota State AA High School Track meet, before heading to South Dakota State University to continue his running career.

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As a Jackrabbit, he was a 2-time NCAA DI Cross Country All-American finishing as high as 20th at the national championships, and a 4-time Summit League Champion.  He also placed 6th and then 3rd at the NCAA DI Midwest Region Cross Country Championships.  During his collegiate career, he set three school records – 13:53.05 in the Outdoor 5000m, 14:07.19 for the Indoor 5000m, and 28:55.84 in the Outdoor 10,000m.

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Joel began training with Minnesota Distance Elite in the fall of 2017 and officially joined the team a year later. He had early success with MDE as he represented Team USA at the 2019 NACAC Cross Country Championships. He placed 6th at the 2021 USATF 10 Mile Championships in 47:36, and 3rd at the 2022 USATF Marathon Championships in 2:12:11. He also became the first athlete to ever win both the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon (2024) and Grandma’s Marathon (2025), and was the first American to take the marathon title since 2009. On November 2nd, 2025, Joel placed 6th, and top American, at the TCS New York City Marathon, covering the course in 2:09:56, a new team and personal record.