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3AO • SUMMER 2009 • www.atf-athlete.com

One of my favorite athletes in oursport is Anna Willard. Anna has runthe 800 meters, 1500 meters,4x400 meters, cross country—ugggh, wears me out just thinkingabout it. Last July at the OlympicTrials, Anna broke the Americanrecord for the steeplechase.

A month later, during theOlympics, Jenny Barringer finished9th in the Olympic games, break-ing Anna's record. Anna finished10th, also running under her previ-ous record.

This spring, under the tutelage ofTerrance Mahon (he coaches RyanHall, Deena Kastor and JennRhines, among others), Anna setpersonal bests at the 1500 metersand 800 meters and ran a greatsteeplechase. She’ll run the stee-plechase and 1,500 meters at theWorld Outdoor AthleticsChampionships in Berlin, August15-23.

Anna wears a streak of various col-ors in her hair. She looks like someof the metal heads and punks thatshow up at my son's bands shows.Anna is very straightforward, has agreat sense of humor and is work-ing very hard to be the best she canbe. But, it has taken a lot of time!So, next time you get frustratedwhen your running isn’t going well,remember, all good things taketime!

Larry Eder

P.S. Follow us daily on runblo-grun.com and remember to sign upto follow us on twitter. We’ll twitterthe World Champs from Berlin inAugust.

Publisher, Athletes [email protected]: @runblogrunwww.atf-athlete.com608.239.3785

Athletes Only is produced, published and owned by Shooting StarMedia, Inc., PO Box 67, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0067;920.568.8142 phone; 920.563.7298 fax; Christine Johnson,President; Larry Eder, Vice President. Publisher assumes no lia-bility for matter printed. Publisher assumes no responsiblity or lia-bility for content of paid advertising and reserves the right to rejectpaid advertising. Opinions expressed are those of the authors andnot necessarily those of the Publisher.

Copyright © 2009 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All RightsReserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in anyform without the written permission of the Publisher. Athletes Onlyis not related to or endorsed by any other entity or corporation witha similar name and is solely owned by Shooting Star Media, Inc.

Publisher recommends, as with all fitness and health issues,you consult with your physician before instituting any changes inyour fitness program.

Volume 14, Number 2Summer [email protected] PublisherLarry [email protected] EditorChristine JohnsonEditorLarry [email protected] SumnerRedInkEditorial.comDesign/LayoutTwo Fish DesignWritersLarry EderDick PatrickCregg WeinmannPhotographersVictah Sailer (PhotoRun)Lisa Coniglio (PhotoRun)Printer/PrepW. D. Hoard & SonsFort Atkinson, WIAd SalesPeter Koch [email protected] Sales Peter [email protected] Projects Adam [email protected] Member ofThe Running Network, LLC.

4 OLYMPIC DOPING FOLLOW-UP6 CAMERA ATHLETICA

2009 ADIDAS TRACK CLASSIC9 BEST SHOES FOR $80 OR LESS

13 INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS SOLINSKY16 CAMERA ATHLETICA

REEBOK GRAND PRIX 200918 INTERVIEW WITH LEONEL MANZANO

20 GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES:HAILE GEBRSELASSIE

ON THE COVER…Anna Willard is shown winning the Reebok GrandPrix 800 meters with a final lunge! Her time,1:59.29, was a four second personal best! Photo by PhotoRun.net


4 AO • SUMMER 2009 • www.atf-athlete.com

W hen Olympic authorities re-testedurine and blood samples from theBeijing Olympic Games, 1500

champion Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain was thehighest profile athlete of the three track ath-letes caught.

That’s assuming his B sample comes backpositive for CERA, a derivative of endurance-boosting EPO. The B tests for EPO have beenproblematic over the years —Bernard Lagatand Marion Jones were among those whose Bsamples came back negative.

If the B confirms the A, Ramzi will losehis medal and serve a 2-year suspension. The Bsample test is scheduled for June 8, as is anIAAF hearing on the matter if the result is pos-itive.

It will be interesting to see how stronglyRamzi might contest a positive. Will he chal-lenge the validity of the CERA test? Could heclaim that the samples weren’t stored properly,leading to a positive?

He’s probably facing an uphill battle inthe court of public opinion. In a lets-run.compoll, more than 60% of voters said Ramzi wasa cheater.

The native of Morocco has inspired suchsuspicion ever since he came on the interna-tional scene suddenly in 2005, winning the800 and 1500 at the world championshipswithout a large body of work on the world-class level. In 2004, he reduced his 1500 from3:39 to 3:30, too dramatic an improvement formany observers. Last year he was virtuallyabsent from the European circuit until show-ing up in great shape in Beijing.

All that is circumstantial. It’s up to thetests now. If the positive is upheld, AsbelKiprop of Kenya will be the champion, fol-lowed by Nick Willis of New Zealand andMehdi Baala of France.

“This step shows that athletes who cheatcan never be comfortable that they will avoiddetection and sends a strong message of deter-rence,” the IAAF said in a publicity release.

The news did not register strongly in theU.S. Ramzi is not well known here, nor wereany U.S. athletes upgraded to medals.

Still, the re-test should send a strong mes-sage to athletes—assuming the B is positive. Ifit’s not, then the testers have a credibility prob-lem.

Logan names performance chiefWhen Benita Fitzgerald Mosley was workingon the Project 30 Task Force last winter, shedidn’t realize she was helping write a future jobdescription. The committee, formed byUSATF CEO Doug Logan to fulfill his goal of30 medals at the 2012 London Games com-

pared to 23 in Beijing, recommended theappointment of a general manager for elitesport.

On May 21, Logan named Mosley asUSATF’s first chief of sports performance —incharge of USATF’s high performance andsports science programs, relays, national teammanagement, athlete development, coachingeducation and management of meet officials.

Logan said he considered 21 candidatesbefore settling on Mosley, 47, the 1984Olympic 100 hurdle champion, who spent sev-eral years with the U.S. Olympic Committee,including directing its training centers from1977–2000, and spent the last 8 years as CEOof the nonprofit Women in CableTelecommunications.

“It’s a unique opportunity to take advan-tage of all the experience I’ve had professional-ly—on the track and in the boardroom—andapply it to my passion, track & field,” Mosleysaid. “We all have a lot of pride in being the #1track team in the world. We want to continuethat tradition.”

Her first duty, she said, would be to con-duct a “listening tour” with athletes, coachesand agents. Early priorities will be strengthen-ing the relays process plus targeting technicalevents such as jumps and throws, areas thatwere disappointments in Beijing.

“No single individual on the administra-tion side will have a bigger impact on the for-tunes of Team USA than Benita,” Logan said.“I have no doubt that our high performanceprograms will be revolutionized under herleadership.”

Mile dream dies hardYou can take the marathoner out of the mile,but can you take the mile out of the marathon-er?

It isn’t always easy. Just ask Ryan Hall,who finished 3rd in April’s Boston Marathon,his fifth attempt at the 26.22-mile distance.

Hall is a confirmed marathoner now, witha best of 2:06:17. But it took him a while to giveup the sub-4 dream after he ran a 1500 in3:42.70, equivalent to just over 4:00 for themile, as a senior in high school in 2001. Thetime remains his PR, even though he often ranthe 1500 or mile during his 4-year Stanfordcareer before moving to longer distances.

“I wanted to be a miler so bad,” Hall said.“That was my big dream growing up.Watching Jim Ryun footage, reading aboutSteve Scott, watching Sebastian Coe in Born toRun. I was convinced I was a miler. You watchthe Prefontaine movie and you’re like ‘No one’sgoing to tell me I’m not fast enough. I’m goingto prove you wrong.’

“My PR in the 1500 is still from my sen-ior year in high school. It took me a while to belike ‘All right, I’m done with this. I’m notthrowing in the towel. I’m not saying I’m notfast enough. I’m just going to an event I’mmore suited for.’ It was really stupid it took meso long. It took years of disappointment atStanford.”

Now that he’s a success at the marathon,Hall still has mile fantasies. His plan was tospend the weeks after Boston recovering andhelping with the training of his wife Sara BeiHall, a 1500/5000 runner. “I’ll be doing somepacing,” he said. “One thing that keeps kickingaround in my head is that I’d like to break 4 [inthe mile] sometime. I might try to do somequarters and then try to dip under 4 some timethis summer.”

Hall, who anticipates running a fallmarathon, realizes his current event is evolving,especially after two relatively unknownKenyans went sub-2:05 in the RotterdamMarathon.

“What I think of as possible is alwayschanging, especially when you see some 2:07guys rolling out 2:04s,” Hall said. “The world ofmarathoning is changing and it’s exciting to bepart of it.

“It’s exciting to think of 2:06 as not thatfast any more. I’m thinking 2:05, 2:04, 2:03.You’ve just got to go for it. It’s easier to go forit when others have already done it. Thatinspires me to come to that level.”

As far as his dreams of a sub-4 mile areconcerned, perhaps Hall can take comfort inthe fact that he’s not alone. A year or two afterwinning the 1972 Olympic marathon, FrankShorter confided wistfully to a reporter, “I’vealways wanted to break 4 minutes for themile.”

Future Dukie in the decCurtis Beach obliterated the national highschool record in the decathlon in April, scoring7,909 points, almost 500 points better thanthe 7,417 scored by Ryan Theriault in 1993.

Beach’s marks: 10.99 in the 100, 22-81⁄2

in the long jump, 44-8 in the shot put, 6-91⁄2

in the high jump, 48.16 in the 400, 14.42 inthe 110 hurdles, 133-4 in the discus, 14-1

1⁄4 in

the pole vault, 155-9 in the javelin and 4:09.48in the 1500.

The Albuquerque Academy senior took ashot at 8,000 early in June at the GreatSouthwest Invitational Although he fell shortwith 7,719 he also used the senior shot anddiscus and ran 42-inch hurdles with the otherseven events to score 7,466, breaking CraigBrigham’s 1972 senior mark of 7,359 (whichwas set in the same manner). Later in the same

Olympic doping follow-up

Continued on page 11


asics.com


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CAMERA ATHLETICAAll Photos by PhotoRunCAMERA ATHLETICAAll Photos by PhotoRun

2009 adidas Track Classic: (left to right) Jenn Stuczynski; Bernard Lagat


AO • SUMMER 2008 • www.atf-athlete.comAO • SUMMER 2009 • www.atf-athlete.com 7

continued on page 8


2009 adidas Track Classic: Allyson Felix




2009 adidas Track Classic: (top to bottom) Anna Willard; Bernard Lagat



by Cregg Weinmann

The 2009 season offers good news if you find yourself looking for running shoes in the economy price range.Even though prices have been escalating industry-wide, there are numerous shoes with very reasonableprices and good performance. We’ve looked for the best new or updated shoes, and there are more in the

performance range—nice and light—than we have seen in many seasons. There’s something here for nearly every-one, whether you’re heading out for training, trails, or racing, and they’ll all give you your money’s worth.

adidas adi Kanadia TR $65adidas has a long history of success in the

trail shoe category, so its new Kana-

dia TR has plenty of

company. Designed

to provide traction

and performance,

the Kanadia’s attrac-

tive price might cause it to

be dismissed, but that would be a

mistake. Though not as durable as the full- featured (and higher-

priced) models, it does a surprisingly creditable job of cushioning,

and the traction is as good as most of the better trail shoes, thanks to

adidas’ Traxion tread design. The midsole is a low-profile, single-

density CM-EVA with a small adiPrene crashpad for good cushion-

ing both on the trail and the roads. The upper is cool airmesh that’s

tailored to provide a nice snug fit.

TRAIL

Sizes: Men 6.5–13,14; Women 5–12 Weight: 12.0 oz. (men’s 11); 9.6 oz. (women’s 8)

For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics

ASICS Gel-Phoenix $75 The Gel-Phoenix is a new shoe, but the niche

it occupies—Performance Stability—is an

ASICS hallmark, here at an economi-

cal price. The air mesh

upper is roomy in the

forefoot with a secure

fit in the heel, a family

trait thanks to its familiar

ASICS last. The SpEVA mid-

sole is durable, cushioned, and offers

the good stability for which this configuration is known. The AHAR

outersole is an effective blend of traction and durability.

The Gel-Phoenix is not the equal of its more expensive sibling, the

Gel-DS Trainer, but it does feature a comfortable, stable, resilient

ride at a good value.

PERFORMANCE STABILITY

Sizes: Men 6–13,14,15,16; Women 6–12 Weight: 11.1 oz. (men’s 11); 9.3 oz. (women’s 8)

For: medium- to high-arched feet with mild to moderate overpronation

END Stumptown 10 oz. $75END (Environmentally Neutral Design) is a new

brand with a new target audience. Aimed at

the value-minded runner who expects

quality for their cash, the Stumptown

delivers. The 10 oz. is the most

performance-oriented of

three versions of the

shoe, and it also fea-

tures the most shoe

for the money. The

upper is minimal, with well-

placed synthetic overlays, and a

pared back design to eliminate unneeded materials and their associ-

ated waste. A high-friction toe cap protects on the trail while the

lower profile is perfect for nimble trail running. The midsole is single-

density EVA topped by an additional layer of EVA in the Strobel

board for good cushioning and a responsive ride. A forefoot protec-

tion plate adds a little foot armor without hindering flexibility, and

the outersole tread provides excellent traction.

PERFORMANCE TRAIL

Sizes: Men 7–12,13; Women 5–11 Weight: 10.9 oz. (men’s 11); 8.9 oz. (women’s 8)


Mizuno Wave Nexus 3 $80The Wave Nexus has undergone a number of

subtle changes. The upper is a more open

airmesh, with overlays reduced in num-

ber and many replaced by HF-

welds. The Alpha Polymer

midsole has seen a

minor adjustment in

the molding, and

the Wave plate has

received minor

tweaks through the

shank, but the ride and perform-

ance haven’t been altered to unfamiliarity. The outersole has a sig-

nificant chunk of lateral blown rubber which may account for a

cushier feel, but the X-10 heel maintains the durability necessary for

high mileage. These thoughtful improvements are well-executed,

and the value in the Nexus 3 is the tangible result.

STABILIZING CUSHION

Sizes: Men 7–13,14,15; Women 6–11 Weight: 12.4 oz. (men’s 11); 10.0 oz. (women’s 8)


Best Shoes for $80 or Less



New Balance 737 $80New Balance has often produced effective

shoes in the economy range. The 737 is

the latest, and perhaps the most versa-

tile, of the neutral shoes New Bal-

ance has placed in this

price range. The upper

makes good use of

airmesh and mini-

mal overlays to sup-

port the foot and let it

breathe. The midsole is a

fairly generous slab of ACTEVA Lite, which is quite responsive,

though the firm Abzorb crashpad and fabric Strobel board make

the shoe a little less cushy for longer runs. The midfoot support is

good, and the minimal outersole keeps things light without compro-

mising durability or traction.

PERFORMANCE NEUTRAL

Sizes: Men 7–12,13,14,15; Women 5–11,12 Weight: 11.2 oz. (men’s 11); 8.4 oz.

(women’s 8) For: low- to medium- high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics

Reebok Premier Phoenix $75Best Motion Stabilizing

Economy ShoeThe Premier Phoenix is Reebok’s lat-

est quality economy running

shoe. The dual-density, in-

jection-molded mid-

sole offers a

durable, stable,

and responsive ride,

aided by the DMX Stro-

bel board beneath the insole.

The upper features a PlayDry lining to keep

the foot cool and dry, with well-spaced overlays (there’s a little

extra on the medial side) for excellent midfoot support. The combi-

nation of supportive upper, multiple layers of cushioning, and good

stability make it a solid choice for budget-minded runners; it’s our

Best Motion Stabilizing Economy shoe.

STABILIZING CUSHION

Sizes: Men 7–12,13,14; Women 5–12 Weight: 12.5 oz. (men’s 11); 10.1 oz. (women’s 8)


Saucony ProGrid Jazz $80Best Neutral Economy Shoe

Saucony has offered good quality running

shoes in the economy range; the best of

these is the ProGrid Jazz. The Jazz

features the traditional

Saucony tailoring—

wide toebox and snug

heel—for runners with

medium-high to lower-

arched feet. The single-density

midsole offers good cushioning and

the ProGrid layer adds considerably to the comfort. The light weight

is attributable to minimized overlays coupled with HF-welds for

good support without bulk, and the foam formulation combined with

the foam layer in the Strobel board is light without losing its high-

mileage cushioning. The successful XT-900 carbon rubber heel and

blown rubber forefoot round out the versatility of our Best Neutral

Economy shoe.

PERFORMANCE NEUTRAL

Sizes: Men 7–13,14; Women 5–11,12 Weight: 11.4 oz. (men’s 11); 9.0 oz. (women’s 8)


Venue Sports Vroom $60Venue Sports entered the footwear fray with

spikes and throwing shoes, and it now

moves onto the roads. The Vroom is a

versatile lightweight trainer that

can handle a little rac-

ing, some speed-

work, and the

mileage required

by efficient young

runners looking for a

solid shoe. The upper is

airmesh supported by synthetic leather and HF-welded overlays in

the heel. The midsole is low-profile, single-density EVA with a sup-

portive, ventilated shank. The outersole is grippy, high-traction rub-

ber that’s durable without reducing flexibility. The weight makes

them suitable to tempo runs and track work, as well as racing, and

the price tag makes them even more attractive.

PERFORMANCE NEUTRAL

Sizes: Unisex 4–13 Weight: 9.4 oz. (men’s 11) For: medium- to high-arched feet with

neutral biomechanics for faster-paced running

Best Shoes for $80 or Less (continued)

CREGG WEINMANN is footwear and running products reviewer for the Running Network LLC. A competitive runner for the past 44 years, he also has coached runners at all levels for almost 30 years. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

Copyright © 2009 by Running Network LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be stored, copied, or reprinted without prior written permission of the Running Network LLC.Reprinted here with permission.



meet he ran relay legs of 1:50 and 46.45. Beach comes from a middle-distance

background, beginning cross country at 8.In the pentathlon at the NationalScholastic Indoor Championships in NewYork, he ran 2:30.90 in the concluding1000 to finish with 4,127 points, the No.2 score in prep history.

“He’s got good speed and greatendurance, which is rare,” said decathlonhistorian Frank Zarnowski. “He’s one ofthose kids unafraid of events. He just goesout and scorches the 1500. What hemight do is change the nature of the decbecause he’s so good in the final event.This guy could really be something.”

Beach will attend Duke, which hasnever been a power in track and isn’t fullyfunded, with only about half of the maxi-mum 12.6 scholarships allowed for men’steams. Beach made his decision because ofacademics and new Duke assistant coachShawn Wilbourn, a former 8,200 decath-lete who competed at the 1997 worldchampionships.

“I felt coach Shawn Wilbourn wasthe best fit for me,” said the 6-0, 166-pound Beach, 18, who also had Oregon,California, Texas A&M and Baylor in hisfinal five. “I know he’s very knowledgeableand I see myself having a lot of successthere. In the end, it was a clear choice evenif on the surface it looks terrible becausehistorically Duke hasn’t had a great trackprogram. They’re definitely on the rise.”

One reason why Beach wants a Dukeeducation: “My dream job would be CEOof USA Track & Field. I want to get intomarketing and really help the sport.”

A life in trackPayton Jordan, a competitor and coach in

the sport for most of his life, died inFebruary of cancer at 91.

Jordan was best known as a coach,winning two NCAA small college titlesat Occidental before moving toStanford, where he coached for 22 yearsand produced seven Olympians. Hecoached the 1968 Olympic men’s team,considered by many to be the best teamin history.

Jordan was a star sprinter and foot-ball player at USC but lost his bestyears to World War II. In his latteryears, he again became a star, this timeas an age-group sprinter, setting a 100meter world record of 14.65 at age 80.

“I had so much respect for thatman,” said ex-UCLA coach Jim Bush.“He was not only one of the greatestcoaches our sport has ever known, hewas a great human being. I loved every-thing he stood for, which was fairnessand hard work.”

Jordan used to have a sign in hisoffice with four questions: Is it safe? Isit popular? Is it politic? Is it right?

“The only one that matters to me isthe last one,” he said. “If it’s right, I’ll doit. If it’s not, I won’t.”

Jordan practiced what he preached.Jim Ward, who ran for Jordan during the1960s when steroids had not yet beenbanned, told the San Jose Mercury-Newsthat he finished 7th in the 400 at theNCAA meet and that all the runnersahead of him had used steroids. Wardwanted to use them, too.

Jordan talked him out of it, herecalls. “He was afraid of all the long-termhealth aspects of steroids,” Ward said. “Iknow three or four runners … who aredead now because they used steroids.Coach Jordan helped me stay drug-free.

“Payton was very calm and gentle inenforcing rules. He didn’t allow us to lie orfudge. And he didn’t have a racial bone inhis body.”

Bolt’s rocky startUsain Bolt may have learned how to getout of the blocks on the track, but his2009 got off to a rocky start.

The Olympic 100 and 200 champfrom Jamaica was lucky he wasn’t injuredseriously after an accident on a rainy roadtotaled his BMW in May. The windshieldwas smashed and the chassis severely dam-aged, but the only injury to Bolt camefrom stepping on thorns after he and twofemale passengers exited the vehicle inSpanish Town, Jamaica.

Then there was a Bolt comment thatattracted negative attention: “In Jamaica,you learn as a child how to roll a joint.Everyone here has tried it. I did, too—butI was real young then,” Bolt was quoted assaying, adding. “My family and myfriends don’t smoke and I don’t hang out

Continued on page 12

Continued from page 4

photo by PhotoRun.net



any longer with people who smoke.”Bolt has said he wants to become the

first track athlete to earn $10 million a yearin endorsements, appearance fees, prizemoney and bonuses. His agents might wantto approach Guinness and Red Bull forsponsorships.

That’s what the German magazineBild reported Bolt was mixing at a disco inKingston.

Bell lap• Lolo Jones, the #1 ranked 100 hurdler in

the world, suffered a nightmare for aworld-class athlete while competing inher hometown of Des Moines at the100th Drake Relays in April. On a rainyday with temperatures in the 40s, Jonesignored a balky right hamstring in herlead leg to compete.

She pulled up after hitting the eighthhurdle with—yes, a hamstring injury. “It’sa slight tear, not an all-out injury, whereI’ll be out for months or my season isover,” she said. “Even up to the lastminute, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh—am Igoing to run, am I not going to run?’” shesaid. “I felt tremendous pain warming up.But then when I went out there, theadrenaline took over. The crowd wascheering my name and I was like, ‘I don’tcare, I’m going for it.’”

• After a career-best year in 2008, NewZealand’s Nick Willis wasn’t as lucky withan early season injury. Willis had hip sur-gery in April to repair a torn labrum, anoperation that could jeopardize his appear-ance at the World Championships inAugust in Berlin. Willis was hoping to beable to start jogging in late May. Willis saidif he competes in Berlin, it may be in the800.

• Colorado senior Jenny Barringer record-ed her fifth collegiate record of the pastyear with a 15:07.64 in winning the 5000meters May 2 in Stan-ford, CA. Barringer,who has run 15:01.70indoors, was hoping tobreak 15:00 but fell offthe pace early.

“I am used to run-ning PRs. Yeah, I’m dis-appointed,” said Bar-ringer. Five weeks laterat Pre, she made up forit with a stunning colle-giate 1500 of 3:59:90,just 0.01 behind 2008

No. 1 Gelete Burka of Ethiopia. • Stanford freshman Chris Derrick hooked

up with Oklahoma State’s German Fer-nandez in a race-within-the-race 5000 atthe Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitationsmeet. Derrick, who finished 3rd, set aU.S. junior record of 13:29.98; Fernan-dez was 4th in 13:31.78. Both brokeGalen Rupp’s 2004 mark of 13:37.91.

• Oregon redshirt freshman Matthew Cen-trowitz ran a world-leading time in the1500 of 3:36.92, equivalent to a 3:52.5mile. Centrowitz is getting close to thefamily record in the event, 3:36.7, whichhis father, Matt, a two-time Olympian,recorded in 1976.

• Chris Bucknam, in his first year atArkansas after the retirement of legendarycoach John McDonnell, signed hisbiggest blue-chip distance recruit for theRazorbacks with Solomon Haile. Thenative of Ethiopia who lives in SilverSpring, MD, won the FootLocker crosscountry title in the fall and took twochampionships at the National Scholas-tic Indoor Championships in personalbests, the 2-mile (9:02.67) and the 5000(14:22.88).

“He adds great depth in cross countryand in the distance events on the track,”Bucknam said. “He has raced againstsome of the best high school runners inthe country and has proven to be suc-cessful. Our 2009–10 freshman class isturning into a very well-rounded groupof student-athletes and they will bring alot to our program.” �

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Chris Solinsky is one of the new professional athletes in the U.S. His gutsy run in the U.S.Olympic Trials at 5000 meters, while it garnered him 5th in the Trials, earneded him the

respect of U.S. distance fans. He was the runner-up in the 3000m at the 2008 AT&T USA IndoorChampionships, and he was the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Outdoor 5000m champion.

A five-time NCAA champion, Solinsky enjoyed a banner season in 2007, when he set person-al bests in the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m. Solinsky won Wisconsin’s high school cross countrystate title as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was the 2002 Foot Locker Cross Country champi-on while attending high school in Stevens Point, WI. Other Stevens Point grads include OlympiansSuzy Hamilton and Curt Clausen. Solinsky won the race by 20 seconds, tying the largest margin ofvictory in the race’s history. The Wisconsin High School State champion in the 3000m as a sopho-more, junior, and senior, Solinsky broke the state record as a junior in 8:58.39, and won state titlein the 1600 meters as both a junior and senior. He studied history while at the University ofWisconsin.

CA: What was your first experience in track or cross country?

CS: In elementary school we had an annual district track meet at the end of the year, and one ofthe events was “cross country,” which consisted of starting on the track, running around thesoccer and baseball fields and then finishing on the track in front of all of the other elementaryschool kids from all the schools. In 5th grade, I decided to run it just because I had always donewell in the [physical education class] mile. I ended up placing 3rd, and I was ticked off, becauseI have always been really competitive. The next year, I convinced a teacher at my school to starta running club after school, and a few nights a week toward the end of the year, we would runa mile, running a few times around the school block. That year, I was able to beat the defendingchamp and got my time down to 6:00. I felt like I had won a huge title after that race, and it wasawesome finishing first in front of all the other kids.

CA: What was training like in high school?

CS: I was fortunate to have two great coaches, Donn Benhke and Pat Leahy. In cross country, Donnwould have us focus on doing high mileage (60–80), so we would be quite strong for XC. In track,Pat would have us focus on doing more speed work, which really helped me to develop fully as arunner. … I had the best of both worlds. I would often, as well, do tempo runs on my own duringthe off-season to increase my strength for the coming season.

CA: When did you make a commitment to running?

CS: I would say that I made the commitment to running after my sophomore year in high school.I went to what is now the Nike Outdoor Nationals when it was held in Raleigh, NC. I ran the mileand 2 mile there, and my highest placing was 16th. That was kind of a wakeup call for me, andI decided that I really wanted to train my hardest and see just how far I could push my body. Imade it my mission to not only make Foot Locker, but to win it. Things kind of just took off fromthere.

CA: Tell us about your college coach. How did college differ from high school?

CS: Jerry Schumacher combined both Donn’s coaching strategies and Pat’s coaching strategiesinto one coach. Our program was strength-based, but when it was time for speed training, wewould hit that hard, as well. The difference between high school and college was that my temporuns went from 4–5 miles to 10–12 miles, and I went from running 5:00 pace for the tempos to4:50–4:40 pace by the end. Additionally, I went from training alone to training with a group of guysthat pushed me every day.

There was someone ready to run hard every day, so it took my training to a new level.

Interview:Chris Solinsky

Photo by: Victah, PhotoRun.NET

Events: Middle Distance

Height: 6’1’’

Weight: 165pounds

Personal Records: 1500m 3:37.27 (2007)

5000m 13:12.24 (2007)3000m 7:36.90 (2007)

Birthday:December 5, 1984

Current Residence:Madison, Wisconsin

High School:Stevens Point (Wisconsin)

Area Senior High (SPASH), 2003

College: University of Wisconsin, 2007

Coach: Jerry Schumacher

Agent: Tom Ratcliffe

Club: NikeContinued on page 14



CA: What was college training like?

CS: College training was a lot like high school training for me, just more intense and [with] higher mileage. I made quite the jump myfreshman year, because I “upped” my mileage and intensity quite a bit from high school and saw immediate results. I was lucky that Ihad a good base from high school, so that I could step in right away and contribute to the team. It made such a huge difference beingable to train with the quality of guys we had at Wisconsin. Having success and good chemistry with a team makes quite a difference [for]enjoying training.

CA: What’s the difference between being a college athlete and being a professional athlete?

CS: Well, the best part is not having to worry about studying and exams. Now I have more time to dedicate to my training. In college, Idid whatever I had time for. Now, I can devote much more time to the little things. Additionally, my diet has improved drastically; in col-lege, I just tried to fill my stomach. I would eat frozen pizza 2–3 times a week and fill the rest of the week with PB&J. Now I actually amable to afford healthier foods and have time to cook real meals. I have found that I love to cook, and I’m actually pretty good at it. Plus,it doesn’t hurt to get paid for something I’ve always loved to do.

CA: Tell us about your experience in the Olympic Trials.

CS: Well, I wish I had a great storybook story about my experience in the Olympic Trials, but unfortunately, they did not go as I had hoped.I was more on top of my running than I had ever been previously in my career and was full of confidence and hope entering this meet. Iwas able to navigate the rounds easily and set myself up for a great final. I made the mistake of thinking that what I did in college wouldwork in the Olympic Trials Final. Boy, was I wrong, and what a bad time to learn that lesson. I took the lead with a K to go and began torun 0:58 and 0:59 for the next two quarters. Unfortunately, four guys were able to stick with me, and with 150 meters [to finish], I hadnothing left to fight off challengers, and I was passed by them all. I ran my last 200 [meters] in 0:31. I was able to make everyone hurt,because everyone except Bernard Lagat was only able to run 0:29 or slower. I just did not have anything left to do the same.

CA: Tell us about your high school experiences in cross country. How was it in college and then open competition?

CS: My experiences in cross country varied in high school and college, because I had a fairly successful team in high school, but we werenever invited to the big national meets. This meant that I had to travel alone a lot during high school. In college, I was on arguably oneof the best teams in the country, as we never finished lower than 2nd at the NCAA meet. I valued being on a successful team far morethan traveling and going to meets alone. Accomplishing goals with a team is far more satisfying than achieving my own individual goals.



CA: How are you with speaking to young athletes on your experiences? What was biggest mis-take in high school sports?

CS: I really enjoy speaking with younger athletes about what I have learned throughout mycareer. I love to give back to the running community. I have always said I want to make a long-lasting impact on the running world, whether it is through my legs or through someone else’slegs. I would say that the biggest mistake in high school sports, specific to running, would bethat coaches are too afraid to allow their kids to train hard because of the fear of having theirathletes “burn-out.” Burn out only happens when the athlete loses interest; if the athlete trainshard, they will not burn out physically, just mentally. In fact, that athlete will accomplish a lotand have a great base for the future. Coaches are too focused on “saving” their athletes for col-lege, when they should be worried about preparing them for college and beyond.

CA: What keeps you sane during training? Favorite music? Favorite books?

CS: I would say that training with my training partners and friends is what keeps me sane duringtraining. Also, I am a very goal-oriented person, and I focus and think about what I want to accom-plish the upcoming season. It is always enough to keep me pushing when I am tired or otherwisenot wanting to run. I actually like every kind of music, especially rap and R&B. I know [that is] notcommon for a kid from central Wisconsin, but it gets me fired up to run and race. My favorite book isthe 16th Round by Reuben “Hurricane” Carter. It is a great book that is about a heavyweight cham-pion boxer wrongfully accused of a murder because of his skin color. It is a true story. I really enjoyit, because I am a Civil Rights History major.

CA: Finally, tell us about your training group. Do you run together every day? Do you run on yourown at all anymore?

CS: The training group we have consists of seven people, all of whom have reached a high levelin our sport and are all working together to reach even higher heights. Our group includes: MattTegenkamp, Simon Bairu, Jonathon Riley, Tim Nelson, Evan Jager and Dan Lincoln, and of course,myself. We run together whenever it works out, which is quite often. We do training campswhere we run together virtually every run, but there are times that you need to get out and runon your own. I have never been one to run alone, as I like the company of others on my runs.There are times that I need to get out and run alone and let off some steam when I get stressedor upset about something. I call these venting runs.

CA: One more finally, do you have a favorite quote, a favorite song, that gives you inspiration?

CS: Well, I have a few quotes that I think of when I am training, racing or just need motivation.The one that I am using for this training period and upcoming season is kind of corny, but mydad told me it when I was a junior in high school and trying to defend my state cross country titlefrom the year before … “A hungry dog hunts harder.” There is always someone out there thatwants it just as much if not more than you, and if you are at the top, it can be easy to get com-placent, so always remember there is someone out there trying to take you down. This year, I amthe one who is hungry, and I am looking to make a big splash and create some noise this year.Another quote that I have always liked is “Weakness is not my strength.” In terms of the song, Ihave always liked Nelly’s “No.1.” It has been on my warm-up mix since I was a sophomore inhigh school.

Most important performances2008: 5th at Olympic Trials (13:32.17)

4th in 2 mile at Nike Prefontaine Classic (8:15.77)Runnerup at NCAA Indoors 3000m (8:03.80)

2007: NCAA 5000m champion (13:35.12)7th at USA Outdoor Championships (13:39.83)1st at Oordegem (3:37.27PR)3rd at Sheffield (7:36.90PR)4th at Heusden (13:12.24PR)Bests of 3:37.27PR, 7:36.90PR, 13:12.24PR

2006: NCAA Outdoor 1500m champion (14:11.71)12th at USA Outdoor Championships (13:47.24)Ranked #10 in U.S. at 5,000m by Track & Field NewsBests of 13:27.94, 7:54.73i

2005: 10th at USA Outdoors (13:37.35)8th at NCAA Outdoors (13:51.36)Bests of 13:37.35, 7:53.14

2004: DNF at NCAA OutdoorsBest of 13:42.44

Photo by: Victah, PhotoRun.NET

There is always

someone out there

that wants it just as

much if not more

than you, and if you

are at the top, it can

be easy to get com-

placent, so always

remember there is

someone out there

trying to take you

down.

P.S. Congrats to

Chris Solinsky for

making the U.S.

5,000 meter team

for the World

Champs in Berlin

in August. Chris

was second to

teammate Matt

Tegankamp, and

in third was his

other former

Badger team-

mate, Evan Jager!




Reebok Grand Prix 2009: (left to right) Leonel Manzano; Anna Willard



Reebok Grand Prix 2009: (clockwise from left) Bernard Lagat; Tyson Gay; Stephanie Brown-Trafton


Leonel Manzano is upand running for 2009.After a tough race atthe adidas TrackClassic, Leonel ran a3:55 mile in St. Louis,then a very gutty run,winning the Reebok GP1500 meters in aworld-leading 3:34.14.

The following interviewis from late April. Weprovided Leonel withquestions and heresponded. For ourSpanish speakingfriends, we just had anice piece in LatinosCorriendo no.19, refer-ing to Leonel as Davidvs. the Goliaths.

RunBlogRun: Tell us about your first experience in track &field.Leonel: My first experience in track & field was in primaryschool when we had field day. The first race I ran on a trackwas the 4x100m when I was 8 or 9.

RBR: Did you run in high school?Leonel: I have been running competitively since the summer ofmy 6th grade years. So I have been running for about 11years now.

RBR: What was your training like?Leonel: In high school we focused more on quality more thanquantity. I probably ran anywhere from 30 to 40 miles a weekmax. But mainly did a lot of 400s in workouts.

RBR: Tell us about the hardest lesson in going from highschool to college.Leonel: My hardest lesson was coming from high school tocollege and running with some of the top athletes in the country.

RBR: You like to be in the thick of racing. Tell us about yourracing philosophy.Leonel: Just go out and have fun and run …

RBR: Your NCCA win last year was brilliant. Tell us about thatrace.Leonel: I knew I needed to take the race out. It was windy soI had to be careful not to fight the wind too much. The changeof pace helped me to maintain the lead and when it came timeto kick I was able to get a good lead on the field.

RBR: Under huge pressure at the U.S. Olympic trials, tell usabout the experience and what you remember from the race.Leonel: This race was also very windy. I remembered telling

myself to stay smooth and be conscious of the field. I was ableto make a couple good moves and put myself in good posi-tion. Bernard had a great finish and I was right behind him. Itwas a great race.

RBR: Beijing was your first Olympics, what was that like?What did you learn from the experience?Leonel: After the trials, it was like roller coaster. My mom anddad got an opportunity to travel to China and watch me com-pete. This was very exciting since my parents had never beenout of the county except for Mexico. This was also the first timethey had ever flown.

One of my favorite memories is walking into the BirdsNest and hearing the roar of the crowd, looking up andaround and feeling excited to be competing in front on theworld scene. What I learned from my Olympic experience wasthat the Olympics was great event where the human race, theworld comes together to compete in peace and harmony.

RBR: As a professional runner, how does that differ from whatyou did in college?Leonel: Being a professional runner has been quite a chal-lenge. Many things are given to you in college but as a profes-sional you have to be more aware of the things that you doand don’t do. Either way, being a professional runner hasbeen a lot of fun because of the freedoms that you have yet itis more responsibility.

RBR: What would you tell young runners and coaches aboutyour event, and why you love our sport?Leonel: I have fun running my event. Running is a sport every-one can do. No matter if you’re fast or slow, it can be a con-test between you or someone else. Either way, it is a cleannon-violent sport that most people can enjoy. But for me thechallenge of making myself better is what drives my will to run.

RBR: How has your family reacted to your success?Leonel: Coming from Mojoneras, a small farming communityoutside of Dolores Hidalgo, not many people there know muchabout sports; that is, except for soccer. Yet my success hasbeen a blessing, my family is very supportive of what I do.

RBR: There are several Hispanic runners doing well in dis-tance running in the U.S. Do you see yourself as a role modelfor young Latino runners?Leonel: Running is a great sport. I have seen a rise in Latinorunners in the recent years. I wish them all the best and hopethey and all young runners continue to improve and do well.

RBR: Finally, if you can give three tips to young distance run-ners, what would you give them about the keys to reachingtheir goals?Leonel:1. Have fun and enjoy your running.2. Don’t stress about running; have fun.3. Just go out and run and have fun … RUN!!! �

Congrats to Leonel for finishing second in the U.S. Champs inJune, and making the U.S. team for Berlin at 1,500 meters!Special thanks to Leonel Manzano and his manager, Ricky Simms.

Interview with Leonel Manzanoby Larry Eder


Leonel Manzano at the Reebok Grand Prix,2009. Photo: Victah Sailor, PhotoRun.net


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Victah [email protected]

G L O B A L P E R S P E C T I V E S


On Sept.28,2008,at the real–Berlin Marathon,35-year-old Haile Gebrselassie broke his own world record for the marathon,and be-came the first man to break 2 hours, 4 minutes with his time of 2:03:59.

He had company until about 36 kilometers, and then ran the final 6 kilometers alone, almost a year to theday after setting his first marathon world record of 2:04:26 on the same fast Berlin course. In that oneyear, Gebrselassie lowered Paul Tergat’s previous world record of 2:04:55 by nearly a minute.

“I am so happy, ” he told Pat Butcher of England’s FinancialTimes after his most recent record.“Every-thing was perfect—the weather, the pacemakers. Two weeks ago, I had a little problem. I ran 20K 40seconds faster than in my preparation last year. But I had some cramps and missed a week’s training.I started again a week ago and had some doubts today, but not at the end. [Berlin] is my luck city.”

This was Gebrselassie’s eighth marathon and his 26th world record ranging from 2 miles indoors tothe hour run on the track, to the half marathon on the roads.Geb has eclipsed his hero, Paavo Nurmi,in the number of ratified world records he has set. But few know that Haile’s ventures into themarathon are not new; in fact, his first marathon dates back 2 decades.

Twenty years ago …

All of 15 years old, a young Ethiopian made his way to the capital city of Addis Ababa insearch of his first race.There was one race that weekend—a marathon. 26.2 miles.Wearing boots, the young Haile Gebrselassie ran 2 hours, 48 minutes. “I finished be-cause there were no cars on the course. I had no choice,” recalled Haile in his inter-view with Pat Butcher.

Like his hero Nurmi,Gebrselassie twice won the Olympic 10,000 meters Gold medal.His wins in 1996 and 2000 stand as two of the classic distance races.The crowds inAtlanta and Sydney were treated to two of the world’s greatest distance runners—Paul Tergat of Kenya and Gebrselassie of Ethiopia—battling it out over 25 laps.

In the 1996 Olympic 10,000 meters,Haile reached the halfway mark in 13:55.22, and thenran the final 5,000 meters in 13:11.5. It took his final steps and a brutal 57.5 final 400meters to win overTergat, 27:07.34 to 27:08.14.

In 2000, in Sydney, it again came down toTergat and Gebrselassie,with thefinal 400 meters run in 56.56 and the last 200 in 26.0! Haile ran 27:18.20toTergat’s 27:18.29, a finish margin closer than that of Maurice GreeneandAto Boldon in the 100 meters!With his race in Sydney,which for-

mer Runner’s World publisher George Hirsch called perhapsthe best distance track race of all time, Gebrselassie

joined Nurmi, Emil


Victah [email protected]


Zatopek, and LasseViren as winners of two Olympic 10,000-meter titles. It was also the most closely contested distance race in Olympichistory, with Gold and Silver determined by just 9/100ths of a second!

Three years later, in London in 2003, Gebrselassie tackled his first serious marathon and found himself up against Khalid KhannouchiandTergat. Some running experts thought that perhaps Haile had waited too long to try the marathon, not knowing about his youthfuladventure at age 15. Some thought that his track stride would hurt him over the marathon distance.

Khannouchi ran 2:05:38 to break his own world record.Tergat finished 10 seconds back in 2nd, and Gebrselassie was 3rd in an impres-sive 2:06:35. So much for the experts.

Haile ran Flora London inApril 2006, and was in the race most of the way, but faded to finish 9th in 2:09:05. In September 2006, he ranBerlin for the first time and won.On world-record pace for 35 kilometers, he finished in 2:05:41. In London in 2007,Haile looked greatfor 30 kilometers, and then dropped out, his first DNF. It was later determined that he had developed an allergy.

Haile returned to Berlin in 2007, the race where he had his first marathon win the year before, and he was a changed man.Running withpacemakers until 36 kilometers,Haile again ran alone over the final kilometers.He was focused and he kept on task.He was determinedin this, his seventh marathon, to get the world record many thought him capable of.He did just that, running a stellar 2:04:26 and knock-ing 29 seconds off Tergat’s 4-year-old record.

At Beijing in 2008, in his fourth Olympic 10,000-meter final, Gebrselassie ran the last 5,000 meters like the old days.The problem wasthat there were still five runners with him. His countrymen Kenenisa Bekele headed for Gold, setting a new Olympic record of 27:01.17,and Sileshi Sihine claimed the Silver in 27:02.77. Haile fought valiantly for third but was outsprinted by Micah Kogo of Kenya,who tookthe Bronze, and Moses Madai of Kenya and ZersenayTadesse of Eritrea, who finished 4th and 5th, respectively.

Gebrselassie finished a gallant 6th, in 27:06.68—faster than his win in Göteborg at theWorld Championships and both of his OlympicGold medals. Afterward,Haile smiled and noted to the media,“If I could have run the first half of the race faster, I could have medaled.”The pace had been 13:48 for the first half and 13:13 for the second half!

Another Berlin marathon,another record!

Haile obviously recovered from Beijing well, as his second world record in one year over the same Berlin marathon course—his eighthmarathon, and his 26th world record—attests.And as he said,“I am so happy.”

On Nov. 30, 2008,Haile Gebrselassie ran a 15 kilometer race in 42:20 in Sydney on Jan. 16, 2009,Haile ran 2:05.29 for the Dubai Marathon,running the last 15 kilometers into blinding winds, after having battled torrential rains the entire course. In 2009,he has plans to race the halfmarathon on March 14 inThe Hague, a world record attempt at 20K and the hour run in Hengelo on June 1. He has ruled out the BerlinWorld Championships. " no longer race for world championship medals; I now race for fast times."

How long will Haile compete?When asked that question in January 2009,He said he will never retire!And why not, in 2016,he will only be 42!


Victah [email protected]: Larry Eder; Design/Layout: Alex Larsen; Editor: James Dunaway; Proofreader: Christine Johnson;© 2008 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be stored, copied,or reprinted without prior written permission of Shooting Star Media, Inc. A version of this story firstappeared at www.RunBlogRun.com and is reprinted here with permission.


WE KNOW

BECAUSE WE RUN

how to blow our nose without breaking stride

saucony.com/ShayXC


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