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Alan Webb (runner)

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Alan Webb
Webb at the KBC Night of Athletics in 2007
Personal information
Born (1983-01-13) January 13, 1983 (age 41)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight145 lb (66 kg)
Sport
Country United States
SportAthletics/Track, Mid-distance running
Event(s)800 meters, 1500 meters, Mile, 5000 meters, 10,000 meters
College teamMichigan Wolverines
ClubNike
Coached byScott Raczko
Now coachingAve Maria University
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals2004 Athens
1500 m, 25th (h)
World finals2005 Helsinki
1500 m, 9th
2007 Osaka
1500 m, 8th
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the United States United States
USA Outdoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2007 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 2005 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 2004 1500 m

Alan Webb (born January 13, 1983) is an American former track and field athlete and former triathlete. He held the American national record in the mile, with a time of 3 minutes 46.91 seconds, from July 2007 to September 2023. Webb represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the men's 1500-meters race. He competed professionally for Nike until the end of 2013. He retired after the 2014 Millrose Games.

He currently serves as head coach for the Ave Maria University's cross country and track and field teams in Ave Maria, Florida.

Early life

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Webb was born January 13, 1983, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Track career

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High school

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He attended South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia. In 1999, he broke Jim Ryun's national sophomore mile record of 4:07.8 by running 4:06.94, while beating Nathan Conley by one second. During the fall season of his senior year, Webb placed second at the 2000 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships behind Dathan Ritzenhein.

At the New Balance Games in January 2001, Webb's mile time of 3:59.86 at New York City's Armory made him the first American high schooler ever to run a sub-four minute mile indoors. Webb's time broke the previous American indoor high school record of Thom Hunt — a 4:02.7 — as well as Hunt's indoor HS AR in the 1500 m (3:46.6), as Webb came through the 1500 mark in 3:43.27. Webb's record was surpassed fifteen years later by Andrew Hunter from Loudoun Valley High School in Virginia with a time of 3:58.25 set on the same track.

Four months later, at the age of 18 years, 4 months, and 14 days, on May 27, 2001, at the Prefontaine Classic, Webb ran a mile in 3:53.43 to shatter Ryun's 36-year-old national high school record of 3:55.3, which placed him first on the list of high school students who have run a four minute mile. En route, Webb passed the 1500 mark in 3:38.26 to take down Ryun's 37-year-old high school AR of 3:39.0 set in 1964.

Webb followed up his run at Prefontaine by winning the Virginia State High School 800 m title in 1:47.74 to become the fourth-fastest high schooler ever at that distance. He was Track and Field News "High School Athlete of the Year" in 2001.[2]

At the end of his senior year, Webb appeared as a guest on an episode of Late Show with David Letterman.[3][4]

Collegiate

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Following his high school achievements, Webb went on to run both cross country and track for the University of Michigan. During the fall cross country season, he won several meets, including the Wolverine Interregional and the Big Ten Championships (both 8 kilometer races) in times of 25:12 and 23:19.9, respectively. After claiming runner-up at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional to Boaz Cheboiywo, he finished in eleventh place at the NCAA Championships with a time of 29:38 for the 10 kilometer race to earn All-American honors.

After redshirting the indoor track season, Webb won the Big Ten championship in the 1500 m run during the outdoor season, clocking a time of 3:49.27 to win the title. Webb competed in this race at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships a few weeks later, finishing in fourth place with a time of 3:43.23.

Shortly after the completion of the outdoor season, Webb decided to leave the university to turn professional and return to his high school coach and mentor Scott Raczko. He continued his collegiate education at George Mason University.

Post-collegiate/professional

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Alan Webb at the 2006 Prefontaine Classic

Since turning professional in 2002, Webb has competed for Nike. In 2004, he became an Olympian by winning the 1500 m in the U.S. Olympic Trials. He was later eliminated in the first round of Olympic competition in Athens.

In 2005, Webb won another national title at 1500 m and made it to the Finals of the World Championships in Helsinki in that event. He also set personal records at every distance from the 1500 to the 5000 m, setting the American record at 2 miles along the way.

In 2007, Webb once again won the national championship in the 1500 m run, surging past Bernard Lagat in the final 50 meters for the title. He then finished 8th in the final of the 1500 m at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan. On July 6, 2007, Webb won the IAAF Golden League meet 1500 m race in Paris in a lifetime best of 3:30.54, third fastest on the American list. On July 21, 2007, at a meet in Brasschaat, Belgium, Webb broke the American record in the mile. His time of 3:46.91 bested the 25-year-old record of 3:47.69 run by Steve Scott. He ended the year with a victory in the New York Fifth Avenue Mile.[5]

On July 6, 2008, Webb failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in the 1500 m after finishing 5th in the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon with a time of 3:41.62.

After many disappointing results since breaking the American mile record, Webb decided in August 2009 to move to Portland, Oregon to train with coach Alberto Salazar.[6] At the time, Salazar already coached Kara Goucher, Galen Rupp, Amy Yoder Begley, and Dathan Ritzenhein, and Webb was Salazar’s first 1500 m runner.[7] In March 2011, Webb decided to leave Salazar on amicable terms.[8]

In 2010, Webb underwent surgery for an Achilles tendon injury and returned at the Fifth Avenue Mile in September, finishing in fourth behind defending champion Andrew Baddeley.[9]

After his split with coach Alberto Salazar, Webb decided to be coached closer to home under the University of Virginia's Jason Vigilante.[citation needed]

Webb returned to Portland to join Jerry Schumacher's group and was focused on the 5000 m & 10,000 m, and eventually the marathon.[10]

Webb announced his retirement from track running on February 15, 2014 following the 2014 Millrose Games Wannamaker Mile.[11]

Coach

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In 2013, Webb began as a volunteer assistant coach at Portland State University for cross country.[12] In July 2019, Webb became an assistant cross country coach and distance coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.,[13] he finished off coaching at Catholic High School in the fall of 2021 for cross country alongside Coach Jennifer Found. He now coaches cross country and track & field at Ave Maria University, a private Catholic university in Florida.

Personal life

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Alan Webb married Julia Rudd in October 2010, who also enjoys running and is an assistant coach for a high school cross country team.[14] A convert to Catholicism and LIFE Runners member,[15] Alan and Julia have four daughters, Joanie, Paula, Gabriella (Gabby), and Bridget.[16][17][18]

Select races by event

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800 m

Competition Result Time Location Date
Virginia High School State Championship 1 1:47.74[19] Newport News, Virginia 2000-06-01
Seville Round B 1 1:46.53 Seville, Spain 2004-06-05
Grand Prix 2 1:45.80 Malmö, Sweden 2007-07-03
KBC Night of Athletics 1 1:43.84 Heusden, Belgium 2007-07-28
Meeting Citta Di Padova 8 1:48.34 Padua, Italy 2010-09-03

1500 m

Competition Result Time Location Date
Prefontaine Classic 2 3:38.26[20] Eugene, Oregon 2001-07-18
Olympic Trials Finals 1 3:36.13 Sacramento, California 2004-07-18
Olympic Qualifying Round 1 9 3:41.25 Athens, Greece 2004-08-20
USATF Outdoor Championships 1 3:41.97 Carson, California 2005-06-25
World Track and Field Championships 9 3:41.04 Helsinki, Finland 2005-08-10
Rieti 3 3:32:52 Rieti, Italy 2005-08-28
USATF Outdoor Championships 1 3:34.82 Indianapolis, Indiana 2007-06-24
Meeting Gaz de France Paris St. Denis 1 3:30.54 Paris, France 2007-07-06
Olympic Trials Finals 5 3:41.62 Eugene, Oregon 2008-07-06
Notturna di Milano 5 3:36.21 Milan, Italy 2010-09-09
Melbourne Track Classic 3 3:37.82 Melbourne, Australia 2011-03-03
Oxy Invitational 7 3:37.26 Los Angeles 2012-05-18
Prefontaine Classic 10 3:45.59 Eugene, Oregon 2013-05-31
American Milers Club High Performance Series Meet #3 10 3:42.88 Indianapolis, Indiana 2013-06-15

Mile

Competition Result Time Location Date
Nike Prefontaine Classic 1 3:50.83 Eugene, Oregon 2004-06-19
Aviva London Grand Prix 4 3:50.73 London, United Kingdom 2004-07-30
Bislett Games 4 3:48.92 Oslo, Norway 2005-07-29
Prefontaine Classic 11 4:00.87 Eugene, Oregon 2006-05-28
Boston Indoor Games (Indoors) 1 3:55.18 Boston, Massachusetts 2007-01-27
Drake Relays 1 3:51.71 Des Moines, Iowa 2007-04-28
Atletiek Vlaanderen 1 3:46.91 Brasschaat, Belgium 2007-07-21
Nike Prefontaine Classic 10 3:55.99 Eugene, Oregon 2009-06-07
Prefontaine Classic 11 3:59.47 Eugene, Oregon 2012-06-02

3000 m

Competition Result Time Location Date
Nike Prefontaine Classic 3 7:39.28 (en route) Eugene, Oregon 2005-06-04

2 Mile

Competition Result Time Location Date
Nike Prefontaine Classic 2 8:11.48 Eugene, Oregon 2005-06-04
Adidas Track Classic 6 8:33.92 Carson, California 2006-05-21
Prefontaine Classic 9 8:23.97 Eugene, Oregon 2007-06-10

5000 m

Competition Result Time Location Date
Penn Relays 1 13:46.31 Philadelphia 2004-04-29
Penn Relays 1 13:30.25 Philadelphia 2005-04-28
Berlin Golden League 8 13:10.86 Berlin, Germany 2005-09-04
Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational 21 13:37.68 Palo Alto, California 2013-04-28

10000 m

Competition Result Time Location Date
Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational 1 27:34.72 Palo Alto, California 2006-04-30

Cross Country

Competition Result Time Distance Location Date
USA Cross Country Championships 8 11:31 4 km Indianapolis, Indiana 2004-02-07
USA Cross Country Championships 4 35:21 12 km Indianapolis, Indiana 2004-02-08
USA Cross Country Championships 6 11:48.3 4 km Vancouver, Washington 2005-02-12

Personal records

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Outdoors

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Distance Mark Date Location
800 m 1:43.84 2007-07-28 Heusden, Belgium
1,000 m 2:20.32 2005-06-11 New York City
1,500 m 3:30.54 2007-07-06 Paris
Mile 3:46.91 2007-07-21 Brasschaat
3,000 m 7:39.28 2005-06-04 Eugene, Oregon
2 miles 8:11.48 2005-06-04 Eugene, Oregon
5,000 m 13:10.86 2005-09-04 Berlin
10,000 m 27:34.72 2006-04-30 Palo Alto

Indoors

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Distance Mark Date Location
1,000 m 2:23.68 2001-03-03 VA AAA Championships
1,500 m 3:41.93 2004-02-14 Fayetteville, Arkansas
Mile 3:55.18 2007-01-27 Boston(Boston Indoor Games)
3,000 m 7:47.19 2005-01-28 BU Invitational
2 miles 8:45.19 2001-03-11 Nike Indoor Classic

Cross country

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Distance Mark Date Location
4,000 m 11:31 2004-02-07 Indianapolis
10,000 m 29:38[21] 2001-11-19 Greenville
12,000 m 35:21 2004-02-08 Indianapolis

See also

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References

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  1. ^ IAAF. "Athlete profile for Alan Webb".
  2. ^ "Track & Field News - the Bible of the Sport Since 1948". Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  3. ^ Alan Webb on Letterman. January 7, 2006. Event occurs at 00:00 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Devine, Dave (July 21, 2017). "JUMP START: THE SECOND REINVENTION OF ALAN WEBB". dyestat.com.
  5. ^ "Alan Webb Ends season on winning note, Taking Fifth Avenue Mile!". September 29, 2007. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
  6. ^ Nearman, Steve (August 6, 2009). "Webb will train in Oregon". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  7. ^ Patrick, Dick (August 6, 2009). "Alan Webb leaves longtime coach to join Alberto Salazar in Oregon". USA Today. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  8. ^ "Alan Webb leaves Alberto Salazar". Flotrack. March 30, 2011. Archived from the original on April 4, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  9. ^ Rowbury defends, Laalou breaks through at Fifth Avenue Mile Archived December 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. IAAF/NYRR (September 27, 2010). Retrieved on 2010-09-27.
  10. ^ "Confirmed: Alan Webb Has Joined Jerry Schumacher's Group and Is Focused on Longer Distances". LetsRun.com. January 15, 2013.
  11. ^ "Webb to retire at Millrose". flotrack.org. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  12. ^ Gambaccini, Peter (September 4, 2013). "Flanagan and Webb Coaching at Portland State". Runner's World.
  13. ^ "Little Rock Athletics – Alan Webb". Lrtrojans.com. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  14. ^ Woods, David (May 9, 2010). "Reunion made in Indy geared for the long run". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  15. ^ King, Roxanne (January 8, 2020). "Catholic Mom and Baby Win Half-Marathon and Possible Guinness World Record". National Catholic Register.
  16. ^ "Alan Webb Back With First Win As Father | News – Flotrack". September 9, 2012. Archived from the original on September 12, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  17. ^ "About Team Webb". Runteamwebb.wordpress.com. December 18, 2011. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  18. ^ Hebda, Dwain (December 16, 2019). "New UA Little Rock coach sets his eyes on ultimate prize". Arkansas Catholic. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  19. ^ "Fast Track | Amarillo.com | Amarillo Globe-News". Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  20. ^ "Webb Gets Lift from Victory in 1,500 Meters – latimes". Los Angeles Times. May 23, 2004. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  21. ^ "2001 NCAA Fall Championships Records Book" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on August 16, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2019.

Further reading

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  • Lear, Chris (2003). Sub 4:00: Alan Webb and the Quest for the Fastest Mile. Rodale Books. ISBN 1-57954-746-X.
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Awards
Preceded by
none
 USA Track & Field Youth Athlete of the Year
2001 		Succeeded by
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