Webb After HS 3:53: The Hard Stuff

by Marc Bloom

On the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, men's cross-country coach Ron Warhurst has a new role this fall season. He has to get his athletes accustomed to attention, publicity, big crowds, autograph hounds--an unprecedented fuss in the low-key arena of collegiate cross-country.

"When we walk out there to run, people are going to look at you," Warhurst told his team before the Wolverines' most recent home meet on Oct. 14. "They'll be looking for Alan. Enjoy the attention. This is what it's like to have a big-time sport."

Alan Webb, who made headlines with his world-class 3-minute 53.43-second high school mile last May 27 in Eugene, Oregon, has begun his freshman season at Michigan. He's causing such a stir you'd think he was the football team's prize recruit.

At the Oct. 14 meet, the Michigan Interregional, 2,000 spectators turned out in the rain to watch Webb run. They got what they came for. Webb powered through the muddy 8-kilometer course (about 5 miles) in 25:12 for a 32-second victory as Michigan defeated five other schools for the team title. Afterwards, Webb met his fans in a scheduled appearance that was listed on the meet program: "Autographs, 12:45 P.M."

Three weeks before, on Sept. 22 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Webb sparked the same excitement as he ran his first college race, the Great American Festival. After trailing in 25th place through two miles, Webb put on a "three-mile kick," as the announcer called it, and won with a sprint-finish in 24:06 for 8 kilometers.

Then, high school competitors and their coaches and parents lined up to meet Alan, take pictures with him, and have him autograph their t-shirts, hats, duffle bags and water bottles. Webb obliged with the same blend of modesty and charisma he showed in June when he joked on The David Letterman Show and corrected Matt Lauer's Olympic comments on the Today show.

One autograph seeker in Rock Hill, a high school boy, exclaimed to his father, "I touched Alan Webb!" The father replied, "Maybe his speed will rub off on you."

Webb shrugged off the commotion, saying he was just pleased to get a college race under his belt. "I wanted to play it conservatively," Webb said. "It was my first 8k. I'm just trying to find my zone."

By that, he meant how hard he could push himself in long-distance running. Few milers are great cross-country runners. They run distance in the fall to acquire strength for shorter track racing in the spring and summer. That is Webb's goal as well, but so far he has taken so naturally to distance Warhurst feels he could exceed even the loftiest expectations. "I don't want to put limits on the kid," said Warhurst.

Webb's 3:53 mile last season has had track fans drooling over a possible sub-3:50 in 2002. Now, a time closer to 3:48 or even 3:47 is not beyond reason. The American mile record is 3:47.69 by Steve Scott in 1982. The world record is 3:43.13 by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco in 1999.

Could Webb start to approach these times as early as next summer?

Webb, 18, would only say that his current goal is preparing to run 10,000 meters (6.2 miles), the men's distance at the NCAA cross-country championships, Nov. 19, at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. Webb's next race is the Big 10 cross-country meet Oct. 27 in Champaign, Illinois.

Settling in Ann Arbor, Webb, who'd attended South Lakes High School, in Reston, Virginia, returned to his birthplace. His father, Steven, was formerly an economics professor at Michigan. His mother, Katherine, a speech therapist, also worked at the university.

Last season, Webb's sensational time at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene broke Jim Ryun's 36-year-old high school mile record. Ryun is America's greatest miler. At 18, he defeated New Zealand Olympic champion Peter Snell. At 19, he set his first world mile record. At 20, he outran Kenyan Olympic champion Kip Keino.

Comparisons between Webb and Ryun are inevitable. Ryun, a third-term U.S. representative from Kansas, recently wrote in a Time magazine article about Webb: "His toughest challenge now may be the burden of high expectations."

So far, Webb seems quite unburdened. He's a practical joker who apt to take the coach's car when he isn't looking. He works so hard in training that whatever Warhurst dishes out, Webb wants more.

In a recent workout, Webb did eight 1,000-meter runs at a fast pace with only a one-minute rest between runs. He did his last two hard runs in 2:30, which is 4-minute mile pace. On the sidelines, world-class miler Kevin Sullivan of Canada, a Michigan graduate who assists Warhurst, shook his head in awe.

"Don't be easy on me," Webb said.

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