Alan Webb: American Miler and Hopeful for the Olympic Games 2008

At the Reebok Grand Prix, on June 2^nd, Alan Webb defeated a field that was described by many as the most competitive mile field ever on American soil. Alan's time of 3:52.94, though not a PR, was fast enough to hold off Bernard Lagat (Silver Medalist, Athens 1500m), Craig Mottram (3:48.98 mile PR), Nick Willis (3:32 1500m PR), and Kevin Sullivan (3:50.36 mile PR). Webb will run the Bowerman Mile on June 10^th in Oregon. The race will have 9 runners with PR's faster than 4 minutes, establishing a field almost as strong as that of the Reebok meet. Webb will again face off with fellow American Bernard Lagat in Oregon, as the race to break the American mile record continues.

Alan Webb has been heralded as "the future of American distance running" ever since he broke Jim Ryun's 36 year old national high school record for the mile. This was accomplished at the Prefontaine Classic in 2001 by running a 3:53.43. Webb also became the first high school runner to ever break 4 minutes indoors just a few months earlier, when he ran 3:59.86 at the New York Armory track. While his specialty is the mile, he also became the 4^th fastest high-schooler ever in the 800m, when he won the Virginia state meet in 1:47.74. Alan was national-class in cross country as well, as he finished second at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, behind Dathan Ritzenhein and just ahead of Ryan Hall.

Alan went on to the University of Michigan, where he was able to train with middle-distance specialists Nate Brannen and Nick Willis. Alan finished 4^th in the 1500 at the NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships and won the Big 10 Conference 1500m race. However, following his outdoor season, Alan decided that college athletics was not for him, and signed with Nike to run professionally. He would be advised by his high school coach, Scott Raczko. Alan continued to take classes at George Mason University.