Ben Blakenship - 3:35.28 at Birmingham Grand Prix!!!

Pro News/Info/Results Distance

9 years ago 02/21/2015 9:55am EST

So this guy's going to Beijing.

Very impressive run, 3:35 while finishing right up there with the Africans, probably would have run 3:34.xx if he hadn't gotten tripped up by another runner in the last 50m.

Oh, and that's nearly a full 2-seconds off of his OUTDOOR personal best of 3:37.03. Fingers crossed he can keep up this streak of injury-free running.

Jordan Mcnamara and Blankenship are I think two very talented guys who are going to start doing big things now that they've gotten over the hump of injury. McNamara with his summer of dominance in the Mile and 1500 (displaying Manzano-esque closing speed) and Blankenship right now with his impressive runs indoors off of more base-type training at altitude are my picks right now to make the Beijing 1500 team along with Centro.

9 years ago 02/21/2015 9:58am EST

re: Ben Tank-enship

Jordan/Ben are training alongside the beast Mo Aman. Train with champions and you start building confidence to race like one.

9 years ago 02/21/2015 10:51am EST

re: trainers

Also helps running for arguably the best mid distance coach in the world.

9 years ago 02/21/2015 12:44pm EST

re: Informed runner

Big fan of both McNamara and Blankenship. Seem like great guys in addition to guys who are starting to do big things on the track.

9 years ago 02/21/2015 1:04pm EST

re: trainers

Has Jordan raced indoors at all?

9 years ago 02/21/2015 1:22pm EST

re: worth a looks

Good on Ben. Nothing from McNamara. Maybe he was given a warning for elevated T levels.

9 years ago 02/21/2015 1:39pm EST

re: road rashed

Seems to me he has to clear another hurdle before he is "going to Beijing".

His time converts to 3:52-mid for the mile, so an improvement over his 3:53 earlier. Now if he can figure out how to run a smooth last 50m....

9 years ago 02/21/2015 2:05pm EST

re: Ben Tank-enship

I agree that Blankenship is now a contender for the Worlds team, but a lot can happen in the next four months.

As I mentioned in our Birmingham recap (http://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/02/2015-birmingham-recap-matthew-centrowitz-shannon-rowbury-see-winning-streaks-come-to-an-end/), nabbing a spot on the U.S. team to Beijing at 1500 is going to be brutal. I have a hard time imagining Centro won't make the team, and Leo always brings his A game at USAs. Then there's Pat Casey, who's run like a stud over the past year, as well as Blankenship, McNamara and Will Leer. My guess is Lomong runs the 5k but he could come back to the 1500 again.

Younger guys like Ford Palmer and Mac Fleet could make a jump and throw themselves in the mix.

Oh, and Nick Symmonds is running the 1500 this year.

It should be one of the best events at USAs. If I had to pick right now, I'd say Centro, Leo and Casey will be on the team for Beijing. But a lot can happen between now and then.

9 years ago 02/21/2015 2:12pm EST

re: Ben Tank-enship

I think Ben could've won. On the penultimate straight he made a semi-surge to the lead and kind of backed off, if he would've stuck with the move I think the race was his.

9 years ago 02/22/2015 8:39am EST

re: Jonathan Gault

don't forget wheating. the big guy needs about 8 healthy weeks to run 3:34.

9 years ago 02/23/2015 4:57pm EST

re: road rashed

road rashed wrote:
Good on Ben.

Now run faster than the great Herb ever did.

9 years ago 02/23/2015 5:31pm EST

re: jjjjj

jjjjj wrote:
don't forget wheating. the big guy needs about 8 healthy weeks to run 3:34.

Unfortunately, the last time that happened was over three years ago.

9 years ago 02/23/2015 10:18pm EST

re: Jonathan Gault

Jonathan Gault wrote:
I agree that Blankenship is now a contender for the Worlds team, but a lot can happen in the next four months.
As I mentioned in our Birmingham recap (http://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/02/2015-birmingham-recap-matthew-centrowitz-shannon-rowbury-see-winning-streaks-come-to-an-end/), nabbing a spot on the U.S. team to Beijing at 1500 is going to be brutal. I have a hard time imagining Centro won't make the team, and Leo always brings his A game at USAs. Then there's Pat Casey, who's run like a stud over the past year, as well as Blankenship, McNamara and Will Leer. My guess is Lomong runs the 5k but he could come back to the 1500 again.
Younger guys like Ford Palmer and Mac Fleet could make a jump and throw themselves in the mix.
Oh, and Nick Symmonds is running the 1500 this year.
It should be one of the best events at USAs. If I had to pick right now, I'd say Centro, Leo and Casey will be on the team for Beijing. But a lot can happen between now and then.

Blakenship has stated that he will be focusing on the 5k outdoors this season in a recent interview up at Flagstaff

9 years ago 02/23/2015 10:39pm EST

re: wrong event

plans change.

wrong event wrote:
Jonathan Gault wrote:
I agree that Blankenship is now a contender for the Worlds team, but a lot can happen in the next four months.
As I mentioned in our Birmingham recap (http://www.letsrun.com/news/2015/02/2015-birmingham-recap-matthew-centrowitz-shannon-rowbury-see-winning-streaks-come-to-an-end/), nabbing a spot on the U.S. team to Beijing at 1500 is going to be brutal. I have a hard time imagining Centro won't make the team, and Leo always brings his A game at USAs. Then there's Pat Casey, who's run like a stud over the past year, as well as Blankenship, McNamara and Will Leer. My guess is Lomong runs the 5k but he could come back to the 1500 again.
Younger guys like Ford Palmer and Mac Fleet could make a jump and throw themselves in the mix.
Oh, and Nick Symmonds is running the 1500 this year.
It should be one of the best events at USAs. If I had to pick right now, I'd say Centro, Leo and Casey will be on the team for Beijing. But a lot can happen between now and then.
Blakenship has stated that he will be focusing on the 5k outdoors this season in a recent interview up at Flagstaff

9 years ago 02/23/2015 10:39pm EST

re: trainers

actually ben hasnt trained with aman at all. aman and the mid-d crew are in santa barbara and the distance guys are up in flag

9 years ago 02/23/2015 11:33pm EST

re: reed

If there is one word for Blankenship, it's "scrappy". Seems like he would do OK in a barfight.

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