NCAA Cross Country Champion Patrick Tiernan Signs With Nike

By Jonathan Gault
March 26, 2017

KAMPALA, Uganda — 2016 NCAA cross country champion Patrick Tiernan announced today that he has signed a professional sponsorship contract with Nike Australia after finishing 13th at the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Tiernan, who famously denied Edward Cheserek an unprecedented fourth straight NCAA XC title in November, was the top non-African-born finisher at Worlds, completing the 10-kilometer course in 29:17 to finish 13th behind champion Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya (28:24).

The 22-year-old Tiernan, who still trains at Villanova University in Philadelphia under coach Marcus O’Sullivan, won the Australian 10,000-meter title in December and owns personal bests of 13:20 for 5,000 and 27:59 for 10,000. He represented Australia at the Olympics in Rio last summer but was eliminated in the heats.

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Tiernan will race next in the 10,000 at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford on May 5, where he’ll attempt to achieve the World Championship standard of 27:45.00. After that, Tiernan would like to head to the Prefontaine Classic and run a 5,000 (standard is 13:22.00), ideally running both events at Worlds in August in London.

LRC 2016 NCAA XC Recap: Patrick Tiernan Stuns Edward Cheserek as NAU Wins First Crown to Send Coach Eric Heins Out On Top

Post-race interview with Tiernan

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