So maybe running 120 miles a week at 6 minute pace isn’t the answer to good training. Who would’ve thought. People fetishize their “real good blue collar” training too much, just bc Brian Sell led the Marathon Trials for a hot second like 20 years ago
We are talking about the Hansons. The fact that we are taliking about them with the multiples stores, shows their success alone. They are the only ones to give Des a consideration after college. They have developed several of our country's best runners. And, they do it right. It is also safe to say they created the template for others to follow.
So maybe running 120 miles a week at 6 minute pace isn’t the answer to good training. Who would’ve thought. People fetishize their “real good blue collar” training too much, just bc Brian Sell led the Marathon Trials for a hot second like 20 years ago
Their runners with the except of Linden were all sub elites. Maybe not even that with the super fast Africans. Maybe sub elite US marathoners.
So maybe running 120 miles a week at 6 minute pace isn’t the answer to good training. Who would’ve thought. People fetishize their “real good blue collar” training too much, just bc Brian Sell led the Marathon Trials for a hot second like 20 years ago
Did you become a fan of this sport just recently? Hansons marathons were "never good"?? They've put athletes in the Olympics, which is pretty solid for what was kind of an experimental group for runners who were generally sub-elite when they were signed.
Did you become a fan of this sport just recently? Hansons marathons were "never good"?? They've put athletes in the Olympics, which is pretty solid for what was kind of an experimental group for runners who were generally sub-elite when they were signed.
Solid Runners.
Gregg won CIM in 2021.
Sell, in the Olympics.
Desi, vastly improved under them.
Blaney and Davis are on their way up and will go to the next level soon. They are both tough, tough runners and cute as a button!
It doesn't happen overnight. Most were standouts at their respective Colleges.
Schulist had major potential, was 4th in the NCAA CC Meet as a sophomore for MSU, but the poor young lady had a few tough injuries...it happens.
So maybe running 120 miles a week at 6 minute pace isn’t the answer to good training. Who would’ve thought. People fetishize their “real good blue collar” training too much, just bc Brian Sell led the Marathon Trials for a hot second like 20 years ago
Did you become a fan of this sport just recently? Hansons marathons were "never good"?? They've put athletes in the Olympics, which is pretty solid for what was kind of an experimental group for runners who were generally sub-elite when they were signed.
Solid Runners.
Gregg won CIM in 2021.
Sell, in the Olympics.
Desi, vastly improved under them.
Blaney and Davis are on their way up and will go to the next level soon. They are both tough, tough runners and cute as a button!
It doesn't happen overnight. Most were standouts at their respective Colleges.
Schulist had major potential, was 4th in the NCAA CC Meet as a sophomore for MSU, but the poor young lady had a few tough injuries...it happens.
Agree 100 percent. What other clubs are doing that much better? Some make the next leap, so don't for numerous reasons. Panning especially, but yes a couple of the ladies have a chance to go to the next level as well.
So maybe running 120 miles a week at 6 minute pace isn’t the answer to good training. Who would’ve thought. People fetishize their “real good blue collar” training too much, just bc Brian Sell led the Marathon Trials for a hot second like 20 years ago
2008 was only 15 years ago first of all.
Brian Sell was a total stud. Like a 29:00 guy out of college who worked his butt off to get that six figure salary from Brooks for a year or two and accomplish his Olympic dream. Also 4th at Boston and 6th at Chicago....running 2:10 way before supershoes came along.
Watching him get 3rd at the Trials in 2007 NYC with Hall and Ritz also running well was really a highlight of the sport for me.
Then I joined Hansons in 2009 and got to run with Brian and bit and pick his brain
(shameless self promotion check out my memoir "Running with The Hansons" for a true insider story of the program....yes it is poorly written but I interviewed guys like Brian and Clint for hours. Also see my youtube channel videos of workouts from around that time).
The progress "blue collar" runners experience at Hansons isn't from the great coaching of Keith and Kevin...it was from having your teammates drag you out of bed every morning 7 days a week before 7am (think Michigan in the winter when it's single digits out and it snowed 10" overnight) to bust out 120-150 miles a week. Teammates and "rolling with the pack" at Hansons was everything. We helped each other out a lot!
We did a lot of 2-mile and 3-mile repeats at about 10 sec/mile faster than goal marathon race pace....Basically a lot of Threshold workouts and miles on tired legs.
Sure, we hammered a lot of Long Runs (20-milers almost always went in under 2 hours), and many "Easy Days" went low 6-min pace for me (5:40 for Brian at his peak), but there was no stipulation to run "fast" on an Easy Day. We actually usually had 2 Easy Days between harder/faster workouts and quality long runs so one of those days you could go 6:30-7:00 per mile pace or slower to "Recover."
They probably overhyped the "Simulator" workout a bit and it lead to burn-out or ruined your marathon race a few times....sure, lots of guys got injured all the time too.
Finally lots of doubles like 10 in the AM and 4 in the PM (or 12-14 in the AM!). Then a 5-6 hour workshift at the store doing thousands of dollars in shoe sales and barely getting a chance to eat. I've worked in running retail in several different stores and scenarios and that was pretty hard work for only $10/hour! But hey we got free rent, free coaching, some gear from Brooks, some chiro, "health insurance," a few travel trips a year, a week or two in Florida, and those possible bonuses. Not bad for B-level runners out of college that weren't even All-American (me).
LIMITS follows NCAA all-american dan winn in the summer after graduation, as he deals with coaches, agents, and brands in the pursuit of a professional runni...
Marathon – Sub 2:20 Club 1. Zach Panning 2:09:28 Chicago, IL 2022 2. Brian Sell 2:10:47 Chicago, IL 2006 3. Bobby Curtis 2:11:20 Chicago, IL 2014 & Frankfurt, Germany 2016 4. Brendan Gregg 2:11:38 Chicago, IL 2019 5. Trent Britney 2:12:24 US Trials AL 2004 6. Shadrack Biwott 2:12:52 New York, NY 2018 7. Jake Riley 2:13:16 Chicago, IL 2014 8. JP Flavin 2:13:27 Boston, MA 2023 9. Wilkerson Given 2:13:42 Chicago, IL 2022 10. Nick Arciniaga 2:13:46 New York, NY 2009 11. Clint Verran 2:14:12 Boston, MA 2006 12. Mike Morgan 2:14:22 US Trials Houston 2012 13. Luke Humphrey 2:14:37 San Diego, CA 2011 14. Drew Polley 2:14:58 US Trials Houston 2012 15. Chad Johnson 2:15:03 Chicago, IL 2006 16. Kyle O’Brien 2:15:13 Chicago, IL 2006 17. Ben Kendell 2:15:47 Sacramento, CA 2022 18. Pat Rizzo 2:15:48 Chicago, IL 2009 19. Dathan Ritzenhein 2:16:19 Boston, MA 2019 20. Mike Reneau 2:16:20 Chicago, IL 2008 21. Jeff Campbell 2:16:25 Birmingham, AL 2003 22. Paul Heffernon 2:16:46 US Trials Houston 2012 23. Sage Canada 2:16:52 San Diego, CA 2011 24. Zach Hine 2:16:54 Boston, MA 2011 25. Marty Rosendahl 2:17:05 Chicago, IL 2006 26. Nick Cordes 2:17:16 Sacramento, CA 2004 27. Ethan Shaw 2:17:26 Twin Cities, MN 2013 28. Jack Mastandrea 2:17:27 Ottawa, CAN 2022 29. Chris Wehrman 2:17:49 Detroit, MI 2001 30. Robert Scribner 2:18:18 US Trials Houston 2012 31. Brendan Martin 2:18:28 Fukuoka, Japan 2013 32. Patrick Moulton 2:18:35 US Trials NY 2007 33. Mo Hrezi 2:18:40 Ottawa, CAN 2016 34. Trent Lusignan 2:18:47 Sacramento, CA 2018 35. Ben Rosario 2:18:53 Sacramento, CA 2004 36. Dave Ernsberger 2:18:56 Chicago, IL 2006 37. Tim Young 2:19:01 Chicago, IL 2010 38. Josh Eberly 2:19:28 Chicago, IL 2005 39. Alec Sandusky 2:19:46 Chicago, IL 2023 40. Todd Snyder 2:19:55 Boston, MA 2009 41. Carl Rundell 2:19:58 Birmingham, AL 2003
So maybe running 120 miles a week at 6 minute pace isn’t the answer to good training. Who would’ve thought. People fetishize their “real good blue collar” training too much, just bc Brian Sell led the Marathon Trials for a hot second like 20 years ago
2008 was only 15 years ago first of all.
Brian Sell was a total stud. Like a 29:00 guy out of college who worked his butt off to get that six figure salary from Brooks for a year or two and accomplish his Olympic dream. Also 4th at Boston and 6th at Chicago....running 2:10 way before supershoes came along.
Watching him get 3rd at the Trials in 2007 NYC with Hall and Ritz also running well was really a highlight of the sport for me.
Then I joined Hansons in 2009 and got to run with Brian and bit and pick his brain
(shameless self promotion check out my memoir "Running with The Hansons" for a true insider story of the program....yes it is poorly written but I interviewed guys like Brian and Clint for hours. Also see my youtube channel videos of workouts from around that time).
The progress "blue collar" runners experience at Hansons isn't from the great coaching of Keith and Kevin...it was from having your teammates drag you out of bed every morning 7 days a week before 7am (think Michigan in the winter when it's single digits out and it snowed 10" overnight) to bust out 120-150 miles a week. Teammates and "rolling with the pack" at Hansons was everything. We helped each other out a lot!
We did a lot of 2-mile and 3-mile repeats at about 10 sec/mile faster than goal marathon race pace....Basically a lot of Threshold workouts and miles on tired legs.
Sure, we hammered a lot of Long Runs (20-milers almost always went in under 2 hours), and many "Easy Days" went low 6-min pace for me (5:40 for Brian at his peak), but there was no stipulation to run "fast" on an Easy Day. We actually usually had 2 Easy Days between harder/faster workouts and quality long runs so one of those days you could go 6:30-7:00 per mile pace or slower to "Recover."
They probably overhyped the "Simulator" workout a bit and it lead to burn-out or ruined your marathon race a few times....sure, lots of guys got injured all the time too.
Finally lots of doubles like 10 in the AM and 4 in the PM (or 12-14 in the AM!). Then a 5-6 hour workshift at the store doing thousands of dollars in shoe sales and barely getting a chance to eat. I've worked in running retail in several different stores and scenarios and that was pretty hard work for only $10/hour! But hey we got free rent, free coaching, some gear from Brooks, some chiro, "health insurance," a few travel trips a year, a week or two in Florida, and those possible bonuses. Not bad for B-level runners out of college that weren't even All-American (me).
Marathon – Sub 2:20 Club 1. Zach Panning 2:09:28 Chicago, IL 2022 2. Brian Sell 2:10:47 Chicago, IL 2006 3. Bobby Curtis 2:11:20 Chicago, IL 2014 & Frankfurt, Germany 2016 4. Brendan Gregg 2:11:38 Chicago, IL 2019 5. Trent Britney 2:12:24 US Trials AL 2004 6. Shadrack Biwott 2:12:52 New York, NY 2018 7. Jake Riley 2:13:16 Chicago, IL 2014 8. JP Flavin 2:13:27 Boston, MA 2023 9. Wilkerson Given 2:13:42 Chicago, IL 2022 10. Nick Arciniaga 2:13:46 New York, NY 2009 11. Clint Verran 2:14:12 Boston, MA 2006 12. Mike Morgan 2:14:22 US Trials Houston 2012 13. Luke Humphrey 2:14:37 San Diego, CA 2011 14. Drew Polley 2:14:58 US Trials Houston 2012 15. Chad Johnson 2:15:03 Chicago, IL 2006 16. Kyle O’Brien 2:15:13 Chicago, IL 2006 17. Ben Kendell 2:15:47 Sacramento, CA 2022 18. Pat Rizzo 2:15:48 Chicago, IL 2009 19. Dathan Ritzenhein 2:16:19 Boston, MA 2019 20. Mike Reneau 2:16:20 Chicago, IL 2008 21. Jeff Campbell 2:16:25 Birmingham, AL 2003 22. Paul Heffernon 2:16:46 US Trials Houston 2012 23. Sage Canada 2:16:52 San Diego, CA 2011 24. Zach Hine 2:16:54 Boston, MA 2011 25. Marty Rosendahl 2:17:05 Chicago, IL 2006 26. Nick Cordes 2:17:16 Sacramento, CA 2004 27. Ethan Shaw 2:17:26 Twin Cities, MN 2013 28. Jack Mastandrea 2:17:27 Ottawa, CAN 2022 29. Chris Wehrman 2:17:49 Detroit, MI 2001 30. Robert Scribner 2:18:18 US Trials Houston 2012 31. Brendan Martin 2:18:28 Fukuoka, Japan 2013 32. Patrick Moulton 2:18:35 US Trials NY 2007 33. Mo Hrezi 2:18:40 Ottawa, CAN 2016 34. Trent Lusignan 2:18:47 Sacramento, CA 2018 35. Ben Rosario 2:18:53 Sacramento, CA 2004 36. Dave Ernsberger 2:18:56 Chicago, IL 2006 37. Tim Young 2:19:01 Chicago, IL 2010 38. Josh Eberly 2:19:28 Chicago, IL 2005 39. Alec Sandusky 2:19:46 Chicago, IL 2023 40. Todd Snyder 2:19:55 Boston, MA 2009 41. Carl Rundell 2:19:58 Birmingham, AL 2003
Every Japanese University. BYU alum. Random Kenyan villagers. Why do you think sub 2:20 for the mens marathon in 2023 is a relevant metric? 2:20 can’t even get you to the US olympic trials