01/19/2007

Distance runners featured at clinic

Elite trio set to appear at NMC today

BY DENNIS CHASE

dchase@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Clint Verran was hoping to earn "some rent money” when he ran the Bayshore Marathon here in 1999.

He did that and more.

The Eastern Michigan University graduate won the marathon, the first-place prize money — and a shot of confidence.

"It showed me I had potential at that distance,” he said. "The Bayshore was a real stepping stone for me.”

Today, Verran, along with Hanson-Brooks Distance Project teammates Brian Sell and Luke Humphrey, are three of the country's top distance runners. All three will be in Traverse City tonight as featured speakers at the Traverse City Track Club's annual Bayshore-In-Training clinic.

The clinic, open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. at Northwestern Michigan College's Hagerty Center.

Humphrey, an exercise physiologist, will talk about training and how to prepare for distance races. Sell, who grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, will tell his story on how he went from a high school wrestler to a world class distance runner. Verran, a physical therapist, will share personal experiences from 17 years of racing.

The three just competed Sunday in the U.S. Half Marathon Championships in Houston. Sell finished sixth (1:03:09), Humphrey 13th (1:04:04) and Verran 18th (1:04:40).

But it's in the marathon where the teammates have made a mark. Last spring, all three finished in the top 11 in the Boston Marathon. Sell took fourth, Verran 10th and Humphrey 11th.

"It's always nice to say you finished in the top 10 at Boston,” Verran admitted.

Verran is the only original member left from the Hanson-Brooks Distance Project, started in 1999 by brothers Keith and Kevin Hanson.

"The idea was to provide an opportunity for post-collegiate runners to train together and try to improve themselves beyond the college level,” Verran said. "It was unique at the time. In 1999, the only professional runners out there were basically Olympic-level guys who had individual shoe contracts.

"The concept here was that if you got a group of guys together, who trained together, lived together, that they would actually become better than if they trained on their own. We were trying to copy or emulate the way the Kenyans trained — in a pack.”

The group experienced some early success, drawing interest from other runners. Today, Verran said, there are 18 men and eight women in the Distance Project.

The Hansons, who own running shop stores in the Rochester Hills area, provide housing and offer part-time jobs to those selected to join the group, Verran said.

Verran, who is married and works in Lake Orion, no longer takes advantage of the housing or job offers, but he does take advantage of "the team.”

"We train together every day,” he said.

The "team” took 12 of the top 23 spots in the Half Marathon in Houston.

Verran plans to bypass the Boston Marathon this spring. He has his sights set on the U.S. Olympic Trials in November.

"I finished fifth in the last one,” he said. "You need to be in the top three to make the Olympic team.”

The Trials will be held in New York City, one day before the New York City Marathon.