Let It Rip
Indoor track's most exciting weekend
The JMU Dashing Dukes Invitational — the first NIRCA-sponsored outdoor meet on the calendar — is set to take place on March 6, 2022. For those less mathematically-inclined (among whom I count myself a card-carrying member), that’s a week from Sunday. Indoor season is almost over. That means this weekend is for all the marbles.
And what a weekend it aught to be! Between the Illinois Club Relays, the Capital Relays, and the Harvard Invitational, clubs from around the country will finally be meeting head-to-head and putting their fitness to the test. We’ve had a helluva season so far, but besides the Happy Valley Invitational, the indoor opportunities for clubs to race each other have been somewhat slim. This weekend, all that changes. Like I said last week: times only tell half the story. When all these athletes line up, shoulder to shoulder, then we’ll see just how stiff the competition really is.
Before we can preview the weekend to come, however, I suppose we should look back at the last one…
Nicky Alexander Isn’t Going Anywhere
After getting his indoor season started in style with a 4:22 mile and an 8:58 3000m on January 22, Alexander became the first club runner to break 15 minutes in the 5k this year, running 14:59.71 at the Jud Logan Open on February 5th. Last Saturday he returned to the track, running 4:19.58 in the mile and becoming the second club athlete to dip below 4:20 in 2022. That may not be a league best — Illinois’ Eldon Warner still holds that mark by a razor-thin .15 seconds — but it’s a clear indication that Alexander’s presence on the national level is more than just a flash in the pan.
Michigan’s Dominance Continues
Several Michigan athletes raced on their home turf last weekend at the Silverston Invitational, reaping noteworthy results in everything from the 400m up. Highlights included Thea Johnson taking back the mile lead for Michigan in 5:06.97, Anna Nagelhout lowering her own 3000m lead by .32 seconds, Rickey Shackelford’s 51.49 400m dash, and Nathan Nohr running 1:57.05 to become the first club athlete under 1:58 in the 800m (and finishing less than 4 seconds behind Olympian Mason Ferlic!).
As talented as the Michigan Running Club has proven themselves to be over the past 2 months, they’ve also placed a target firmly on their own backs heading into this weekend’s Club Relays. Speaking of which…..
The Illinois Club Relays’ Triumphant Return
After taking 2021 off (I wonder why?), the Illinois Track Club is hosting their yearly Club Relays this weekend, and the field looks absolutely STACKED. Several of the Midwests’ best clubs have all announced their attendence, including:
Illinois (duh)
Ohio State
Michigan
Cincinatti
Wisconsin
Purdue
Kansas
Based on the last month and a half, I think it’s fair to say at least a few club records will fall tommorow. I’ve especially got my eye on Purdue sprinter Adam Wiatr’s 2020 60m record of 6.94 (he already ran 6.94 this season, almost a month ago at ONU), the women’s mile record of 4:59.02 (who will be the first club woman to break 5 in 2022?), and the men’s 3000m record of 8:34.36 (Michigan already has at least 2 men who I believe are capable of taking that one down).
Club Running Goes to Washington
The Club Relays aren’t the only big races happening in the world of club running this weekend! American University will be hosting the Capital Relays at the Greenberg Track in Washington, DC this Saturday.
Teams from across the Mid-Atlantic Conference will be letting fly, including UVA (their second race of the season), JMU (their only indoor race in 2022), and Delaware (back after a strong performance at PSU’s Happy Valley Invitational two weeks ago).
The “Hahvahd” Invitational
Finally, collegiate runners from all of New England will be descending on Beantown this weekend for the Harvard Running Club Indoor Invitational. This will the first race of 2022 for a number of these clubs, but there’s still time for them to leave a mark on the record books! This meet will field neither a 3000m nor a 5000m race, but it does have a 2 mile race! The only event of its kind I’ve seen at a club race this winter, whoever wins will essentially have the automatic league best for 2022.
The HRC Invitational will also see the return of the “Stud Muffin” competition, whose competitors will race in all six running events (hurdles notwithstanding) in exchange for one (1) free muffin at the end of the meet. Now, don’t misunderstand me: I love muffins as much as the next guy. Heck, I’d even go so far as to say that — all things considered — I have an above-average affinity for muffins. But if you want me to race 2.907 miles over six events in a single day, you’d better have at least a half-dozen donuts waiting for me at the finish line1.
The East Coast’s answer to the Illinois Club Relays, the lineup for this weekend is looking impressive already, including appearances from:
UCONN (whose men’s and women’s teams took home victory and runner-up team finishes at the Happy Valley Invitational)
Dartmouth
Harvard
St. Cloud State
Villanova
Boston College
Tufts
It is downright ridiculous how much great racing is on deck for this weekend. If club running had indoor national champs, this would be it. Professional running fans may be focused on World Indoors, but me? This is my Superbowl.
Place your bets now — who will win? What meet records will fall? Which leading times are about to drop? Join the discussion here:
Some Personal News
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Throw in a fresh cup of coffee and I’d even try the hurdles