The Hansons-Brooks Distance Project Team admitted that they wanted to make a statement at this year’s Boston Marathon, held on April 17.
Seven members of the team placed in the top 22 men’s finishers at the world’s oldest annual marathon, helping the United States achieve its best finish in the event since prize money was instituted in 1986.
Hanson’s team member and Lake Orion native Clint Verran’s 10th place finish was the second best on the team, and made him one of five Americans placing in the top 10.
Brian Sell, formerly of Woodbury, PA, currently a Rochester Hills resident, finished fourth.
Verran, who graduated from Lake Orion High School in 1993 and was the Cross-Country state champion in 1992, finished the 26-mile, 385-yard course in Boston with a time of 2:14:12, setting a personal record by five seconds.
He finished 17th the last time he ran the Boston Marathon in 2002, and finished fifth at the Olympic Trials in 2004.
Verran credited the strong team performance with helping him achieve a record-breaking mark.
‘Training is really where the team aspect comes into play,? he said. ‘But, obviously, running the marathon is an individual thing.?
‘When we all point to one event, we can group everyone’s knowledge together,? added coach Kevin Hanson, co-owner of the Hanson’s Running Shop, which recently opened a location in downtown Lake Orion, at the corner of Flint and Broadway.
Kevin’s brother Keith Hanson and Don Jackson are also coaches of the team, which was honored by the Lake Orion Village Council at their April 24 meeting.
Kevin noted that Verran’s prior experience on the course really helped the team succeed. Verran’s marathon day experience is logged at www.runguru.com, where he gives a detailed synopsis of every five kilometers and events leading up to the race.
‘I hit that 24th mile in 4:51,? one entry said. ?’That’s more like it I thought!? Now I’m looking at two miles to go. I need to keep cranking to guarantee a personal record.?
Verran said his finishing power and strategical side when he’s out on a course are his biggest strengths. Had it been a hotter day, the team probably would have finished even higher, he said.
That’s because the team trained in Florida, as the Boston weather has been unseasonably hot the past few years.
But race day temperatures this year topped out at about 55 degrees, the coolest race day in four years.
‘I was prepared for the heat, and could have been better in the heat,? Verran said.
On average, Verran runs about two marathons a year. He and Kevin said every racing decision made from this point on will be dictated by the timing of the 2008 Olympic Trials.
‘It’s my number one goal in running,? Verran said of qualifying for the Beijing Games. ‘Everything I do now is geared towards running in 2008.?
Verran’s 5th place finish at the 2004 trials in Birmingham, AL, qualified him as an alternate. The top three finishers went on to compete in Athens.
Kevin said the trials are likely to occur in Nov. of 2007. The location is still unknown.
The Hanson’s team is based out of Rochester Hills (where Verran currently resides), and Verran is the only member originally from Lake Orion.
He graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1997.
After running a marathon in 1998, Verran said he got the ‘marathon bug.? He approached the newly-formed Hansons? team about joining on as a marathoner.
At that point, the team was focusing on long distance racing, but not marathons.
‘Before 1999 when these guys started, there wasn’t anything out there for the athletes,? Verran said. ‘The team wouldn’t be here if Kevin and Keith didn’t have the initiative to do it.?
Kevin deflected any credit back to the racers.
‘The athletes do everything, we just provide the structure,? he said. ‘They’re the ones out there every morning.?
When he’s not busy training, Verran has a physical therapy office where he specializes in treating runners with injuries.
‘It fits a unique niche in the industry,? he said, noting that runners appreciate his insight as a fellow runner.
‘No one understands a crazy runner better than a crazy runner,? said Verran. ‘Most personal trainers don’t run 150 miles a week.?
Between his own injures and those of his teammates, Verran has seen about 99.5 percent of those injuries up close, Kevin said.
‘That and the number of miles in his system really makes (Verran) an expert,? he added.
Verran said is also starting to branch off into new areas of analysis for runners. His office is connected to the Hanson’s Running store in Utica, located at 8409 Hall Road, and is open six days a week.
More information about Verran and the rest of the team is also available at www.hansons-running.com.