ALAN WEBB
Event:
Middle Distance
Height: 5-9
Weight: 145
PRs: 800m -
1:43.84 (2007); 1,500m - 3:30.54 (2007); mile - 3:46.91AR (2007); 3,000m –
7:39.28 (2005); 2 mile – 8:23.97 (2007); 5,000m - 13:46.31 (2004); 10,000m -
27:34.72 (2006)
Born: Jan.
13, 1983, in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Current Residence:
Reston, Va.
High School:
South Lakes HS, Reston, Va. '01
College: Michigan
(2001-’02); George Mason University (student only)
Coach: Scott
Raczko
Agent: Ray Flynn
Club: Nike
Career Highlights:
American
record-holder in mile; 3-time USA Outdoor 1,500m Champion (’04, ’05, ‘07); 2007
USA Indoor mile champion; National high school record holder for indoor mile,
outdoor mile and 1,500m; holds national HS mile record for sophomores (4:06.94);
2001 Big Ten Conference Cross Country champion; 2002 Big Ten 1,500m champion
Webb
enjoyed an amazing season in 2007, ending the campaign with the fastest times in
the world in the mile (3:46.91AR) and 1,500 meters (3:30.54), and also posting
the second-fastest time in the world in the 800 meters (1:43.84), all of which
were personal best times. On July 21, 2007, Webb broke the American record in
the mile, clocking 3:46.91 at the Atletiek Vlaanderenmeet in Brasschaa, Belgium.
The mark breaks the record of 3:47.69 set by National Track & Field Hall of
Famer Steve Scott in 1982 and makes Webb the eighth-fastest man in history,
behind Hicham El Guerrouj, Noah Ngeny, Noureddine Morceli, Steve Cram, Daniel
Komen, Venuste Niyongabo and Said Aouita. Unofficial quarter-mile splits for
Webb during the race as 56.1, 57.4, 56.8 and 56.2. Won his first U.S. indoor
title in 2007 in the mile before going on a tear during the outdoor season. On
April 28, he ran 3:51.71 to break Scott's mile record at the Drake Relays in Des
Moines, Iowa. On June 24 in Indianapolis, he ran 3:34.82 in the 1,500 to break
Scott's 25-year old meet record at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, where
Webb won his third career national title. The biggest win of Webb's career came
July 6 in Paris, when he ran a personal-best 1,500m time of 3:30.54, the fastest
time in the world in 2007. On July 16, 2007, Webb set a then personal best in
the 800 meters, running 1:45.80 in Malmo, Sweden. He made a huge splash by
winning the 10,000 meters at the 2006 Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in
Palo Alto, Calif., on April 30, 2006 in the fastest-ever debut by an American at
that distance of 27:34.72. It was the second-fastest time by an American in
2006. His season was interrupted when it was discovered that he had low iron
levels in his blood. Webb qualified for the final at the 2005 World Outdoor
Championships in Helsinki, Finland, and finished the campaign ranked #7 in the
world by Track & Field News. Also in 2005, Webb ran a personal best of 3:32:52
with his third-place finish at the Rieti Grand Prix, and posted another PR in
the mile with his fourth place finish in Oslo in 3:48.92. At the 2005 Nike
Prefontaine Classic, Webb posted a 3,000m personal best when he finished as the
runner-up in 7:39.28. Webb earned the world-class status he promised as a high
schooler by winning four major races in 2004: the Home Depot Invitational, the
Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, CZE, the Nike Prefontaine Classic. His time of
3:32.73 at Ostrava (at that time) was the second fastest in the world in the
1,500m that year, while his 3:50.85 from the Pre Classic was the worlds fastest
mile (at that time) in 2004. Webb set a personal best at the following outdoor
competitions in 2004: Home Depot 3:35.71; Hengelo- 3:33.70; Ostrava 3:32.72; and
Prefontaine 3:50.85. His 800-meter time of 1:46.53, run June 5, 2004 in Seville,
was also a personal best. His win at the Olympic Trials provided final
vindication for him as the top American middle-distance runner. The Olympics was
a learning experience, as tactical errors prevented him from advancing out of
the first round; "stupid, stupid, stupid," he said of his race. A high school
phenom after breaking Jim Ryuns prep mile record for sophomores in 1999, Webb in
2001 became an internationally heralded athlete. At the New Balance Games in
January, Webb’s mile time of 3:59.86 seconds at New York City's Armory made him
the first American high school miler ever to run under four minutes indoors. At
the Prefontaine Classic May 27 in Eugene, Ore., a well-paced race and a final
lap of 55.3 seconds enabled Webb to run a 3:53.43 in the Bowerman Mile, breaking
the national HS record of 3:55.3 that was set by Jim Ryun 36 years earlier.
Equally impressive was that Webb finished fifth overall in a star-studded
international field, Webbs splits at 400m and 800m were 58.1 and 1:57.8
respectively. “It was the most exhilarating experience of my life,” he said.
Webb’s performance was the fastest mile time by an American on U.S. soil since
1998, and made him the 19th-fastest American in history. In the wake of his
performance in Eugene, Webb appeared on the Today Show, the Early Show, Good
Morning America and other national media outlets news of his feat also made page
A-1 of the New York Times…Followed up his run at Prefontaine by winning the
Virginia state HS 800m title in 1:47.74 to become the fourth-fastest high
schooler ever at the distance also ran 47.4 for his leg of South Lakes HSs
4x400m relay at the state meet during the summers Webb worked at the shoe store
his high school coach, Scott Raczko, managed (Footsteps) in Reston, Virginia as
a freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the school started
charging admission to events he competed in that were previously freeafter
winning the Big Ten Conference cross country title in 2001, Webb was named the
Big Ten's Athlete of the Year for cross country and later placed 11th at the
NCAA Cross Country Championships. An Achilles injury forced him to sit out the
2002 indoor track season he bounced back to win the Big Ten Outdoor
Championships 1,500m and placed fourth in the 1,500m at the NCAA Championships
Webb left the University of Michigan in June of 2002 to turn professional and be
coached again by his high school mentor Scott Raczko... enjoys playing the
guitar in his spare time. Webb’s father Steven is an economist for the World
Bank. His mother Katherine is a speech pathologist and a former competitive
swimmer in the breaststroke...he credits the sport for building his strength and
his cardiovascular system without the wear and tear on his legs…known for going
out for ice cream the night before his sub-4 miles in high school.
2009: Runner-up at USA Indoors (3:45.82)
2008: 5th at Olympic Trials in 1,500m (3:41.62)...7th
at Nike Prefontaine Classic (3:55.47)…6th
at Heusden (3:35.86)…ranked #6 U.S. at 1,500m by T&FN…bests of 3:55.47 &
3:35.86.
2007:
USA Outdoor 1,500m champion (3:34.82MR)...
8th at World Outdoors
(3:35.69)...USA Indoor Mile champ (4:01.07)...1st in mile at Brasschaa
(3:46.91AR, WL)...1st in 1,500m at Paris (3:30.54PR, WL)...1st in 800m at
Heusden-Zolder (1:43.84PR)...1st in 800m at Malmo (1:45.80)...1st at Reebok
Boston Indoor Games (3:55.18, Indoor PR)...1st at New Balance Indoor Games
(3:56.70)...1st in mile at Drake Relays (3:51.71)...1st in mile at Reebox Grand
Prix (3:52.94)...9th in 2-mile at Nike Prefontaine Classic (8:23.97PR)...ranked
#8 in U.S. at 800m, ranked #6 in world, #2 U.S. at 1,500m/mile by T&FN...bests
of 1:43.84, 3:30.54, 3:46.91
2006:
1st at Stanford Cardinal Invitational
(27:34.72PR)...6th at adidas Classic (8:33.92)...11th at Nike Prefontaine
Classic (4:00.87)...ranked #5 in 10,000m in U.S. by T&FN...bests of 4:00.87,
27:34.72.
2005: 1st in 1,500m at USA Outdoor
Champs (3:41.97)...9th at World Outdoors (3:41.04)...3rd in 3,000m at Nike
Prefontaine Classic (7:39.28PR)...3rd at Rieti (3:32.52PR)...4th in mile at Oslo
(3:48.92PR)...runner-up at London (3:33.16)...2nd in two-mile run at Nike
Prefontaine Classic (8:11:48)...6th in 4 km (11:48.3) at USA XC...ranked #2 in
U.S. by T&FN...best of 3:32.52 & 3:48.92.
2004: 1st at Olympic Trials 1500m
(3:36.13)…9th in opening round at Olympic Games (3:41.25)…8th in USA Cross
Country Championships Open 4 km (11:31)…4th in USA Cross Country Championships
Open 12 km (35:21)…1st in mile(3:50.83PR) & 1500m en route (3:34.42) in Nike
Prefontaine Classic…4th in mile at Tyson Foods Invitational (3:57.52)…1st in
5,000m at Penn Relays (13:46.31PR)…1st in 1,500m at Home Depot (3:35.71)…1st in
Round B at Seville in 800m (1:46.53PR)…4th at Thales FBK-Games in 1500m
(3:33.70)…1st at Home Depot in 1500m (3:35.71)…1st at Penn Relays in 5000m
(13:46.31PR)…ranked #8 at 800m, #1 at 1,500m by T&FN…bests of 3:32.73,
3:50.84PR, 1:46.53PR, 13:46.31PR.
2003:
7th at USA Indoors (3:44.45)… 10th at USA
Outdoor Championships (3:47.35)...2nd at Armory Indoor (3:59.49)…10th in mile
at Nike Prefontaine Classic (3:58.84)...1st at USATF National Club Cross Country
Championships 10 km (30:13.1)… bests of 3:47.35 & 3:58.84.
2002: Did not compete indoors due
to sore Achilles…1st at Big Ten Conference Outdoor Championships 1,500m
(3:49.27)…4th in 1,500m at NCAA Outdoor Championships (3:43.23)…best of 3:41.46.
2001: Set prep national record for
indoor mile (3:59.86), outdoor mile (3:53.43), and outdoor 1,500m (3:38.26 en
route to his 3:53.43) ... won VA state 800m title in record time of 1:47.74,
making him the fourth-fastest prep in history … added a 47.4 leg on South Lakes’
4x400m relay team at the state meet … ran the fastest 800m split by a high
schooler in the history of the Penn Relays (1:49.1), where he anchored South
Lakes to wins in the 4x800m relay and distance medley relay… also anchored South
Lakes to national record 9:49.78 in DRM at National Scholastics meet, where
South Lakes also won the 4x800…at University of Michigan, Webb won the Big Ten
individual cross country title and placed 11th at the NCAA Cross Country
Championships…ranked #6 in U.S. by T&FN…bests of 3:53.43 and 1:47.74.
2000: Posted split time of 3:59.9
for 1600m at Penn Relays…second at FootLocker XC Championships… best of 4:03.33
in mile.
1999: Set prep national record for
mile as a sophomore (4:06.94) … 8th at FootLocker XC Championships.
6/23/09