Bobby Curtis joins Hansons-Brooks Original
- Bobby Curtis is the seventh-fastest U.S. male ever in the 10,000 meters with a personal best of 27 minutes, 24 seconds.
- Curtis moved to suburban Detroit to be part of the Hansons-Brooks Original Long Distance Project.
- The big goal is qualifying for the 2013 World Championships which will be held in Moscow.
Bobby Curtis knew that he had to make a change.
The 28-year-old runner had been sponsored by Reebok since graduating from Villanova University in 2008.
"In my last race as an amateur, I had the best race of my life," he said of winning the outdoor 5,000 meters NCAA championship as a senior. It set him up for a five-year deal with Reebok where most sponsorships are only two.
In those five years, he had seen success. He's the seventh-fastest U.S. male ever in the 10,000 meters with a personal best of 27 minutes, 24 seconds. He ran 2:16.44 in the 2011 New York City Marathon, good for 15th place in his marathon debut.
However, he did not make the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, finishing in 10th in the 10,000-meter trials where he needed to be in the top three.
"I always understood that as if I made the Olympics, I would continue on with Reebok and if I didn't make the Olympics, I probably needed to come up with a plan B," he said.
It turns out that his performance had little to do with being dropped. After the Olympics, Reebok scaled back their professional sponsorship program.
So he made a big change. Earlier this year, Curtis and his wife left the Philadelphia area and moved to suburban Detroit so he could be part of the Hansons-Brooks Original Long Distance Project, a runner development program started 10 years ago with the idea that Americans could become a dominant force in distance running - but that more athletes needed the right training to get there.
Curtis, as part of the program, is now sponsored by Brooks, and moving to the Detroit area was part of the deal in becoming part of the team.
So far so good. On March 9, he finished second in the Gate to River 2013 15k, which is the U.S. 15k championships, with a time of 43 minutes, 40 seconds. On April 7, he'll run the Shamrock Shuffle 8k in Chicago.
The big goal, though, is qualifying for the 2013 World Championships, which will be held in Moscow. Qualifying for that race will be held in June. He's also considering running a fall marathon, though he's mum on which one just yet.
He's enjoyed being part of the program so far, from his teammates to his coaches to the training to his new home in Michigan, except for one thing: "The difference between 20 degrees in Philadelphia and 10 degrees colder here makes you not want to go run," he said with a laugh.
Head's up. Online registration for the Nov. 17 Philadelphia Marathon and Half Marathon and the Nov. 16 Rothman 8k opens on Monday at http://www.philadelphiamarathon.com/
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2013 Running Calendar
Sunday, March 24: Ocean Drive Marathon and 10 Miler, Cape May, N.J. Register online or at March 23 expo. odmarathon.org
Sunday, March 24: Billy Mock 5k run and 1 mile walk, Ridley Creek State Park, Delaware. Register at signup2raceusa.com
March 30: Butterfly 5K Run, 9 a.m., Great Valley High School, Malvern. Lbrun.org
March 30: Back on My Feet's 5-miler, up to the Belmont Plateau around Memorial Hall and back down to finish next to the Art Museum. $35, 8:30 a.m. start. bomfphilly5miler.com
April 6: Fifth annual Garden Spot Village marathon, starting at 8 a.m. The USATF-certified Boston Marathon qualifier course begins and ends at Garden Spot Village, 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland. There is also a half-marathon. gardenspotvillagemarathon.org
April 6: Ghost Gallop 5K run /walk. Abington High School, 8 a.m. start, 7 a.m. registration day of race, $20 per person, pre-register, $25 day of event www.signmeup.com/90535
April 7: Codependency 5k run/walk, 8:30 a.m.; Cooper River Park; cash awards to top three male and female winners. 1st: $250, 2d: $150, 3d: $100. $50 to first place male&female walker; www. StartingPoint.org or www.RunSignUp.com. Early registration by April 1; 856-854-3155, ext. 100.
April 13: 5k run, 2-mile walk. Wilson Farm Park, Chesterbrook, PA. Fee $25 for Run, $15 for Walk. Benefit the Dathe Family - Fighting Cancer. Registration 9 a.m., race at 10 a.m. www.bigorangerun.com
April 13: Run for the Ages, 10k run, 8:30 start, Brandywine Park in Wilmington, De. 5k run and 5k walk and 1 mile Senior Stroll at 10 a.m. Registration one hour before each race. runfortheages.org.
April 13: Ridley Run, 5k. Register at www.runtheday.com, or at 6:15 a.m., closes at 7:15 a.m. Race begins at 8 at the Ridley Area YMCA and finishes at Ridley High School.
April 13: Gloucester Township Scholarship Committee 5k Run/Walk and One Mile Fun Run, 9 a.m. Fee: $20 before April 6, $25 race day, www.lin-mark.com
April 14: AIM Race to Read 5k, 9 a.m., Schuylkill River Trail, Tech T-shirt guaranteed if registered by March 22. Preregistration is $25, $30 on race day, $10 for the 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk. http://www.aimpa.org/RacetoRead.shtml
April 14: 3d Annual Enriching Lives 5K Run/Walk on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, starting at 9n a.m., at Resorts Casino Hotel. Pre-register at www.Active.com and www.SeashoreGardens.org, $25. Day of event, $30.
April 14: Find Her Footing 5k, walk, run, kids dash. Adoptions From The Heart, Delaware County Community College, Media. Pa. Kids Dash, 9 a.m.. 5K Walk/Run begins at 9:30. tiny.cc/FindHerFooting5K
April 14: Mission Tuition 5k and 1 mile Fun Run, registration 8 a.m. Fun Run: 10 a.m., 5k, 10:30 a.m. Turkey Swamp Park, 200 Georgia Road, Freehold, N.J. 5k fee: $25 by April 5, $30 race day.
April 20: Run For Our Sons 5k and 1.5-mile walk. Charles Patton Middle School, Kennett Square, Pa. Race: 9 a.m., register at 8. RFOSUnionville@gmail.com
April 20: 2d annual St. LauRUNtius Fishtown 5k,10 a.m. Starts and ends in front of St. Laurentius School, followed by a day-long block party. $30 registration includes t-shirt and timing. $40 includes beer tent for the duration of the block party. Register at runtheday.com.
April 20: Child Guidance Resource Center's "Empower the Children" 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Fun Run, Westgate Hills Park, Havertown, onsite registration 7 a.m.; Fun Run starts 8:30 a.m.; 5k Run/Walk starts at 9. www.runtheday.com.
April 21: 8th annual Valley Forge Revolutionary 5-mile run, 8:30 a.m., in Valley Forge National Historical Park. www.revolutionaryrun.org
April 21: 18th Annual Dash for Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness / 5K run, 10k run, 3K walk. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. donordash.org
April 27: Fourth annual "These Boobs are Made for Walkin'" Breast Cancer 4-mile Walk/Run, 10 a.m. Sign-in at 9 a.m. Rowan University Recreation Center. Centrasl & South Jersey affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. Single pre-registration by April 5, $25. After that, $30. Team pre-registration $15 per person. After April 5, $20 per person.
April 27: Trails 5k in Tacony Creek Park and Community Day at Friends Hospital, 9 a.m. Registration begins at 8 at the start line on Friends Hospital Campus. The 5k will take place on the trails in the Tacony Creek Park. Runners: $20, walkers: Families of four or more: $50. Students: $10. www.healthytrails5k.com. The first 70 runners to register at a special $50 rate will receive an exclusive opportunity to purchase a bib for the 2013 Broad Street Run.
April 27: Apple Core 5K Challenge, USATF certified, benefits Orchard Friends School, 9 a.m., Riverton, along the scenic Delaware River. orchardfriends.org
April 27: 6k, at the Institute Woods, Princeton, N.J. Course is on natural surface maintained trails. Preregistration required, field limited to 150 runners. princetonac.org
April 28: Meso no Mas 5k run/5k walk; West Chester. Register on site or at runccrs.com.
May 5: 7th Annual Richard's River Run, 9 a.m. at Cooper River Pennsauken, NJ. Go4thegoal will host. runsignup.com/Race/?raceId=1335
May 5: Long Branch Half Marathon, Long Branch, N.J. njmarathon.org
May 5: Bucks County 10 Miler, Washington Crossing, Pa. runbucks.com
May 11: Rock N' Run 4 Kids, 5k & Kid's Fun Run. Coca-Cola Park, Allentown. rocknrun4kids.com
May 11: Elwyn 5K, on Elwyn's campus, outside of Media, PA. Cash prizes, fee: $25, 9 a.m. start. 610-891-2298.
May 18: Fallen Heroes 5k Run and 1 mile family walk. Hibernia Park, Chester County. runtheday.com.
June 8: Cape May Airport, N.J. Aviation Museum Runway 5k & 1 mile Fun Walk. Registration 7 a.m., race, 9 a.m. $25 before June 1. 609-886-8787, usnasw.org
June 9: 2013: 3d annual Haddon Glen 5K, www.LMSports.com
July 20-21: Stroehmann Back on My Feet 20in24 Challenge, 8.4-mile loop starting at Lloyd Hall at 1 Boathouse Row. A 24-hour race. BackOnMyFeet.org
To add your race, e-mail jquinn@phillynews.com. Please send at least two weeks in advance.
