Ben True 13:11.59, fastest Maine native in history

Derek Veilleux

True becomes fastest Maine native for 5k, 13:11.59

 

Cumberland, Maine native Ben True finished 3rd in the 5k at a meet in Heusden, Belgium running an all-time Maine best of 13:11.59 for the distance this evening. True racing for the first time since the US Outdoor Championship in June, lowered his personal best 13:14.44 set earlier this spring to 13:11.59. The mark surpassed the former all-time Maine 5k best of 13:13.49, set in 1985 by Benton native, Bruce Bickford. Bickford was an olympian in 1988, and was ranked #1 in the world for 10k in 1986. True nows holds the fastest 3k & 5k times for a maine native, he also ranks second in the 10k, and 3rd in the 1500m.

Via his tweeter feed Ben had this to say about his race

 

 

True's hopes of running in the World Championship in Moscow came to end as in the same race Ryan Hill the collegiate athlete from NC State lowered his personal best from 13:26.24 to 13:14.22. Hill who finished thrid, one spot in front of True at the US Championship in 5k, acheived the "A" standard for the WC with his pr today. Prior to today's race Hill needed to hit the "B" standard of 13:20 to be able to run in the WC, True who had previously meet the "A" standard earlier this spring would have made the team if Hill hadn't meet the standard

Other news came from Ben True this week via his tweeter feed

 

True who currently is sponsored by Saucony, has been training in Hanover, NH under the guidance of coach Mark Coogan. He's been training alone without any teammates, and it looks like Ben is ready for a change. He formerly ran for the Oregon Track Club back in 2009 after he graduated from Dartmouth. He returned to Hanover in the summer of 2010, as he a part fo the In the Arena training group. 

 

According to a tweet from Chris Chavez of Flotrack, who spoke to True after his race today, True will have his own group based out of Hanover. Stay tuned for more details.

 

 

 

Check out the interview with Ben by Flotrack after his race

Watch more video of KBC Night of Athletics (Heusden) 2013 on flotrack.org

 

Native Maine all-time best for 5k (track)

5000m

13:11.59 Ben True, North Yarmouth 2013

13:13.49 Bruce Bickford, Benton 1985      

13:25.19 Louie Luchini, Ellsworth 2004 

 

Race Results

1 20 207 ROP ALBERT 13:01.91 BRN Jun 12:59.43  
2 19 209 ST. LAWRENCE BEN 13:10.08 AUS Sen 13:10.83  
3 18 210 TRUE BEN 13:14.44 USA Sen 13:11.59  
4 25 199 MEAD HASSAN 13:15.50 USA Sen 13:11.80  
5 12 190 BUMBALOUGH ANDREW 13:16.26 USA Sen 13:12.01  
6 11 191 GABIUS ARNE 13:13.43 GER Sen 13:12.50  
7 17 211 TASAMA DAME 13:19.91 ETH Sen 13:12.64  
8 8 208 SATO YUKI 13:23.57 JPN Sen 13:13.60  
9 7 205 ROBERTSON ZANE 13:21.15 NZL Sen 13:13.83  
10 10 193 HILL RYAN 13.26.34 USA Sen 13:14.22  
11 6 204 ROBERTSON JAKE 13:22.38 NZL Sen 13:15.54  
12 27 192 GELANT ELROY 13:16.22 RSA Sen 13:15.87  
13 21 213 BURAAS SINDRE 13:28.05 NOR Sen 13:15.91  
14 22 261 LEGASE BIRHANU 13:19.84 ETH Sen 13:21.07  
15 26 196 KIBET ALEX 13:20.57 KEN Sen 13:25.17  
16 16 197 LAGAT HARON PACE KEN Sen 13:26.57  
17 3 201 OSAKO SUGURU 13:31.27 JPN Sen 13:27.54  
18 9 259 EL HACHIMI ABDELHADI 13:55.81 BEL Mas 13:28.05  
19 4 202 PAGE CAMERON 13:29.45 AUS Sen 13:31.71  
20 14 187 ABDI BASHIR 13:29.09 BEL Sen 13:32.89  
21 1 198 MASAI DENNIS 13:23.32 KEN Sen 13:33.68  
22 13 189 BOUCHIKHI SOUFIANE 13:33.09 BEL Sen 13:40.02  
23 2 200 NAERT KOEN 13:46.65 BEL Sen 13:53.70  

 

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