Uk athletes invading USA Colleges in Aug 08.

Also remember that over here aside from 800/1500 we don't have anywhere near the amount of top quality 5 and 10k races in which to try and run the fast times.

American lad who came over here and regularly ran low 15s in the states has run I think 15:30 here despite awesome training and mostly just because he hasn't had the right races. Similiarly it's regular to see UK guys going over there and getting into the races and suddenly dropping some huge PBs. Dan Watts and Baker being great examples.

Know that a lot of the lads out there will smash it up.

Take Tommy Davies for example, went over to Butler last year with a pb of 14.38 and ran 14.10 at Stanford last month. I see no reason why the guys going to the States this August cant do exactly the same thing.

"Agreed, i think he probobly admits hes knowhere near as talented as a lot of runners"

Come on Pal the lad went from 18.00-14.36 and 36.00-30.29 in 2 yrs! The former times ran of little to no training, he probably admits he is not as talented as a couple of runners in Britian but I think from his levels of improvement he is bloody talented!

Howvere, he will also be a massive hit in USA for his retro mullet and great banter! America will not know what has hit them when they see his outrageous mullet and willingness to build up to 130mpw at Iona!!

According to another messageboard Rory Fraser who is coming over here ran 13.48 tonight. Can anyone confirm this?

I think it was 13.49, a great run!

If Fraser settles in and makes the most of the states he will be flying!

The guy is in stupid shape right now, he has said it himself.

He is going to run some ridiculous times when he starts to reap the benefits of living at altitude, he is going to be among the future of British distance running without doubt. Think it was only his 2nd or 3rd 5 k ever, was impressive to watch!!

Thought i would bump this as found it quite interesting. i've heard Andy vernon may be heading out to the states when he finishes St Mary's. Would be pretty massive if he does, what a talent.

Mullets are back in? wrote:

Think it was only his 2nd or 3rd 5 k ever, was impressive to watch!!

IT WAS HIS FIRST!!!!!!!!!!

Any of you guys know how Fraser's US college will look on peaking for Euro XC U23 and Euro U23 Track next summer - if they are amongst his goals - as based on Saturday night and with no doubt more to come , he could have a shout at winning both?

he didnt make the euro u23 xc team last year and there are several uk u23s better than him at xc, nevermind the rest of europe. did no one notcie that he didnt actually win the race everyone is talking about and who he was beaten by

1 A Vernon 13.45.35 (PB 13.59)

2 R Fraser 13.49.02 (DEBUT)

3 P Nicholls 13.49.16 (PB 13.56)

4 A Ford 13.49.45 (PB 13.52)

5 A Bowden 13.50.86 (PB 14.06)

Very good race with first 6 guys all PBing 5 of them Brits as above. Frasers 13.49 wasnt entirely unexpected as he ran 8.02 for 3k about 2 weeks ago. As for u23s better than him over xc. I'll give you A Vernon and K Gerrard but I would say maybe only John Beattie is pushing him for 3rd at the moment.

Yeah I noticed, thanks - and yeah I realise it's a big speculation to guess that in Nov/Dec 08 he might be an improved runner compared to Nov/Dec 07.

Given the fact this was only his first race over 5k ever and he ran 13.49, having only ever focused on 800/1500m races..i would expect massive improvements from him. You are comparing him to andy vernon who beat him by 4 seconds and has raced the distance a lot, i think in a years time..living at altitude..doing a mickey mouse 2 year degree at New Mexico where he can totally focus on his running, he is going to progress into one of the best runners in the uk. I expect massive things from him and given he is only doing 70mpw and has plans to keep steadily increasing this over the next 1-2 years to 100mpw i tink massive things are going to come from him. Huge talent and i can't belive some people on here are even questioning it?!!

Nobody was questioning it on here people were just suggesting that...i dont know...perhaps they should not give him the gold medal for Euro U23's just yet.....it is not that crazy a statement to make...

But agree with you...all indicators are there for him to knock chunks off that time...need to make sure he's careful with how he adds on that extra 30 miles a week...staying injury free over the next few years could be crucial as well....

best of luck to him though....

I was being ironic - as this is a Brit thread I hoped it would work. Of course, it's an exciting breakthrough.

No doubt the next poster can constructively point out that there's a kenyan guy younger than him who's already done 12.51 and that back in the 70s you'd get walloped in the Surrey Champs B race with 13.49

Don't understand the bloody fuss personally, there's a kenyan guy younger than him who's already run 12.51 and back in back in the 70s he'd have been walloped in the Surrey Champs B race with 13.49.

Yeah but to be fair anyone in the Surrey Champs B race in the 1970s would be way faster than any British runner today including Mo Farah.

Though this would be interesting to bring back up in discussion, afteer the amount of stick some of the uk guys were getting.

Luke Cragg has ran 13.41 this season for 5k, and just won the DivisionII 5k title with a sub 2min last 800, after finishing 4th in c. 29.20 in the 10k 2 days before.

He's had numerous all american titles and knocked about a minute off his 5 and 10k times (think its been more like 90 secs for the 10k).

Pretty impressive and shows maybe it was the right decision for Adams State to recruit him

Also of not, Drew Graham won the 1500m title in Division II also for Adams State and has won numerous national medals leading up to this title. Pretty good recruiting if you ask me and both could stand their ground in most Dvision 1 races i would bet now.

I wont go into discussions about the D1 recruits mentioned in this thread but Lisgo getting a 3rd at NCAA D1 a couple of years ago in the steeple for Butler, and Fraser and Carey are having pretty impressive performances for New Mexico and Providence. Carey seems to be injjured quite a bit but think thats his genetic make-up and hope it works out for him.

Out of interest - Ciaran OLionarid seems to be under the radar constantly - probably favourite for NCAA D1 10k title in 2011 yet nobody mentions him as a recruit or his transfers etc.