Abdi Abdirahman is determined to make it to Beijing
The Olympic Men's Marathon Trials on November 3 will determine his fate
By Cecil Harris
It took someone other than Abdi Abdirahman himself to recognize the talent that he possessed. “When I came to the U.S.,” he said, “one of my friends, Martin Keino, the son of [legendary Kenyan runner] Kip Keino, told me I could be a good runner because of the way I look. I listened to him, and he was right.”
Abdirahman, now 30, has become more than a good runner. He’s a star, a two-time Olympian, and one of the favorites to earn a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon team.
Known mostly by his first name, Abdi is fortunate to have this opportunity. When he was 3, his family fled a civil war in Somalia, relocating to Kenya[?]. At the age of 12, Abdi moved to the United States. He became a U.S. citizen on January 28, 2000. In his first race at Pima Community College in Arizona, he didn’t have a pair of running shoes or running shorts. Running in boots and cut-off pants, he finished second.
“I knew that the talent would only take me so far,” he said. “I also had to work hard. I had finished second to a junior college runner, an average runner. For me to get to the next level, I knew I’d have to work harder.”
Hard work yielded impressive results at Pima CC and later at the University of Arizona. He won races at 5000 meters and 10,000 meters at the 1998 Pacific-10 Conference Championships. He was named the Pac-10 Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 1998 after placing second at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
“I was in my senior year at Arizona when Nike called,” Abdi said. “I didn’t know they were going to offer to sponsor me. They’ve been behind me for six years. I’m thankful that Nike has given me this opportunity. They’ve funded my training and allowed me to concentrate on my running.”
Abdi has excelled ever since. This year he won the USA Outdoor Championship 10,000 meters for the third time, finishing in 28:13.51. He also won the event in 2001 and 2005 and has been the runner-up twice. He won this year’s USA 10K Championships in 28:11 and captured the 2005 and 2006 USA 10-mile Championships titles. In the marathon, he ran a personal best 2:08:56, finishing fourth at the 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. He placed fifth in the ING New York City Marathon 2005 in 2:11:24.
A lanky 130 pounds and a shade under six feet tall, Abdi is an engaging personality with a ready smile. He’s as eager to motivate aspiring runners with his words as with his stellar performances. On a visit to New York City in March, he took time out from training for the USA 8K Championships to speak to children at a public school in Harlem.
“You never know who you’re talking to,” Abdi said. “Even if only one person gets the message you’re delivering, that one person could become someone great, someone inspired by your advice and your example.”
And what is Abdi’s message?
“I want the young people to stay motivated, stay focused and become good citizens,” he said. “Work hard. Study hard. Get into college. When you’re talking to a group of kids, you might be talking to the next president, the next great athlete.”
Or the next Abdi Abdirahman, a world-class runner who hopes not only to make his third Olympic team, but to win glory in Beijing as well. “The first two times I competed in the Olympics [2000 and 2004], I went for the 10,000 meters,” he said. “This time I’m going for the marathon.”
Abdi knows the road ahead will be difficult. But he relishes the challenge.
“The Olympic [Marathon] Trials are going to be very competitive,” he said. “Fifteen or 16 guys are capable of making the team, and I’m one of them. I’m not taking anybody lightly. You can’t. Not with so much talent here in the U.S. Only three guys can make the team. Everything I’m doing is focused on making the Olympic team because that will be a dream come true.”
Abdi may have provided a glimpse into his Olympic Trials strategy at the NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE on August 5. Running aggressively on a unique course that began in Central Park, cut through Times Square and ended at Battery Park, Abdi surged to an early lead and was overtaken only by the legendary Haile Gebrselassie—the only runner to finish the race in under one hour. Abdi ran a scintillating 1:00:29—making him the second-fastest American of all time.
Gebrselassie is from Ethiopia, so Abdi won’t face him at the Trials. Still, finishing second to Gebrselassie has motivated him. “Because he beat me, I will work even harder in Arizona to train for the Trials,” said Abdi, who lives in Tucson. “I came to New York to beat Haile. It didn’t happen. If he had not come, I would have won the half-marathon by a lot. But you need competition in life. When you don’t win, you have to demand more of yourself. Now, I’ll be even more determined to win at the Trials.”
Asked to predict the other top contenders on November 3, Abdi smiled and drew a long breath before offering some names. “Khalid Khannouchi. Meb Keflezighi. Ryan Hall. Dathan Ritzenhein. There are so many more names to mention. I’m just going to prepare myself to run my best race. I’m just going to keep working hard and see where the Lord takes me.”
Perhaps all the way to Beijing.
