Ben True

Ben True

True at the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1985-12-29) December 29, 1985[1] North Yarmouth, Maine
Residence	Hanover, New Hampshire
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	146 lb (66 kg)
Sport
Event(s)	3000m, 5000 m, 10,000 m, Cross country
College team	Dartmouth
Coached by	Mark Coogan[2]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	3000 meters: 7:36.59[1] 5000 meters: 13:02.74[1] 10,000 meters: 27:41.17[1]
Medal record Men's athletics Competitor for the  United States World Cross Country Championships Silver 2013 Bydgoszcz Team

Ben True (born December 29, 1985) is an American track and field and cross-country athlete, who competed for Dartmouth College and currently trains in Hanover, New Hampshire, while competing for Saucony and In the Arena. True was the top American at both the 2011 and 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, as well as the 2011 USATF Road Running Circuit Champion, winning the 5k and 10k Road Championships along the way.^[3][4]

True is married to triathlete Sarah Groff.^[5]

Early career

Born and raised in North Yarmouth, Maine, True competed as a Nordic skier and runner throughout his time at Greely High School and Dartmouth College. He earned All-American honors twice at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships while in high school, twice at the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship, three times at the NCAA Skiing Championships, and once at the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship.^[6] True studied art history and architecture at Dartmouth.

Professional career (2009- Present)

After graduating from Dartmouth, True joined the Oregon Track Club for his first year as a professional runner. While at OTC, he was Top Mainer at the Beach to Beacon 10k in 2009, finishing 10th overall, and represented the Ivy League Alumni Select team at the Izumo Ekiden in Izumo City, Japan.

In the summer of 2010, True returned to Hanover, New Hampshire, to train with the Arena Track Club, an NGO that provides opportunities for elite athletes to compete professionally while working part-time to strengthen their local communities.^[7] True coaches and manages a cross-country and track team at Indian River Middle School in Enfield, New Hampshire.

True joined the Saucony Elite Racing team in 2011. Since joining Saucony, True has lowered his track PR's to 7:36:59 for 3000m, 13:02.74 for 5000m, and 27:41.17 for 10,000m.^[8] On the roads, he has won four national championships ranging from 5k to 15k, as well as the 2011 United States Road Circuit Championship. He was also the top American at both the 2011^[9] and 2013^[10] IAAF World Cross Country Championships, finishing 35th and 6th. His 2013 performance was the highest finish for an American since 1995 and led the American team to a second-place finish behind Ethiopia, defeating Kenya for the first time since 1984.

At the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, True finished 4th in both the 5000m and the 10000m. A top-three finish in either event would have qualified him for the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. ^[11]

Starting in 2013, Ben trained with Liberty University alum Sam Chelanga in Hanover, New Hampshire. This continued until earl 2015 when Chelenga announced be would be moving to Tucson, Arizona to train with Coach James Li and his group of legendary athletes including the likes of Bernard Lagat, Lawi Lalang and Abdihakem Abdirahman among others.

Ben won the 2014 Manchester Road Race, out-kicking Sam Chelanga during the last half-mile.

References