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BEING ALL HE CAN BE
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Interview By Woody Green
NOTE: This interview (now slightly edited) was done for and first
published on the Runner's World Daily web site. It is used here with
permission. Make it a habit to check the Runner's World Daily site at:
http://www.runnersworld.com
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Dan Browne, a 22 year old graduate of West Point Academy, currently
looks to be one of the most promising young distance runners in the
country. He made two big splashes on the national running scene
recently with a victory at the 4,000 meter World Cross Country Trials in
Orlando on February 1, and a second place finish in the Millrose Games
3,000 meters on February 14th. His 7:51.52 at Millrose rose some
eyebrows, but close observers of track and field will remember his
fantastic double at the World University Games last summer where he
took third in the 5,000 and second in the 10,000. His current army
assignment is to live and train with two other army runners in Boulder
under the supervision of coach Rich Castro.
Runner's World Daily: 1997 was a great year for you. What was your
personal highlight?
Dan Browne: Competitively it was the World University Games, of
course. Another was running my first sub-four-minute mile at the
Army-Navy meet. Then, I participated in a month long study on high
altitude training at Park City, Utah. I made twenty-five new friends
there.
RWD: How did you feel about your run at Millrose?
DB: That’s the biggest indoor meet I’ve ever done. It’s the first time I’ve
run indoors this year, and it really brought back the excitement of
running indoors. I ran 7:51, which is a PR for me.
RWD: What about your win at the 4,000 meter World Cross Country
Trials in Orlando?
DB: I went in not knowing how I would do, but at the half way point I
had the lead and I knew I had some great runners like Marc Davis
behind me, so I decided to make a move and make them catch me. It
just went really well from there.
RWD: What do you think about adding the 4,000 meter race to the
World Cross Country Championships this year?
DB: I think it’s great, of course. It draws a lot of new runners to the cross
country scene, it brings the milers in. For most of us the trials race was
the first time we’ve run that short of a cross country race since high
school. It’s exciting.
RWD: Before you travel to the IAAF World Cross Country meet (March
21 and 22) you will be going to the World Military Cross Country
Championships in Ireland on March 8. What can you tell us about that
meet?
DB: It is a 5 K and I’ll be running with Eric Mack, who is an Air Force
Academy graduate, and my two Army teammates Mike Bernstein and
Jason Stewart.
There will be military teams from all over the world. I’m really hoping
the Kenyans will be there. The more exposure I have to them, the better
I’ll be able run against them later. I’ll use this meet to get ready for
Worlds.
RWD: The army has assigned you to Boulder to train, what are your
other responsibilities?
DB: Other than running my job is basically to do PR for the army. I’m
also attached to an ROTC unit at the University of Colorado.
In order to stay in the training program we have to hit bench marks and
show potential for making the 2000 Olympic team. We can be cut at any
time if we don’t make the bench marks. Right now I’m doing well.
Hopefully I can make the army really proud of me. I really mean that,
I’m not just saying it because I’m supposed to.
RWD: What are you looking for in the future?
DB: My long term goal is to run in the Sydney Olympics in 2000. I don’t
know what distance yet, either the 5,000 or 10,000.
My short term goal is to keep making as many international teams as I
can. I hope to make the Goodwill Games team and travel to Europe this
summer. If I make several teams and get used to it, then making the
Olympic team in 2000 won’t seem like such a big deal that it’s
impossible.