Running: 4-time Olympian Abdirahman returns to 'a great town,' New Haven

Saturday, August 31, 2013

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Abdihaken Abdirahman has always prided himself on being a little different than the rest of the pack when it comes to elite runners. The four-time Olympian has always put in the time when it comes to training -- even he realizes he can't get by on just his natural talent -- but he has made sure he has done it his way.

And why would you argue with the 36-year-old Somalia-born runner, who continues to keep pounding out the miles in impressive times?

Abdirahman returns to the region on Saturday as he prepares for Monday's 36th annual Stratton Faxon New Haven Labor Day Road Race. The race serves as the USA men's and women's 20K championship. Abdirahman claimed the title in New Haven in both 2005 and 2011.

A record crowd of 7,000 runners is expected to participate with the finish line located along the Green. The day begins with a Kids Run at 8:15 a.m. and is followed by the 20K and 5K at 8:40 a.m.

"It's an amazing race in Connecticut," Abdirahman said last Thursday on the phone from his home in Tucson, Ariz. "It's a great town and I really enjoy the course. I don't put too much pressure on myself. I just try to come down and run my own race. I like it there."

In 2011, Abdirahman crossed the finish line in 1:00:12 to edge Jason Lehmkuhle, of Minneapolis, by 24 seconds. In 2005, Abdirahman won a dramatic race in 58:42 against the late Ryan Shay, of East Jordan, Mich., by less than two seconds.

Abdirahman's first win in New Haven was special and his return to the event will surely spark memories of his former friend and training partner Shay, who died on Nov. 3, 2007, during the U.S. Olympic marathon trial in New York City due to a heart condition.

"Ryan was a great guy and a lot of people know that," Abdirahman said. "I stayed with Ryan in California for a while and we shared a lot of moments together. When we were young, we used to train together. We had a great time. He was totally different, not your typical runner. He was just someone that made the sport better."

The female and male 20K winners receive the Ryan Shay Memorial Award in recognition of Shay's hard work and dedication to the sport, as well as longtime support of the New Haven Road Race. Shay ran the 20K from 2004-2007 and won it in 2004. Shay's brother, Stephan, a 1:02:30 marathon runner, will be running in this year's 20K and also presenting the awards.

For Abdirahman, he is as focused as ever when it comes to race day. He does not just show up to hang with the lead pack or shake hands -- he wants to win.

"I'm in it to win it," said Abdirahman, who still goes by the nickname Black Cactus. "There are a lot of great athletes coming and they're not showing up to get second. As elite athletes, you train to win. Now if I give 110 percent and don't win, I will go and congratulate the other person."

Abdirahman, who attended the University of Arizona and became a U.S. citizen in 2000, has a long list of running achievements. In 1998, he was named the Pacific-10 Conference Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year and finished second at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. He competed in the 10,000 meters at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, finishing 10th and 15th, respectively.

"I'm feeling great now," Abdirahman said. "I'm in great shape. I don't have any aches or pains right now."

How much has he changed his training as he gets older?

"Just a little bit more rest trying to recover," Abdirahman said. "When you are younger, you get carried away and don't feel it as much. You can do back-to-back workouts and it won't be that bad. I take my recovery days seriously now. I have to listen to my coach (Dave Murray)."

In 2008, Abdirahman won the 10,000 at the U.S. Olympic Trials and finished 15th again in the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Last summer, he was set to give the marathon a try at the Olympic games in London after finishing third at the U.S. marathon trials. Abdirahman, however, was forced to bow out of the competition at about the 10-mile mark due to a knee injury.

"It was the toughest thing to handle," he said. "As an athlete, I prepared myself as best I could. I felt something a couple of weeks before the race in my knee. In shorter races, you can run through a little pain, but in a marathon, you need 100 percent health."

Teammate Ryan Hall was also forced to stop at almost the same point in the marathon due to foot and hamstring problems, making it a tough day for the U.S. in the marathon.

Competing in four Olympics as a long distance runner is an amazing achievement considering all the injuries and burnout that runners suffer.

Is there any hope to try again?

"If you ask me today, the way I'm feeling, I could," Abdirahman said with a laugh. "But things change in a year. Ask me again in 2015."

One thing is for sure, Abdirahman will not stop running anytime soon.

"I enjoy it, it's what I do," he said. "I am always going to run and go to road races. It's a part of me. Some people play basketball, I like going for runs. I never thought I would be able to make a living out of it. I'm very thankful."

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