Athlete: Ricky Faure
Year: Senior
School: Rock Springs High School
Location: Rock Springs, WY
800m PR: 1:50.93
Mile PR: 4:09.32
Ricky Faure of Rock Springs (Wyo.) High School, currently the nation's leading combined 800m runner and miler, is looking to run sub-1:50 and 4:05 this spring after launching his season with an Arcadia Invitational mile victory in California earlier this month. Faure, an 18-year-old senior, travels throughout the West for races. Training and living at 6,500 feet, Faure hopes the altitude boost will continue paying off in sea level races.
Arcadia Title: Despite winning the Arcadia mile against a national-class field in a PR of 4:09.32 on April 12, Faure (pronounced “four”) says the race was less than perfect; he hung back offering little fight for the first three laps. “I was not as focused as I wanted to be,” he says. With a lap to go, Faure took off and burned a 59-second last 400m, gritting his way down the stretch. He says he felt capable of 4:05 that day.
Mile Streak: With his second straight Simplot Games 1600m title in Pocatello, Idaho, in February, in 4:10.22, Faure has a string of big race victories to his credit. He is undefeated this year, indoors and outdoors, in the middle distances. Faure’s next shot at 4:05 or better could come at an invitational in Utah in May.
Post-season: Faure, who is going to the University of Wyoming in Laramie in the fall, hopes to be invited to the Adidas Grand Prix High School Dream Mile on June 14 in New York. That race, with many of the nation’s best runners, typically produces times close to 4 minutes. In 2011, Lukas Verzbicas won in 3:59.71.
Leader Board: Faure says he was inspired to work harder and “commit to being a better runner” because of a spectacular 3200m performance in 2013 by eventual Dream Mile winner Ben Saarel of Utah. Last May, Faure watched Saarel defeat a talented field at BYU by 18 seconds in a Utah state record of 8:49.08. (The race was run at 5,000 feet.) Faure had a good view: He was in the race, placing sixth in 9:24.73. “Ben blew everyone out of the water,” Faure says. “Just watching him made you want to run faster.”
800m Speed: Faure ran his 1:50.93 800m PR last year and has a best of 1:52.50 this spring. In 2012, Faure’s 1:51.66 was the nation’s third-fastest sophomore time of the season. Faure came to prominence in Wyoming winning the state 4A 800 as a freshman (his best that year was 1:57). Faure’s next chance for a sub-1:50 should come at the Davis Invitational in Kaysville, Utah, later this month.
State Trophies: With his five state 800m wins (three outdoor, two indoor) and four state 1600m victories (two outdoor, two indoor) with one more outdoor season remaining, Faure is one of Wyoming’s greatest middle-distance runners ever. He shuns the spotlight, saying, “I’m still growing into it. But it makes me remember how fast I am, and that I don’t need to be afraid in competition.”
Mental Toughness: Rock Springs coach Brad DeKrey has helped Faure gain the maturity and confidence to race up to his potential in key races. “One of the many things that sets Ricky apart is his innate speed,” DeKrey says. Faure can run a 48-second 400, and he had that ability in his pocket when he exploded on the last lap in his Arcadia victory.
Training System: Faure showed that he was in 4:05 shape in a recent workout of 8 x 400m with 60 to 90 seconds recovery. He ran the first six reps in 61 to 62 seconds, and the last two in 59 and 57. Faure usually logs 45 to 50 miles a week. Last summer, he ran his highest mileage ever, 60 to 65 a week, preparing for his senior year.
Going Long: Though Faure is a two-time state 4A cross country champion, the 5K distance is long for his taste. He knows he’s going to have a big adjustment in college next fall at the 8K and 10K distances. Last fall, Faure qualified for Nike Cross Nationals out of the Northwest Regional but placed 71st in Portland. He said he’d peaked for the regional just to try and make nationals, and that three weeks later in Portland he ran on tired legs.
Good Start: Faure grew up playing soccer along with track and cross country in middle school. As a Rock Springs freshman, he gave up soccer and went out for cross country. In the state 4A race that season, Faure placed 12th, Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.
Home Boy: Faure has lived in Wyoming all his life. He was born in the small town of Thermopolis, which boasts “the world’s largest mineral hot springs.” In the Rock Springs area, when he’s not running, Faure goes hunting and fishing and enjoys the outdoors. Faure has an aunt, Francis Faure, Best Running Shoes 2025.
Marc Bloom’s high school cross-country rankings have played an influential role in the sport for more than 20 years and led to the creation of many major events, including Nike Cross Nationals and the Great American Cross Country Festival. He published his cross-country journal, Harrier, for more than two decades.
