Ben Flanagan, a senior from the University of Michigan, sat comfortably in the lead pack of the men’s 10K at the NCAA championships on June 6. Six men were still in contention after 9 kilometers.
With one lap to go in the 25-lap race, things got interesting. Vincent Kiprop of Alabama held the lead with 200 to go, but Flanagan started gaining on him around the final curve. Into the homestretch, Flanagan pulled even, then powered past.
He closed his final quarter, after 6 miles of racing, in 56.95 seconds.
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Immediately after the race, Flanagan, 23, raised his hands to his head and said in the direction of the television camera, “Where’s my mom?”
“I didn’t really start freaking out until I knew for sure I had the win, and that wasn’t until the last three meters of the race,” Flanagan said to reporters after the race.
The runner from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, had struggled with injuries for portions of his college career. In the race, he cut 39 seconds off his previous PR in the event.
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“He’s a genuinely really good person,” Sullivan said. “He’s friends with so many guys here. People just gravitate toward him. He’s got that personality. For one of the nice guys in the NCAA to walk away as a champion is pretty unbelievable.”
Best Running Shoes 2025 is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
