Clint Wells, 41, is having a good year. The Coloradan was top master at April’s Boston Marathon, clocking 2:24:55 on a warm day, a little less than a month after a decisive masters win—by more than 6 minutes, in 1:06:47—at the NYC Half. This after nearly abandoning the sport before he aged up. In his early 30s, Wells noticed his race times slowing, prompting a crisis of confidence. He quit competitive running for three years. “The time off made me realize why I was running,” Wells says. “I missed the process of training, and the social camaraderie.”
Wells began running in high school, where he was a Colorado state champion. He took up the 3,000-meter steeplechase as a freshman at the University of Colorado in 1994, and missed an Olympic berth in that event at the 2000 U.S. Track & Field Trials by less than two seconds. In his late 20s, he set personal bests in the 5,000 (13:27) and 10,000 (27:56) meters. Soon after, he heard from 1964 Olympic 10,000-meter gold medalist Billy Mills, whom Wells had met years earlier. Mills, who is half Sioux, called to congratulate Wells, who is part Apache and Yaqui, for becoming “the fastest Native American distance runner of all time.”
To Run 26.2 Is to Feel Alive Jenny Simpson’s husband, Jason, a 2:23 marathoner. Wells’s best 26.2 was 2:23:11 in 2012, but he’ll chase a PR this Saturday at the Chicago Marathon. “I’ve gotten faster over the last few years,” he says, “and I have a few more good years left in me.”
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Tips From the Top
Love the journey. Running is about more than results, Wells says. “Enjoy the buildup to a marathon. Join a group and make it social. We’re lucky to be able to do this.”
Seek help. You need to trust your training, Wells says, and outside guidance can boost your confidence. Consult with a coach or bounce ideas off a local training group.
Don’t panic. “Sometimes you go out after a weak, puzzling day, and you feel great again,” Wells says. “A breakthrough may be right around the corner.”
