By Lee Davis
There might be a few television sets in Mountain Brook turned to NBC on Saturday afternoon. And it’s not for any sport that requires a ball.
Wilkerson Given – a 2009 Mountain Brook graduate – will be running in the Olympic marathon trials to be held in Los Angeles that day.
Given spent much of his time before the event training in Greenville, South Carolina, with a professional group called Furman Elite. He admitted that as the marathon trial grew near, his sense of anticipation became heightened.
“I’m definitely feeling a nervous excitement,” he said last week. “I’ve been training for this so long. My workouts have been good, which helps build confidence and puts my mind at ease. I’ve also managed to stay healthy, which is a big key in any high-mileage run.”
Given’s intense training regimen actually eased up in the week before the race. “I’ve started to taper down gradually from the physical part and concentrate on getting mentally ready to compete,” he said.
At its peak, Given’s running schedule was composed of 10-day cycles, which provided a comprehensive workout in all phases of marathon running.
“Each day has a particular purpose,” he said. “Some days might be longer runs at a faster pace. Other days I might run 10 miles in the morning and five or six miles at night. Sometimes I’ll repeat the 1,000-meter run. It’s all very set for mileage and consistency.”
A marathon runner’s diet isn’t typical either. “I don’t have a particular nutrition plan, it’s just a matter of eating a lot of chicken, turkey, fruits and vegetables,” Given said. “There’s not a lot of room for sweets or desserts.”
The 26-mile, 385-yard marathon will take place in the streets of Los Angeles and pass, among other places, the world-famous LA Coliseum.
“The race is formatted into four, six-mile loops and a two-mile add on, which will be good for the runners,” Given said. “Getting to run the streets with large crowds cheering us will be a great experience and something that I’ll always remember.”
Despite the incredible length of the run, Given doesn’t plan to hold anything back for a late push. “My strategy is going to be to go out with the top group and last as long as I can,” he explained. “It’s the Olympic trials, so there’s no reason to sit back and watch the race go by me. After putting all this work into it, there’s no way I’m going out there with anything less than my best.”
Given said the mental aspect of marathon running is almost as important as the physical factor.
“During an actual race, I’m always thinking about tactics – such as when to pass someone or when to change pace,” he said. “During training, it’s a little different. Then I’m just trying to think of something to make the time go faster – like singing a song in your head – or maybe thinking about a future race.”
The path to the Olympic trials began in eighth grade, when Given first ran track and cross country at Mountain Brook Junior High School.
Upon reaching high school, Given became a star – and his Olympic dream began to kindle. “It was while I was running for Coach (Greg) Echols at Mountain Brook that I decided to see how far I could go,” Given recalled. “From that point, going to the Olympics became a dream and a goal.”
Given became a star in high school and earned a scholarship to Furman University. While at Furman, he earned All-Southern Conference honors in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. He also set a Paladin school record for the 3,000-meter run.
After graduating from Furman in 2013, Given joined a professional post-graduate running program – Furman Elite Olympic Development Group – to train with top runners from across the country. Under the direction of Furman coach Robert Gray, Given ran in the Houston Half-Marathon in January 2015. Despite having never run a half-marathon for time, Given’s completion of the course in 1.03.33 qualified him for the Olympic Marathon trials and a shot at making the Olympic Games in Rio de Janerio this summer.
Given said he would arrive in California two days before the race.
He said he’s gotten great support from friends and family at home.
“Everyone’s been great,” he said. “There’s no better feeling than knowing that the people back home are rooting for me. I hope I can do them proud.”
Given can relax about that aspect of the race. Regardless of how he finishes, Wilkerson Given has already done the home folks proud.
