/news-archive/tag/alan-webb/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Tue, 13 Jul 2021 13:47:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2021/07/13/webb-joy-running-marathons/ Tue, 13 Jul 2021 13:47:19 +0000 /news/?p=79350 ... Webb is Finding The Joy in Running Again Through Marathons]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Assistant Track and Cross Country Coach is most famously known for setting the American record in the mile, but now the former Olympian is taking on a new challenge in life and is running with it 鈥� literally. This summer, Webb competed in his first half-marathon and full marathon races. The 38-year-old coach said he was excited to take on a new challenge in his running career, all while staying in shape and setting a good example for his family and student-athletes. 鈥淚鈥檝e been involved with middle and distance running my whole adult life, but I鈥檝e never run a marathon,鈥� Webb said. 鈥淚 think it will help me be a better coach. I wanted to give myself some accountability with my own fitness. I think it鈥檚 hopeful to give myself a checkpoint and remind myself that the measure of success is seeing yourself get better. I try to teach that to our athletes. That鈥檚 what makes it fun. I can鈥檛 compete at the same level as I did at the mile distance, but this is a fun way to get physically fit. I didn鈥檛 want to abandon those gifts that I鈥檝e been blessed with. I鈥檓 trying to be a good example to my family and athletes here at Little Rock.鈥� Webb ran his first half-marathon in May at the Great American River Run in Memphis, Tennessee. He did well for his first time, finishing fourth with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes, and 14 seconds. After his success in the half-marathon, Webb was ready for his next challenge, his first full marathon. Since the track season had just finished at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, the timing seemed perfect. Webb and his wife Julia discussed which road race he should compete in, and Grandma鈥檚 Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, kept coming up. Sadly, by the time he decided to enter, registration for Grandma鈥檚 Marathon had already passed, but several friends in the running community helped Webb, including Amby Burfoot, a former executive editor of Runner鈥檚 World magazine. 鈥淚 was fortunate and blessed enough to have some people help me get into the race,鈥� Webb said. I want to thank Amby Burfoot and Sarah Culver and all the people at Grandma鈥檚 for helping me.鈥� While Webb was thrilled to compete in Grandma鈥檚 Marathon, he said the experience was very different from the half-marathon. 鈥淚鈥檝e heard the clich茅 before that it鈥檚 so different than the half. It鈥檚 so true,鈥� Webb said. 鈥淚鈥檇 say I鈥檓 a guy who likes to learn by doing. I got what I asked for, which was to get out there and learn by doing. It鈥檚 very difficult once you get past the half-marathon point. That鈥檚 long enough as it is, and to do it twice is crazy. There was a bunch of walking in there, and I slowed down quite significantly at the end.鈥� Webb finished Grandma鈥檚 Marathon in two hours and 48 minutes. It was about 20 minutes past his goal, but Webb had a great time at the event. 鈥淚t was an overall great experience,鈥� Webb said. 鈥淒uluth is beautiful and I got to enjoy that. The event itself was very well done. Speaking of grandmas, my oldest daughter came with me to watch the race and her grandma Mary and her aunt Molly came to watch. We had Joanie鈥檚 grandma watching me run at Grandma鈥檚 Marathon. Joanie got to stay and visit with her grandmother for a week, but I had to bounce out right after the race to get back home and help with our new daughter, who was just a month old at the time.鈥� Webb is a busy man. He is a full-time college coach and the father to four daughters, including the newest arrival to his family, two-month-old baby Bridget. Finding the time to exercise can be a challenge, but Webb had made it a priority in his life. 鈥淚 do the best I can, just like anybody who has a full-time job that wants to have a commitment to stay fit,鈥� Webb said. 鈥淏oth Julia and I support each other in fitness, and we make sure that stays a priority for us. I get up for early morning runs and find the time to do it. I can鈥檛 run as much as a professional runner would run. I have other things that keep me in shape. Physical fitness should be on the list of things you should be prioritizing, and this is a fun way to incorporate it into my life. We do team trainings with the student-athletes.鈥� With the new school year starting next month, Webb says most of his time will soon be devoted to practices and workouts with his student-athletes and getting ready for the fall cross country and track seasons. December is the next time he expects to compete in a marathon, but he already has a goal in mind. 鈥淢y goal for the first marathon was to beat two hours and 30 minutes,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a little ambitious for the first one, but I鈥檇 love to run under two hours and 30 minutes in my next marathon. I always want to improve and get better. A lot of this started with me just jumping into workouts with our student-athletes. I wanted to be fitter and get myself back in shape to be healthy. That鈥檚 how it started, just getting back to the joy of running.鈥�]]> /news-archive/2021/06/25/alan-webb-road-mile/ Fri, 25 Jun 2021 13:40:21 +0000 /news/?p=79284 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to Host Trojan 5K and Alan Webb Road Mile in August]]> The races will take place on Saturday, Aug. 28, and registrants participating in the road mile will get to compete against Webb. The event will also include a Kids Half Mile Fun Run free for children 12 and under. Registration is $30 before the event and $40 on race day. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students can register for only $10. Registration includes a t-shirt. Medals will be awarded to each male and female age group winner with plaques awarded to each male and female overall winner. The 5K and mile races will take runners on a tour of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock campus while starting and finishing at the Jack Stephens Center. Races can enjoy post-race refreshments. Wave start times will be available should registration numbers require them for social distancing measures. Restrooms at the Jack Stephens Center will be available and periodically disinfected throughout the morning. The race day schedule includes: 6:30 a.m. 鈥� Registration opens 7:30 a.m. 鈥� 5K 8:50 a.m. 鈥� Open Mile 9:15 a.m. 鈥� Kids Half Mile Fun Run for Children 12 and Under To register for the races, please visit the .]]> /news-archive/2020/08/12/trojan-5k-alan-webb-road-mile/ Wed, 12 Aug 2020 13:17:22 +0000 /news/?p=77347 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to host Trojan 5K and Alan Webb Road Mile Aug. 29]]> The races will take place on Saturday, Aug. 29, and registrants participating in the road mile will get to compete against Webb. The day will also feature a free half-mile fun run for kids 12 and younger. All funds raised will benefit the Track and Field and Cross Country programs at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Registration before the day of the event is $30 with race day registration costing $35. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students can register for only $10 before the event or $15 on race day. Registration includes a T-shirt. Medals will be awarded to each male and female age group winner with plaques awarded to each male and female overall winner. The 5K age groups include 12 and under, 13-17, 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60 and over. The 5K and road mile races will take runners on a tour of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock campus while starting and finishing at the Jack Stephens Center. Racers can enjoy post-race refreshments and watch fellow athletes participating in the races. Racers will follow a wave start with runners spaced at least six feet apart at the starting line to follow social distancing guidelines. Race Day Details (Saturday, Aug. 29) 6:30 a.m. 鈥� Registration opens 7:30 a.m. 鈥� 5K Race 8:35 a.m. 鈥� Open Mile 9 a.m. 鈥� Elite Mile (Women under 6 minutes/mile, Men under 5 minutes/mile to qualify) 9:20 a.m. 鈥� Kids Half Mile Fun Run (Free for children 12 and under) To register, fill out or contact J.P. Behnke, director of track and field and head cross country coach, at 586-224-5112 or at jpbehnke@ualr.edu.]]> /news-archive/2020/07/24/little-rock-athletics-to-host-trojan-5k-and-alan-webb-road-mile-in-august/ Fri, 24 Jul 2020 15:11:22 +0000 /news/?p=77207 ... Little Rock Athletics to Host Trojan 5K and Alan Webb Road Mile in August]]> announced that his program will host a 5K and Road Mile race featuring Trojan assistant coach and American mile record holder . The races will take place on Saturday, Aug. 29, and registrants participating in the road mile will get to compete against Webb. To register, 聽or contact Behnke at 586-224-5112 or at聽jpbehnke@ualr.edu. Registration before the day of the event is just $25 with race day registration costing $30. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students can register for only $10. Registration includes a t-shirt. Medals will be awarded to each male and female age group winner with plaques awarded to each male and female overall winner. The 5K and mile races will take runners on a tour of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock campus while starting and finishing at the Jack Stephens Center. Races can enjoy post-race refreshments. Wave start times will be available should registration numbers require them for social distancing measures. Restrooms at the Jack Stephens Center will be available and periodically disinfected throughout the morning. Race Day Details (Saturday, Aug. 29) 6:30 a.m. 鈥� Registration opens 7:30 a.m. 鈥� 5K race 8:35 a.m. 鈥� Open mile 9 a.m. 鈥� Elite mile (Women under 6 min. mile, Men under 5 min. mile to qualify) 9:20 a.m. 鈥� Kids Half Mile Fun Run (Free for children 12 and under) 5K Age Groups:

• 12 and under
• 13-17
• 18-29
• 30-39
• 40-49
• 50-59
• 60 and over

For the latest information on Little Rock Cross Country, make sure to check out聽. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on聽听补苍诲听.]]> /news-archive/2019/10/31/coach-balances-celebrity-status-coaching-duties/ Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:51:28 +0000 /news/?p=75508 ... Little Rock Trojans cross country coach Webb balances celebrity status, coaching duties]]> Before every race this season, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock’s cross country runners stretch, jog and focus on the upcoming course in front of them. But looking up from their warm up area, they often see a steady stream of their opposing runners 鈥� waiting around to meet Trojan distance coach Alan Webb. Webb is a household name in the running world and is the American record holder in the mile while also having competed in the Olympics.聽聽聽 “It is like having Tom Brady as your coach,” explained freshman runner Jose Vivanco.聽 Well鈥檚 admiration from people who attend the meets where Little Rock competes has brought an extra level of attention to the Trojans in the midst of the program’s resurgence under second-year Director of Track and Field and Cross Country J.P. Behnke.聽 The attention on the Little Rock coach has become commonplace at meets where scores of runners try to find the right time for an introduction, autograph, or picture with the Olympian. Webb, humble despite this rock star status, deftly manages being able to focus on guiding his team while still acquiescing to request upon request. The impact is immeasurable.聽 “I remember at the Chile Pepper Invitational,” sophomore Ricardo Banks II recalled of Little Rock’s meet in Fayetteville, “there were a bunch of high school kids there and they all crowded near us. We knew who they wanted to see, so we just moved out of the way, and they went up to meet him and talk to him. Their faces lit up and you could see how happy and excited they were. I used to get upset but now I just feel happy. You see how happy he makes people by taking just a little time and how he can change them.”聽 There is plenty of cheering during races, especially as runners approach the finish line. The addition of a celebrity to Little Rock’s appearances adds an extra level of audible reactions as Webb is seen.聽 “It is definitely surreal,” junior Jarred O’Connor said as he attempted to describe the experience.聽 But more so than just the collective fan appeal, having Webb guiding the Trojans has led to vast improvements across the board.聽 “There has been a complete 180 with the team,” explained O’Connor. “The team chemistry has been better and the training has been 10 times better. Everyone has run faster this year, everyone has set a PR (personal record). Pretty much everybody ran faster in the first race this year than they did at any point last year by a significant amount. The fifth guy this year ran faster than our first guy last year. We have been improving like no other.”聽 As the season progresses, Webb is continuing to unveil his vast knowledge of running to the team.聽 “He is like a supercomputer on how running can change your life and how you can get better at it,” said Banks.聽 Trojan student-athletes should get used to the attention coming to the program and its coaches, because Webb is not the only star to join the staff this year. Pole vault Olympian Lexi Jacobus is the team’s new pole vault coach. Jacobus in continuing her professional career following her time at the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville), where she became the first woman to ever win four NCAA Championships in the pole vault.聽 She joins her husband, Derek Jacobus, who joined the staff last spring following a standout career in Fayetteville where he garnered multiple All-America and All-Southeastern Conference honors.聽 “I think it sets a standard and, in a good sense, puts a little pressure on you as well as a little pride,” Banks explained. “You know that what you are being told is something they applied and it got them somewhere. You know if you follow their guidance, there is a chance you can go somewhere great. I love it.”聽 “It just feels so elite,” O’Connor summarized.聽 For the latest information on Little Rock Cross Country, make sure to check out . You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on and .]]> /news-archive/2019/08/01/olympian-alan-webb-coaching-staff/ Thu, 01 Aug 2019 19:56:49 +0000 /news/?p=74835 ... Olympian Alan Webb joins 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock coaching staff]]> , has joined the University of Arkansas at Little Rock staff as an associate head cross country and assistant track coach going into the 2019-20 season. Webb will coach the cross country and distance athletes at Little Rock. “I am excited to welcome聽聽and his family to Little Rock,” said聽, Little Rock’s director of track and field/cross country and the program’s head coach. “Throughout the interview process, I was very impressed with Alan’s understanding of all the distance events beyond the mile and middle distance races. During his 11-year pro career, he worked with some of the greatest track coaches in the world. Our distance athletes will greatly benefit from the knowledge and passion Alan brings to the Trojan distance program.” Webb joins Little Rock’s Team after spending last season as an assistant coach at Portland State. “I am really excited to join the Little Rock Trojans,” Webb said. “Coach Behnke has already taken big steps forward to make Little Rock a rising star in the Sun Belt Conference. That is why, when I learned about this opportunity, I wanted to join him. I am humbled that he has chosen me to coach the cross country and distance athletes. All of the athletes on the roster and incoming freshman have tons of potential to improve, and I look forward to supporting them. This is going to be awesome. Thank you to the athletes at Portland State for their dedication to running and the coaching staff for supporting my growth as a coach.” At Portland State, Webb helped lead the Vikings to their best cross country season in program history in 2018. The Viking women tied their highest team finish ever at the Big Sky meet with a fifth-place finish, after being picked to finish in a tie for ninth. The Viking women followed it up with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA West Regional, their highest finish at the meet since they placed 11th in 2002. Two of Portland State’s runners 鈥� Sarah Medved and Kaila Gibson 鈥� became the first Viking teammates to place in the top 40 together at the NCAA West Regional, just under two weeks after they became the first Viking teammates to place in the top 10 together at the Big Sky Conference meet. The Vikings had never had two runners place in the top 50 of the NCAA West Regional before Medved and Gibson, let alone the top 40. Medved’s set school records in the 4k and 6k races. Webb brings a wealth of experience running at a world-class level to his role at Little Rock. He announced himself as a world-class athlete in high school, when he broke Jim Ryun’s 36-year old American high school record in the mile at the 2001 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. Webb finished the mile in 3:53.43 to beat Ryun’s old record of 3:55.3 by nearly two full seconds. Additionally, Webb became the first American high schooler ever to crack four minutes in the indoor mile while breaking the national high school record with a time of 3:59.86 at the New Balance Games in 2001. Webb broke the American high school record in the indoor 1,500 meters in the same race, as he came through the 1,500 mark in 3:43.27. Webb ran collegiately for the University of Michigan during the 2001-02 season, winning the Big Ten cross country title while also winning the Big Ten title in the outdoor 1,500 meters. A two-time All-American while at Michigan, he placed 11th at the 2001 NCAA Cross Country Championships and fourth in the 1,500 meters at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Turning pro after the 2002 collegiate season, Webb signed with Nike where he would stay until his retirement from professional running in 2014. He became an Olympian in 2004, when he won the 1,500 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento, California. Webb won the U.S. title in the 1,500 meters again in 2005, and went on to make the finals of the 1,500 meters at the World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki, Finland, later that year. The 2007 season marked Webb’s best season professionally, as he won his third U.S. title in the 1,500 meters and placed eighth in the finals of the event at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Webb broke the American record in the mile in the leadup to the World Championships at a meet in Brasschaat, Belgium on July 21, 2007. Webb set the record with his finish in 3:46.91, breaking a 25-year-old record that Steve Scott set at 3:47.69 in 1982. He also ran a lifetime best of 3:30.54 in the 1,500 meters 鈥� the fourth-fastest time ever by an American at the time 鈥� at the IAAF Golden League meet in Paris, France on July 6, 2007. Webb began his coaching career in 2003, when he was an assistant cross country coach at South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia. He next served as a volunteer assistant for the University of Virginia cross country team in the fall of 2011, before serving in the same role for the Portland State in 2013. He coached as a cross country assistant for Westview High School in Portland in the fall of 2015 and started as a Nike volunteer/running coach at that same time. Webb was a guest run coach for the Every Athlete *2.0 Product Test Training Program earlier in 2018, as well as a guest coach for Nike’s Marathon Kids and the WHQ Sport Center Noon Track Group. Additionally, Webb was a guest coach/speaker for the Nike Run Club in August of 2015, and was a sports marketing volunteer at the Nike Elite Camp in May 2016. In addition to coaching, Webb has been a guest speaker at several camps and clinics. He delivered the keynote address at the 2018 Virginia High School Track Coaches Association in 2018. Webb also addressed the California University of Pennsylvania running camp in 2016, as well as the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse cross country camp in 2014. Also in 2014, Webb presented during the distance running session of the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association Clinic. Webb married the former Julia Rudd in October 2010. The couple has three daughters; Joanie, Paula, and Gabriella. The family resides in Little Rock.]]>