TheFinalSprint.com | Premier Running Destination for Marathons, Track and Field, Race News, Podcasts, Training Advice and More! - TheFinalSprint.com is the Premier Running Destination for Marathons, Track and Field, Race News, Podcasts, Training Advice and More!
TFS Running Podcast 142: German Fernandez on His Historic, Record-Setting Double
Posted June 10th, 2008 at 4:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, High School
Today on Episode 142 I had a chance to speak with German Fernandez of Riverbank High School in Riverbank, California where he was preparing to run the 2 mile at the Nike Outdoor Nationals which will be held in Greensboro, North Carolina from June 19th through the 21st, 2008.
German recently broke Ryan Hall’s state record in the 1600m run by winning in 4 minutes, 0.29 seconds and then followed that by eclipsing Dathan Ritzenhein’s National High School Federation 3200m Record by winning in 8:34.23. He is headed to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where he will major in Criminal Justice and run track with Colby Lowe, another outstanding member of the class of 2008 runners.
In the interview German talks about Colby and fellow seniors Michael Fout, Luke Puskedra and Chris Derrick and compares them to the outstanding class of 2001 (Hall, Ritzenhein and Alan Webb). He explains why he decided not to run the 2 mile at the Prefontaine Classic. Download the podcast to hear German discuss these topics, as well as, his outstanding double, the type of training he does, his plans for the rest of 2008 and for the long-term, and to check out his answers to our rapid-fire questions segment.
TO DOWNLOAD: Right click here and select “Save As”
Host: Jimmie Markham | Guest: German Fernandez
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 10.7 MB | Length: 00:15:35
TFS Running Podcast 139: Gatorade XC Runner of the Year CHRIS DERRICK
Posted May 1st, 2008 at 1:30 PM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Cross Country, Track & Field, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, High School
On Episode 139 of TheFinalSprint.com Podcast, the most listened to running podcast in North America, I had the pleasure of being joined by Chris Derrick of Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Illinois.
In January Derrick was named the 2007-2008 Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. He also finished second behind TFS Elite Athlete Blogger Michael Fout at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and most recently ran the fastest 5k ever (13:55:96) in a high school race at the Arcadia Invitational.
In the interview, Derrick talks about his recent successes and why he’ll head to Stanford this fall instead becoming an Illini. Download the podcast to hear Derrick discuss these topics, as well as, whether the current crop of elite high school runners (Derrick, Fout, Puskedra, Lowe, Fernandez, etc) could match the level of success already achieved by Hall, Webb, and Ritz, his answers to our new “Rapid Fire Questions” segment, and much more!
TO DOWNLOAD: Right click here and select “Save As”
Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Chris Derrick
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 13.6 MB | Length: 00:19:56
Episode Sponsored By: U.S. Army Special Forces
If your measure of success goes way beyond the mainstream, if you think limits are something to be pushed, if your greatest motivation is doing the impossible, we may have a career for you.
U.S. Army Special Forces.
Visit goarmy.com/specialforces.There’s strong and then there’s Army Strong.
Flanagan & Ritzenhein Dominate U.S. XC Champs
Posted February 16th, 2008 at 8:00 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Cross Country
Shalane Flanagan and Dathan Ritzenhein each brought their “A” game to Mission Bay Park here today, running away with their first long-course U.S. Cross Country titles in commanding fashion.
Flanagan, who struggled with the high altitude in Boulder at last year’s championships where she was soundly beaten by Deena Kastor, jumped quickly to a five second lead after 2 km of the 8 km race, and expanded it with each lap. She was unrelenting, pressing all the way to the finish line to win by a whopping 70 seconds in 25:26.
“I had a blast,” said a beaming Flanagan who liked the grass course and the warm conditions. She added: “If we could have venues like this I would be coming every single year.”
Read the rest of this entry »
TFS News Briefs: 12/07/07
Posted December 7th, 2007 at 6:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham
Section: News & Results, Cross Country, TFS News Briefs

High School X-C Runner Gets Rock-Star Treatment
The Foot Locker High-School National Cross-Country Championships will be held tomorrow in San Diego, CA. One of the favorites going into the race is German Fernandez from Riverbank (CA) High School. The heavily-recruited senior “signs autographs on dollar bills, has a Wikipedia entry and is the topic of debate on running Web sites across the nation.” Read more at: [Modesto Bee, CA]
CT Harrier Comes in From the Cold to Try and Win Nationals
Donn Cabral of Glastonbury (CT) High School has gone to San Diego, CA a day early to acclimate himself to the 60° heat (it’s 30° in CT). He is shooting to become the first boy from CT to win the Foot Locker High-School National Cross-Country Championships. Read more at: [Hartford Courant]
Texas Teammates Seek Foot Locker Title
Southlake Carroll High School Teammates Colby Low and C.J. Brown will be vying for the Foot Locker High-School National Cross-Country Championship title tomorrow. Lowe has the fastest regional qualifying time (14:45 for 5k at the South Regionals) going in to the race while Brown finished 3rd in 15:00. Read more at: [Fort Worth Star Telegram]
Read the rest of this entry »










The Final Sprint
On July 25, 2008
Dave Chesny said:
I expected more from a Stanford grad. The errors are in quotes, the correction is at the end of...