Chris Solinsky, whose 26:59.50 in 2010 made him the first non-African to break 27:00 for 10,000 meters, is leaving Portland, Oregon, where he’s part of the Bowerman Track Club, to be an assistant cross country and track coach at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
“I always wanted to get into coaching,” Solinsky told Runner's World Newswire. The William and Mary job is “the perfect storm of giving me the experience that I need to get into collegiate coaching and allowing me to pursue running, still, for the next two years to get my bucket list [item] of being on the Olympic team.”
Solinsky will consult with Jerry Schumacher, his coach at the University of Wisconsin and as a professional runner, via phone and email. “He’s been my mentor and coach for the last 12 years. That’s going to be a relationship that continues,” Solinsky said. Among Solinsky's long-time training partners under Schumacher have been two-time Olympian Matt Tegenkamp and American steeplechase record holder Evan Jager.
A five-time NCAA champion in cross country and track, Solinsky is second on the all-time U.S. lists at 5000 meters (12:55.33) and 10,000 meters (26:59.50). He ran both times in his best year, 2010.
In preparation for the 2011 season, Solinsky started training even harder, and injured his left hamstring. In September 2011, he had surgery to reattach hamstring tendons to his pelvis. His race results since have not approached his previous level. Last weekend, at Maine’s Beach to Beacon 10K, Solinsky was 14th in 30:02. In the photo above, shot near the 5-mile mark of Beach to Beacon, the lasting effect of surgery is visible in Solinsky's upper left leg.
Solinksy had planned to make his marathon debut, but now won't.
“It’s not off permanently but it’s off for this fall," Solinsky said. "I kind of hit the wall physically. I’ll be doing Falmouth [Road Race] next weekend, but that most likely will be the end of my season because my body’s so tired and needs a little bit of a break. I’d still like to do a spring or fall marathon this coming year. But I didn’t want to go into a marathon already run down.
“Obviously, the last few years haven’t been what I wanted out of my career," Solinsky said. "My wife and I decided it was time a change and time to embark on a new adventure. Maybe this could be good for me professionally and athletically, and a good new start and a change for her as well." Amy Solinsky is a veterinary technician who will continue that career in Williamsburg.
Training in Virginia will be “mostly on my own, and obviously I’ll run with the guys on the team when it works out," Solinsky said. "But I’ve always been really good at training on my own. It helps me listen to my body a little bit better when I’m on my own.”
Solinsky’s contract with Nike is up at the end of the year.
“I do and I don’t” have concerns about its renewal, Solinsky said. “With as much sweat and tears as I’ve put into the last two or three years, I haven’t quite held up my end of the bargain. I’ve had conversations with them and I feel pretty optimistic about it. It’ll probably be at a different level, but that’s understandable.”
