EUGENE, Ore. — When Boris Berian was growing up and racing around the track at Widefield High School in Security, just south of Colorado Springs, he was a standout runner in both the 400 and 800 meters, winning state titles and setting state records in the process. But right after graduation, he committed himself exclusively to the 800, banking that he could improve much more steadily there than he could in the shorter event.
“Mentally, I hate the 400. One lap as hard as you can, really all out. That’s just pain everywhere,” Berian said. “I guess it’s an easier pace in the 800. It does (stink), honestly, but I enjoy it more than the 400.”
On Monday, Berian’s wager paid off. He qualified for Rio Olympics after finishing second in the men’s 800 final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, running 1 minute, 44.92 seconds. Clayton Murphy won in 1:44.76, and Charles Jock was third in 1:45.48.
“It’s a big relief,” Berian said. “It’s a stressful four days, but it’s all worth it, and I’m just so proud right now.”
Berian took the lead heading into the final lap, extending his gap over the other eight in the field by several strides before coming around to the final turn.
Down the home stretch, with 70 meters to go, Berian began to struggle, and Murphy edged him at the line. But it didn’t matter: Berian beamed as he was handed an American flag, the pressure of expectations finally giving way to the euphoria of achieving a dream that would have seemed impossible just two summers ago.
“I had no idea what was going on. I just said: ‘Get to the finish line. Get top three,’ ” Berian said. “He came out of nowhere, but I’m just so happy.”
Fifteen minutes before the start, though, Berian was thrown for a surprise. He learned the start would be a waterfall — not in lanes, as is normal — meaning runners would line up next to each other, six at the start line and three more on the outside lanes. Coaches appealed, but race officials made the decision after Craig Engels was added as a ninth runner because of a mishap in the semis. The change made it harder for Berian to get to the front of the pack, where he’s most comfortable racing, and where it’s easier to avoid the kind of pushing and shoving that can easily result in trips, falls and dashed Olympic hopes.
“I had to really sprint to get to the lead, but it worked out,” Berian said of his start from Lane 4.
In the women’s 800, that’s exactly what happened to Berian’s Big Bear Track Club teammate Brenda Martinez, who tumbled to the ground rounding the final curve along with Alysia Montano. Race officials called it the result of incidental contact, meaning no protest could be filed. Both were expected to make the Olympic team in the event.
Berian’s racing style has matured since last year at the U.S. championships, when he failed to even make the final because he was passed in the homestretch. He has focused this season on strength work, and it has paid off handsomely. He won the world indoor 800 title, leading wire to wire, and cruised through the first round and semis here before making it to the final Monday.
That Berian is even at this point is something of a miracle. He was declared ineligible to compete at Adams State in Alamosa after struggling with his grades, dropping out in the spring of 2014. The two-time Division II NCAA champion in the 800 was now back in Colorado Springs, . He trained in the afternoons and evenings by himself, slept on a friend’s couch and held to the thinnest of hopes that he might actually turn raw athletic talent into something more.
A chance to go to Big Bear Lake, Calif., to train with coach Carlos Handler and his wife, Martinez, was the career-saving move Berian needed. He left the job at McDonald’s, trained and dropped his fastest time in the event to a staggering 1:43.34 during a race in Monaco in 2015 — the fifth-fastest time ever run by an American.
Then, in April, he was catapulted into the spotlight further. He was sued by Nike for breach of contract after the shoe company said he was bound to sign a fresh contract with it after the initial one expired in December. Berian called the legal troubles leading up to the biggest races of his life “annoying” but otherwise stayed focused on training and let his agent and lawyers handle the case.
A week before the start of the trials, Nike unexpectedly dropped its lawsuit, saying it wanted to eliminate the distraction for him. Berian, who quickly signed with New Balance, said he was able to separate himself from the quagmire better than he thought he would.
“I let my racing speak,” he said.
