HHRC Q and A with Colorado's Mark Wetmore

Coach Wetmore's Colorado Buffaloes won the 2006 Men's NCAA Division I Cross Country title and his women finished 2nd at the 2006 NCAA meet. CLICK HERE for a detailed biography from the U of Colorado Cross Country website.

HHRC: Did you have aspirations of becoming a NCAA I coach from the very beginning of your coaching career?

MW: No. All I wanted to do was help continue the success of the high school program I came from.

HHRC: If you could build an ideal distance runner, what ingredient would he/she contain?

HHRC: You have coached some of the best runners in America. What stands out as your most memorable moment as a coach?

MW: Two stand out. The first was in 1983 at the NJ High School "All-Groups" Track Championship (all schools, all sizes). I had a boy win the 800, another tie for the 1600, a different one win the 3200, and a girl win the 1600. This was unprecedented. I was pretty young and thinking, "I am the King!"

The second was when Adam won the '98 NCAA X-C meet. The whole final 2km. thousands of people were chanting "GOUCHER! GOUCHER! GOUCHER!" He crossed the line and was surrounded by hundreds of fans. People who had come to cheer for other runners and teams were jumping up and down, screaming, pounding each other on the back. I walked away across a field and thought, "He is the King!"

HHRC: What do you consider to be the most overlooked aspect in training distance runners?

MW: Development of the Aerobic Metabolism, but a close second would be recovery and regeneration.

HHRC: Who is your biggest influence as a coach?

MW: A close friend that no one has ever heard of, Larry F. Sullivan (you will not find him on Google)

HHRC: What advice would you give to a college-bound high school distance runner?

MW: Don't push too hard too soon. Don't throw away your college career because someone wants you to get a scholarship. Always know that you have ten years to go.