Benjamin True (born December 29, 1985) is an American

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

and cross-country athlete, who competed for

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

and currently trains in

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of En ...

, while competing for Saucony and In the Arena. True was the top American at both the 2011 and 2013

IAAF World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...

, as well as the 2011 USATF Road Running Circuit Champion, winning the 5 km and 10 km Road Championships along the way. True is married to triathlete Sarah True.

Early career

Born and raised in North Yarmouth, Maine, True competed as a

Nordic skier Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel. Re ...

and runner throughout his time at

Greely High School Greely High School is a public high school for grades 9 to 12 located in Cumberland, Maine, United States. The enrollment is approximately 715 students. It also has a professional teaching staff of 64 and 50% of the teachers have advanced d ...

and

. He earned All-American honors twice at the

Foot Locker Cross Country Championships The Eastbay-Foot Locker Cross Country Championships are a series of annual cross country running races held in various regions of the United States to determine the premier cross country runner in various age groups, but mainly serves to find the ...

while in high school, twice at the

NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship The NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championship is the cross country championship held by the National Collegiate Athletic Association each autumn for individual men's runners and cross country teams from universities in Division I. Teams a ...

, three times at the

NCAA Skiing Championships The NCAA Skiing Championships are held annually to crown the National Collegiate Athletic Association combined men's and women's team skiing champion. Before 1983, the championship was only for men's skiing. Unlike many NCAA sports, only one Nat ...

, once at the

NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship refers to one of three annual collegiate outdoor track and field competitions for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for athletes from institutions that make up ...

, and at the 2007

USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport. Since the year 1992, in the years which feature a Summer Oly ...

. True studied art history and architecture at Dartmouth.

Professional career (2009–present)

After graduating from Dartmouth, True joined the

Oregon Track Club The Oregon Track Club (OTC) is an American running organization based in Eugene, Oregon. History Emerald Empire Athletic Association Formed by Bill Bowerman, the Emerald Empire Athletic Association (EEAA) was the predecessor to the Oregon Track C ...

for his first year as a professional runner. While at OTC, he was Top Mainer at the

Beach to Beacon 10K The Toronto-Dominion Bank Beach to Beacon 10K is a road running event that takes place along the coastline of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. It begins at Crescent Beach State Park and ends at the Portland Head Light in Fort Williams Park. Starting out ...

in 2009, finishing 10th overall, and represented the Ivy League Alumni Select team at the Izumo

Ekiden is a long-distance running multi-stage relay race, mostly held on Road running, roads.Otake, Tomoko. ''One for All.'' Dec. 28, 200The Japan Times accessed Feb. 19, 2009. The original Japanese term had nothing to do with a sport or a competiti ...

in Izumo City, Japan.

2010

In the summer of 2010, True returned to Hanover, New Hampshire, to train with In the Arena Track Club, an NGO that provides opportunities for elite athletes to compete professionally while working part-time to strengthen their local communities. True coaches and manages a cross-country and track team at Indian River Middle School in Enfield, New Hampshire.

2011

True joined the

Saucony Saucony is an American brand of athletic footwear and apparel. Founded in 1898, the company is owned by Wolverine World Wide. Products commercialised by Saucony include footwear and clothing ranges, such as athletic shoes, jackets, hoodies, t- ...

Elite Racing team in 2011. Since joining Saucony, True has improved his track PR's to 7:36:59 for 3000m, 13:02.74 for 5000m, and 27:41.17 for 10,000m. On the roads, he has won four national championships ranging from 5k to 15k, as well as the 2011 United States Road Circuit Championship. True was also the top American at both the 2011 and 2013

, finishing 35th and 6th. His 2013 performance was the highest finish for an American since 1995 and led the American team to a second-place finish behind Ethiopia, defeating Kenya for the first time since 1984.

2013

At the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, True finished 4th in both the 5000m and the 10000m. A top-three finish in either event would have qualified him for the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. Starting in 2013, True trained with

Liberty University Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia ( Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Lib ...

alum Sam Chelanga in

. This continued until early 2015 when Chelanga announced he would be moving to

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

to train with Coach

James Li James Li (born ) is a Chinese-American athletics coach at the University of Arizona. His teams have won 12 national championships. He is known for his work with international runners, including from Kenya and Sudan. Successful runners he has coache ...

and his group of athletes including Bernard Lagat, Lawi Lalang and

Abdihakem Abdirahman Abdihakem "Abdi" Abdirahman ( so, Cabdihakiim Cabdiraxmaan, ar, عبد الحكيم عبد الرحمن; born January 1, 1977) is an American long-distance runner. He is a five-time Olympian competing for the United States in the 10,000 meters ...

among others.

2014

During the Payton Jordan Invitational track meet in the spring, True ran a world-leading 13:02.74 in the 5000m, winning the race and clocking the 9th fastest time ever run by an American over that distance. True also won the 2014

Manchester Road Race The Manchester Road Race is a 4.748 mile (7.641 km) footrace held annually on Thanksgiving Day in Manchester, Connecticut. Race proceeds are donated each year to Muscular Dystrophy research and about 18 other local charities. Beginning prompt ...

on Thanksgiving Day, outperforming Sam Chelanga during the last half-mile.

2015

On April 18, 2015, True began a breakout year by winning the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) 5K in a new American 5 km road record, 13:22. In June 2015, True won the New York Diamond League 5000 meters and ran 27:43.79 in a 10 km at 2015

Payton Jordan Payton Jordan (March 19, 1917 – February 5, 2009) was the head coach of the 1968 United States Olympic track and field team, one of the most powerful track teams ever assembled, which won a record twenty-four medals, including twelve golds. ...

Invitational in

Palo Alto, CA Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was estab ...

earning a qualifying time for Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics and

2015 World Championships in Athletics The 2015 IAAF World Championships ( zh, 第十五届世界田径锦标赛), the fifteenth edition of the IAAF World Championships, were held from 22 to 30 August at the National Stadium in Beijing, China. Forty-three nations won medals, 144 of ...

On June 25, Ben True placed second in 10 km and made fourth US team

2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Hayward Field, University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Organized by USA Track and Field, the four-day competition took place June 25–28 and served as the national championships i ...

. On July 18, he had another second place in

Heusden, Belgium Heusden was a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. In 1977 it merged with the municipality of Destelbergen, of which it is now part. It was mentioned for the first time in the 11th century, by abbot Othejbold. Years af ...

. True placed 6th at 2015 World. On September 11, True ran 13:05 at Diamond League finale in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

2016

In spring 2016, True was coached by Tim Broe. May 28, 2016, True placed 11th at the Eugene Diamond League 5000 meters in 13:12.67 in preparation for US Olympic Track and Field Trials in July 2016. He placed fifth in the 5000 m at the Olympic trials with a time of 13:36.40. On June 17, True placed third in 1500 meters at 2016 adidas BOOST Boston Games in US leading time 3:36.05 behind

Nick Willis Nicholas Ian Willis (born 25 April 1983) is a New Zealand middle distance runner and the country's only two-time Olympic medalist in the 1500 metres. He won the silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and bronze at the 2016 Olympics in R ...

and

Collins Cheboi Collins Cheboi Kiprotich (born 25 September 1987) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. His personal best for the event is 3:31.53 minutes. He was a silver medallist at the 2011 All-Africa Games and was part of th ...

. On August 6, True placed first in the 19th TD Beach To Beacon 10K in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with a time of 28:17. True became the first American and native Maine runner to win the race. On November 24, True won the 2016 Manchester Road Race, beating out one of the most competitive fields the race has seen. Both True and Leonard Korir were given the same finishing time (21:31), though the win was given to True.

2017

In 2017, True coached himself and trained in Hanover. On April 15, True placed 1st in the B.A.A. 5K in a time of 13:20, breaking his own American 5 km road record. On May 5, True placed 10th in the 3000 meters at

2017 IAAF Diamond League The 2017 Diamond League was the eighth season of the annual series of outdoor track and field meetings, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). It is the first to feature the new championship-style system in wh ...

in a time of 7:47.00 in Doha. On May 27, True placed 22nd in the 5000 meters at

in a time of 13:28.24 in Eugene

Prefontaine Classic The Prefontaine Classic, an Oregon Track Club event, is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States, held in Eugene, Oregon. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at Hayward Field on the campus of the University ...

. On June 24, True placed 4th in the 5000 meters at

2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2017 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships were held at Hornet Stadium on the campus of California State University, Sacramento in Sacramento, California. Organized by USA Track & Field, the four-day competition took place June 22–25 an ...

in a time of 13:17.94 behind winner

Paul Chelimo Paul Kipkemoi Chelimo (born October 27, 1990) is an Kenyan born American track and field athlete. He is the 2016 Olympic silver medalist and the 2020 Olympic bronze medalist in the 5000 meters. Career Born and brought up in Kenya Chelimo initi ...

, Eric Jenkins and

Ryan Hill Ryan Hill (born January 31, 1990) is an American long-distance runner. Hill was a silver medalist at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships after finishing second in the 3,000 meters. He represented the United States at the 2009 IAAF World Cros ...

. On July 1, True placed 6th in the 3000 meters at

in a time of 7:35.53 in Paris. On July 6, True placed 6th in the 5000 meters in

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...

Athletissima in a time of 13:28.29. On July 22, True placed 3rd in the 5000 meters at

Heusden-Zolder Heusden-Zolder (; li, Heuze-Zolder ) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769. The total area is 53.23 km² which gives a population density ...

KBC Night of Athletics in a time of 13:10.83. On August 5, True placed 4th in the 10 km at

Cape Elizabeth, Maine Cape Elizabeth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The town is part of the Portland– South Portland– Biddeford, Maine, metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, Cape Elizabeth had a population of 9,53 ...

in a time of 27:56. On August 24, True placed 8th in the 5000 meters at

Zürich , neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon , twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco Zürich ...

Weltklasse in a time of 13:17.62. On August 29, True placed 7th in the 3000 meters in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...

Croatia at the IAAF World Challenge in a time of 7:44.36. In October, True started to train under coach Ray Treacy.

2018

True won the men's race at 2018

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

NYC Half Marathon The New York City Half Marathon (branded as the United Airlines NYC Half) is an annual half marathon road running race from Brooklyn's Prospect Park to Manhattan's Central Park via the Manhattan Bridge, held since 2006. It passes through o ...

in time of 1:02:39 over 10,888 finishers. On April 14, True placed 2nd in the B.A.A. 5K with a time of 13:42. It was a very close finish as Ethiopia's

Hagos Gebrhiwet Hagos Gebrhiwet Berhe ( ti, ሓጎስ ገብረሂወት, born 11 May 1994) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner and the former World Junior Record holder in the 5000 meters (12:47:53). Early life Born in the Tigray Region, he took up runni ...

(1st) and American Tommy Curtin were recorded in the same time. On May 25, True placed 8th in the 2 Mile at the

with a time of 8:23.76. He went through 3000 meters in 7:52.36. True placed 3rd at the

with a time of 28:29 on August 4. On August 31, True placed 10th in the Diamond League final 5000 meters, running a near personal best of 13:04.11. American

went on to break the elusive 13 minute barrier in the same race, placing 6th in 12:57.55.

2019

On April 13, True placed 2nd in the B.A.A. 5K in a time of 13:44.

2021

True spent January and February training in Charlottesville, Virginia, home to the nearby

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

and Reebok Boston Track Club. On February 20, True ran a 10,000m PR of 27:14.95 at the TEN, a meet held by Sound Running in Southern California. The time was 27 seconds faster than his previous best. He finished 4th to Bowerman teammates

Marc Scott Marc Scott (born 21 December 1993) is a British long-distance runner. He took his first global medal with bronze in the 3000 metres at the 2022 World Indoor Championships. He is the current European record holder in the indoor 5000 metres and ...

, Grant Fisher, and

Woody Kincaid William "Woody" Kincaid (born September 21, 1992) is an American long-distance runner. He won the gold medal for the 5000 meters at the 2022 NACAC Championships. Kincaid is the North American indoor record holder in that event. High school Wo ...

and is now the 8th fastest American of all time at the distance. Recent Harvard graduate Kieran Tuntivate finished 5th in 27:17 in the historically fast race. It was his first race since September 2019. On September 6, True won the

USATF USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 a ...

20 km Championships in a time of 59:53. The event was held in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

. On September 11, the

Strava Strava is an American internet service for tracking physical exercise which incorporates social network features. It is mostly used for cycling and running using Global Positioning System data. Strava uses a freemium model with some features on ...

club Tour de Woodstock held their first weekly public group run. The club was formed by True, along with his current training partners Dan Curts and Fred Huxham. In November, True announced he had agreed to a deal with Asics that will run through at least 2023. On November 7, True took home 7th place at the 2021 New York City Marathon, in a time of 2:12:53. It was his first time competing at the Marathon distance. True was the second American finisher, behind Elkanah Kibet and finished just four seconds ahead of fellow American Nathan Martin.

US Teams

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:True, Ben 1985 births Living people Sportspeople from New Hampshire People from Hanover, New Hampshire Track and field athletes from Maine American male long-distance runners World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States Dartmouth Big Green men's cross country runners Dartmouth Big Green men's track and field athletes