Craig Curley is a Native American

distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance running comes two d ...

. Born in Kinlichee, Arizona, he grew up in a rural setting on the Navajo reservation. He was the fastest male high school runner in the state of Arizona during the 2005 cross country season. Curley's trajectory took an unusual route, as he declined offers to compete with big Division I schools in favor of Pima Community College, for whom he broke the 5000-meter previously set by former Pima standout

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 a ...

. After his two-year spell in community college, Curley transitioned to the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

Running career

High school

Curley attended St. Michael High School, where he competed in cross country and track under coach Terry Thompson until his graduation in 2006. Curley recorded a first-place finish in Arizona's 2005 1A state cross country championship.

Collegiate

Despite having success in high school, Curley declined recruiting offers from

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

and

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

. Former distance runner Greg Wenneborg was the distance coach at Pima Community College, a small community college with a track record for excellent distance runners such as

. After Curley's first practice with Pima, coach Wenneborg immediately offered him a scholarship, and Curley enrolled in Pima's two-year program. At the 2006 UC San Diego Triton Invitational, Curley set a new Pima record for the 5000 meters at 14:23.26.

Post-collegiate

Curley qualified for the 2012 US Olympic Trials in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, but his 2:39 marathon debut was considered a disappointment considering his credentials. Although discouraged, he made another appearance at the 2012

Columbus Marathon The Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon is a marathon held in Columbus, Ohio, United States. First run in 1978 and held annually since 1980, it features a flat, fast course which saw nearly 20 percent of finishers qualify for the B ...

in Ohio, where he ended up winning the race despite not taking the lead until the last six miles. After his win at Columbus, Curley signed a professional contract with

Mizuno () is a Japanese sports equipment and sportswear company, founded in Osaka in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno. Today, Mizuno is a global corporation which makes a wide variety of sports equipment and sportswear for badminton, baseball, boxing, cycling ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Curley, Craig Living people American male long-distance runners American male marathon runners Native American sportspeople 1988 births