Track stars race in Europe

In America, track and field is largely ignored in a non-Olympic year, hiding behind the NFL, NBA, MLB and PGA. American track and field often focuses more on "the human side" than on the actual competition and the athletes. This is even more pronounced in distance running, and frustrates many serious runners and avid fans. \n"Here, the most we get to see, all anybody cares about in a distance race is, at most, the last lap of a race," said IU alumnus Chris Powers, a 2004 All-American.\nAs four Hoosier track athletes discovered, things are different in Europe, where high-profile meets offer the best place to hone skills and prepare for the possibility of a professional career. In faraway foreign locales like Huesden, Belgium, Rieti, Italy and Hengelo, the Netherlands, entire stadiums are devoted to track, and in summer fill with highly knowledgeable fans who pay as much attention, if not more, to distance running as they do to sprinting and jumping.\nFor IU's core distance runners, juniors Sean and John Jefferson, Stephen Haas and senior Tom Burns, racing in a very different environment against some of the world's best was a revelation. \nThe quartet spent several weeks in Belgium building experience they hope will not only benefit them in future collegiate competition, but perhaps propel them to a post-collegiate career. After a long year of racing, the men set their final mileage cycle to conclude in Belgium. \nIn an early tune-up meet in Liege, Belgium, the Jeffersons adapted to European racing in a windy 1,500-meters while Burns raced in the 3,000-meters. Two days prior, Haas set an outdoor personal best in the 3,000-meters, finishing second in a race with a time of 8:02. \n"Races are totally different over here," said Haas, the IU indoor record holder at both 3,000 and 5,000 meters. "Guys continuously surge and slow down and surge again. It's a really hard way to run."\nHaas, who emerged in the 2005 indoor season as a reliable long-distance threat, pulled the Huesden 5,000-meter field through four kilometers before being overtaken and finishing in a five-second outdoor best of 13:43. \nAccording to Burns, who nearly matched his personal best by steeplechasing 8:42 in Huesden, the learning experience was tremendous. Also traveling with IU were Ohio State distance coach Robert Gary, a two-time Olympian in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and his protégé, top NCAA steeplechaser Brian Olinger. \n"I've really tried to pick Gary's brain," said Burns, twice an NCAA qualifier in the steeplechase. \n"One thing Gary said was that everybody talks about how racing in Europe is a great experience," Haas said. "But that it's never a great experience to get your ass kicked."\nTwin IU milers Sean and John Jefferson made history in 2005, becoming the first twins to break four minutes in the mile in the same race. Both have a legitimate chance at running professionally after graduation. Sean's best European performance came in Huesden with a fourth-place 1,500-meters where he clocked 3:39, one second from his personal best. In the same race, John ran 3:43, near his personal best.\n"I was pretty happy," said Sean, who won the NCAA mile title in 2004. "I've been running track since January, so it's been challenging to stay in racing form."\nBetween races, the group went for runs around a lake near their lodging, exploring neighboring cities and countries, and, above all, ate waffles.\n"The best thing about Belgium is chocolate waffles," said Haas. \nIn all the positive things to come out of the experience, there were a few negatives as well.\n"Belgium is not the place to go for girls," said Burns.\n"Water is more expensive than beer," said Sean Jefferson. "Plus, you have to pay to go to the bathroom."\nOtherwise, cross country begins in less than a month, leaving the team's core, the Jeffersons and Haas, with little free time. In what seems the blink of an eye, summer vacation began and ended.\n"Europe was my summer excitement," said Sean. "We'll start back up for cross (country) very gradually and probably not race for a while"