By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp
Connecticut has a long proud history of distance running and the next generation of stars from the Nutmeg state and the region will display their talent for fast times on Friday night at the 5th Connecticut Distance Festival at Xavier High School in Middletown CT. The meet will encompass about five hours of heats in only the 1-mile and 5000m distances.
Connecticut has had a long tradition in the 5000m. There have been several national champions and All-American from the state. In fact, from 1980 until 2001 the CIAC championships included a boys 5k as well as most conferences held the boys’ event in their championship and dual meets. A few years after the state dropped the 5k, several invitational meets made it part of their programs, including those at Manchester and Guilford but the mantle has since been carried by the CT Distance Festival, now in its 5th year. The meet is organized by directors Jeff Billing of Hall High and Chris Stonier of Xavier with each school alternating as the host site.
The 5th CT Distance Festival has assembled some of the best athletes in the northeast. Check out some of the top athletes from the New England region who have entered the meet.
Boys 5000m Championship
Heats and approximate start times: Heat 1 @ 8:10pm, Heat 2 @ 8:30pm, Robert Michalski Boys Championship 5k Heat 3 @ 9:12pm
Meet Record:Michael Bohlke of Newington won in 14:39.94 in 2022, the 9th fastest boys time in CT history.
CT State Record: 14:16,61 by Alex Ostberg, Darien at 2014 New Balance Nationals.
Some of the top finishers this year could be:
Devan Kipyego, St Raphael RI, 14:30.00, won CT Distance Festival mile last year, New England cross country champion, ran 4:00.64 PR for the mile at Brooks PR Invitational last year, NXR Northeast champion. All-American steeplechase and mile.
Collin Walsh, New Milford, Indoor State Open 3200 champion, All New England 2-miles, 5th at the Cross Country State Open
Joshua Roos, Danbury, All State in cross country, Class LL and All New England in the indoor 4x800m.
William Liu, Acton-Boxbor MA, 3rd MA Meet of Champions in the mile, finished 13th last year at CT Distance Festival in a time of 15:25
