Fernando Cabada broke on the national scene in a big way during the spring of 2006. Having earned spots on the US Junior National XC team while a freshman at Arkansas, and both the North American 5k and NACAC XC teams while finishing his eligibility at Virginia Intermont, Cabada was not completely unknown. But when he unseated NCAA DI XC champ Simon Bairu and NCAA DI 10k champ Robert Cheseret for the win at the U of Oregon Invite 10k, heads started to turn. But Cabada’s most striking breakthrough came a few weeks later when he destroyed the domestic and open fields at the Fifth Bank US 25k Championships in Grand Rapids to earn his first national title and break the long standing American record for the distance.

Cabada, once signed with Reebok, lit out on the roads for the fall of 2006, securing a runner-up in the US 20k championships and setting solid PRs of 1:02:45 and 2:12:27 for the half and full marathon distances. He also took 2nd at the US 25k and represented the US in the marathon at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.

Fasil Bizuneh finished college at Arizona State with school record bests in the 5k and 10k of 13:51 and 28:46. He then spent three years with the Big Sur Distance Project in California before relocating to Bristol, Va. in the summer of 2006. The move proved productive as Bizuneh secured his highest national finish with a 2nd place at the US 5k in Providence, RI and a 5th place 2:18 for his marathon debut at the US Championships of Twin Cities.

Bizuneh’s successful fall earned him his first US national team berth as a senior (he was a member of the US JR XC team in 1999). On the US Chiba Ekiden Relay team,  he helped the US to a record-tying best team finish of 3rd with a 5k relay leg of 13:50, the second fastest on that leg.

2007 saw Bizuneh continue his success with his runner-up finish at the US Half-Marathon Championships over Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflizighi before making the US team for the World Cross Country Championships in Kenya.

Justin is a graduate of Butler University and, post collegiately, was a member of both the Brooks-Hansons Distance Project and the defunct Boulder Distance Project.

Justin’s biggest accomplishment came while representing the US when he finished 18th at the World Half Marathon Championships in New Delhi, India.

Young enjoyed a well deserved break through race in the spring of 2008 taking 13th at the Fortis Rotterdam marathon with a six-minute personal best of 2:13:52.

Justin has notched five top 10 US Championship finishes including a 6th at the US Half Marathon in 2005, a 5th at the US 10k in 2004; a 4th at the US 10-Mile in 2004; a 10th at the US 8k in 2004 and a 10th at the US Half Marathon in 2007.

Jeffrey is a former member of the Brooks-Hansons Project and currently serves as the assistant coach at Queens University of Charlotte.

While competing for Brown University, Gaudette earned NCAA All-American honors both in 2003 and in 2005.

In 2005, Jeffrey finished 12th in the U.S. 10k Road Championships. During 2006 Gaudette ran internationally at the Lotto Cup in Hanuit, Belgium for a 32nd place finish. Back in the United States Gaudette was the third American to finish in the Utica Boilermaker 15k, for 16th place.

More recently, he was the second finished American runner in the Crim 10-miler and a two-time USA Track and Field National Champion 10,000m qualifier.

(pic by photorun.net)

(pic by photorun.net)

Herbst’s early career also saw her win the Olympic Festival twice and compete in two US Olympic Trials.

Herbst-Lucke is in the midst of a comeback that is really the beginning of a career in the longer distance races.

In the past two years she debuted in the marathon at 2:42 qualifying for the US Olympic Trials and has recorded two top 10 finishes in U.S. Championships. Herbst-Lucke took fifth at the 2007 US 25k Championship at 1:31.07 and finished 10th at the 2008 US 15k Championships in March,

 

Sean Brosnan, like many American Distance Project athletes, recommitted for a second chance at the sport. Brosnan is finishing his undergraduate degree at Cal State San Marcos and his hoping for an Olympic Trials qualifying mark in the 1500-meters.

Brosnan, who previously ran for Adams State College, has personal best of 3:47 and 1:50 for the 1,500-meters and 800-meters, respectively.

Tara’s earlier performances in the longer distances indicate great potential with the longer distances.