#10 Ken Martin

I am introducing the ten people who were/are most influential in my running career.

Ken Martin was a world class marathoner (2:09:38 NYC, 1989) born in Oregon and walked on at the University of Oregon and ended up running a 3:57.86 mile there. Ken was also a two-time U. S. World Cross Country team member.

After graduation, he ran for the prestigious Nike sponsored, Athletics West running team, which was the premier running team in the United States.

I met Ken in the summer of 1989 in Litchfield, CT. We were both there to run the 7.1 mile Sunday afternoon race, but there was a bit of revelry on Friday and Saturday. During those two days, between beers, Ken explained to me what it was like to be a world class runner and the workouts that came with that moniker. He gave me two workouts that became a staple of my training; “Killer Kenyans” and a 5 mile increasing tempo run on the track.

Killer Kenyans are a 3 x 2 miles at 5K/10K race pace with 2 minutes rest. It will kick your ass the first time you attempt it.

The 5 mile tempo run is on a track with each lap the same pace or faster than the last one. I used to start at 90 second per lap and ending at around 75-72 seconds per lap.

Ken is a 2 time winner of the Pittsburgh Marathon (1985 and 1989). In the fall of 1990, Ken came into Pittsburgh to run the Great Race (10K in Pittsburgh with over 10,000 runners). I was coaching at Duquesne University at that time, I asked Ken to wear a Duquesne Cross Country t-shirt that weekend, which he did. It was amazing to see a world class runner wearing a shirt of the team that I coached.

He became someone that I could reach out to over the years, and discuss my training or what workout might be best for my team. I have lost touch with Ken, I hope that he is healthy and enjoying life in Indiana.