Ben Flanagan Explained

Ben Flanagan
Full Name:Benjamin Flanagan
Birth Date:11 January 1995
Birth Place:Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Employer:On (2022-present)
Reebok (2018-2021)
Country:Canada
Sport:Track and field
Event:5000 m, 10,000 m
Collegeteam:Michigan Wolverines
Club:Very Nice Track Club (2022-present)
Reebok Boston Track Club (2018-2021)
Turnedpro:2018

Benjamin "Ben" Flanagan (born 11 January 1995)[1] is a Canadian long-distance runner. He is currently the Canadian record holder in the 5 km and 10 km road races. He is also a 3-time winner of the Falmouth Road Race, having won the race in 2018, 2021, and 2022.

High school career

Flanagan finished second in the U16 2000 m at the 2010 Canadian Youth Nationals. The next year he competed in the U18 3000 m, once again finishing in second.[2] That same year he was selected to represent Canada at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Lille, France, where he placed 16th in the 1500 m.[3]

He competed in the junior race at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland placing 34th and finishing as the top Canadian.

College career

Flanagan attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. While there, he was coached by 3-time Olympian and fellow Canadian Kevin Sullivan.

Flanagan was the Big Ten 10,000 m champion in 2016 and 2018, the 2017 NCAA Great Lake Regional Cross Country champion, and won the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships 10,000 m by running 28:34.53 and passing Vincent Kiprop of Alabama in the final metres of the race. Following his victory, Flanagan went viral on social media after he was recorded screaming "where's my mom?" in his post-race interview.[4]

Professional career

2018

Flanagan claimed his first major professional victory in the 2018 Falmouth Road Race running the 7 mile course in a time of 32:21.

On September 4, 2018, he joined the Reebok Boston Track Club in Charlottesville, Virginia to be coached by Chris John Fox.[5]

2019

Flanagan made his professional debut on January 26, 2019, at the Dr. Sander Columbia Challenge at the Armory in New York City. Contesting the 3000 m, he took first, running a personal best of 7:48.80. Two weeks later, he returned to the Armory once again to compete in the 3000 m at the 2019 Millrose Games. He would go on to place 10th in a time of 7:54.40.

Flanagan would open his outdoor season competing at the BAA 5K, placing fourth in 13:49. Competing over 10,000 m, he set a personal best of 28:19.51 in Palo Alto on May 2 and would go on to win the Canadian title in the event the next month in Burnaby.

2020

Ben opened his 2020 campaign on January 25 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix running 7:56.02 over 3000 m. The next month competing at Boston University he ran personal bests over 3000 m (7:47.37 on Feb 15) and 5000 m (13:31.07 on Feb 28).

Despite competing sparsely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Flanagan managed a 10,000 m personal best of 28:06.88 in August. In December, he made his half marathon debut, taking the win in Hardeeville, South Carolina in 1:03:19.

2021

In 2021, Ben failed to qualify for the postponed Tokyo Olympics. He achieved the necessary world ranking but was beaten out for a spot on the Canadian team by Moh Ahmed, Justyn Knight, and Luc Bruchet.[6]

Nevertheless, he was able to run a 10,000 m personal best of 27:49.07 on May 14 and a 5000 m personal best of 13:20.67 on May 27.

On the roads, he won his second Falmouth Road Race in August and won his first Manchester Road Race in November.

2022

On January 12, he announced on Instagram that he was leaving the Reebok Boston Track Club.[7] The next week, he announced that he had signed a contract with On and was moving back to Ann Arbor to train with the Very Nice Track Club under coach Ron Warhurst.[8] [9]

Under Warhurst, Flanagan continued his success on the roads setting a Canadian 10 km road record at the B.A.A. 10K in 28:11 and winning his third Falmouth Road Race in 32:25.[10]

On October 23, Flanagan competed in the Valencia Half Marathon. While he only finished 18th overall, he beat fellow Canadian Cam Levins by 4 seconds and broke Rory Linkletter's Canadian half marathon record holder with a time of 1:01:00.[11]

2023

Flanagan opened his season on January 27 with a personal best of 13:11.97 over 5000m at the BU John Thomas Terrier Classic. The following week he set a personal best of 7:43.49 in the 3000m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

At the B.A.A 5K in April, Flanagan broke Charles Philibert-Thiboutot's Canadian record in the 5 km road race running 13:26, finishing second behind training partner Morgan Beadlescomb.

At the 2023 Canadian Track and Field Championships, Flanagan won the 5000 m in a time of 13:39.36.[12]

Later that summer, he qualified to represent Canada at his first World Athletics Championships in the 5000m where he finished 11th in his heat with a time of 13:38.69

In October, he represented Canada in the inaugural 5 km road race at the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia finishing 12th in a time of 13:34.

2024

On January 26, Flanagan entered the 5000 m at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston with the goal of achieving the Olympic standard of 13:05.00. Coming through the 3000 m mark in 7:55.01, he reached 4800 m in 12:36.78, needing a last lap of 28.22 or faster to hit the standard. Trailing noted fast-finisher Geordie Beamish, he closed his lap in 27.85, the second fastest finishing lap of anyone in the field (besides Beamish). With that, he ran a time of 13:04.62, hitting the Olympic standard, making him eligible to be selected to represent Canada at the 2024 Olympics.

On February 4, Ben finished 4th in the 3000 m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, running a personal best of 7:40.19.

After his brief indoor season, Flanagan embarked on a six-week altitude camp in Boulder, Colorado, training alongside members of the On Athletics Club in preparation for the Sound Running TEN on March 16, a 10,000 m race in San Juan Capistrano, California.

At the TEN, Flanagan ran a time of 27:20.93, eclipsing his previous personal best time by almost 30 seconds. The mark placed him 3rd on the all-time Canadian list, only behind Moh Ahmed and Cam Levins.

Competition record

International Competitions

Representing !Year!Competition!Venue!Position!Event!Time
2011World Youth ChampionshipsLille, France16th (h)1500 m3:55.95
2013World Cross Country ChampionshipsBydgoszcz, Poland34thU20 race23:21
2023World ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary23rd (h)5000 m13:38.69
World Road Running ChampionshipsRiga, Latvia12th5 km13:38

National Championships

Year CompetitionVenuePositionEventTime
2011Legion National Youth Track and Field ChampionshipsOttawa, Ontario6th1500 m3:57.98
bgcolor=silver2nd3000 m8:30.48
2012Canadian Cross Country ChampionshipsVancouver, British Colombiabgcolor=silver2nd8 km (U20)24:38.40
2018Canadian Track and Field ChampionshipsOttawa, Ontario3rd5000 m14:36.66
Canadian 5 km Road ChampionshipsToronto, Ontariobgcolor=gold1st5 km13:57
Canadian Cross Country ChampionshipsKingston, Ontario9th10 km30:41.1
2019Canadian 10,000 m ChampionshipsBurnaby, British Columbiabgcolor=gold1st10,000 m28:37.49
2021Canadian 10 km Road ChampionshipsToronto, Ontariobgcolor=gold1st10 km28:42
2022Canadian 10 km Road ChampionshipsOttawa, Ontariobgcolor=gold1st10 km28:40
Canadian 5 km Road ChampionshipsMoncton, New Brunswickbgcolor=gold1st5 km13:38
2023Canadian Track and Field ChampionshipsLangley, British Columbiabgcolor=gold1st5000 m13:38.69
2024Canadian Track and Field ChampionshipsMontreal, Quebec3rd5000 m13:29.42

NCAA Championships

Representing the Michigan Wolverines!Year!Competition!Venue!Position!Event!Time
2013NCAA Cross Country ChampionshipsTerre Haute, Indiana99th10 km31:18.8
2014NCAA Cross Country ChampionshipsTerre Haute, Indiana64th10 km31:12.6
2015NCAA Cross Country ChampionshipsLouisville, Kentucky83rd10 km30:49.8
2016NCAA Outdoor Track and Field ChampionshipsEugene, Oregon14th10,000 m29:35.85
2017NCAA Cross Country ChampionshipsLouisville, Kentucky20th10 km29:44.1
2018NCAA Outdoor Track and Field ChampionshipsEugene, Oregonbgcolor=gold1st10,000 m28:34.53

Personal bests

Information from World Athletics profile.

Surface Event Time Venue Date Notes
Indoor track3000 meters7:40.19Boston, MA, United StatesFebruary 4, 2024
5000 meters13:04.62Boston, MA, United StatesJanuary 26, 2024
Outdoor track1500 meters3:39.63Windsor, ON, CanadaJune 24, 2023
One mile3:57.75Bay Shore, NY, United StatesSeptember 5, 2018
3000 meters7:52.84Victoria, BC, CanadaJune 16, 2022
5000 meters13:13.97Walnut, CA, United StatesMay 6, 2023
10,000 meters27:20.93San Juan Capistrano, CA, United StatesMay 14, 2021
RoadMile3:59.97Honolulu, HI, United StatesDecember 8, 2018
5 km13:26Boston, MA, United StatesApril 15, 2023
10 km28:11Boston, MA, United StatesJune 26, 2022
Half Marathon1:01:00Valencia, SpainOctober 23, 2022 from Oct. 2022 to Jan. 2023

Personal life

Ben is the son of Ron and Michelle Flanagan. He has two sisters, Kristen and Jamie.[13] [14]

Flanagan met his fiancé when his host family for the Falmouth road race got a flat tire causing him to stay the night with the president of the race, whose daughter happened to also attend the University of Michigan. After dating for three years the two got engaged.[15]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Benjamin FLANAGAN – Athlete Profile . . January 1, 2023.
  2. Web site: TRACKIE - Online registration for events, tournaments, clubs and organizations... . 2023-10-07 . www.trackie.com . en.
  3. Web site: 2018 Men's Track & Field Roster . February 2, 2023 . Michigan Athletics.
  4. Web site: Sang . Orion . Michigan runner asks 'Where's my mom?' after NCAA title win, goes viral . 2023-10-03 . Detroit Free Press . en-US.
  5. Web site: September 4, 2018 . Ben Flanagan statement from September 4, 2018 . February 13, 2023 . . en.
  6. Web site: Harrison . Doug . Canadian runner Ben Flanagan doesn't regret decisions in failed Olympic pursuit . CBC.
  7. Web site: January 12, 2022 . Ben Flanagan statement from January 12, 2022 . February 13, 2023 . . en.
  8. Web site: January 19, 2022 . Ben Flanagan statement from January 19, 2022 . February 13, 2023 . . en.
  9. Web site: Hambleton . Brittany . January 16, 2022 . Ben Flanagan signs with On . February 2, 2023 . Canadian Running.
  10. Web site: Dickinson . Marley . August 21, 2022 . Ben Flanagan wins his third Falmouth Road Race . February 2, 2023 . Canadian Running.
  11. Web site: Milne . Keeley . October 23, 2022 . Ben Flanagan snags Canadian record at Valencia Half Marathon . February 2, 2023 . Canadian Running.
  12. Web site: Results- Men's 5000m (Senior) . July 30, 2023 . Athletic.net.
  13. Chavez . Chris . June 7, 2018 . Ben Flanagan's Mom on Her Son's Incredible Kick to Win an NCAA Title . February 2, 2023 . Sports Illustrated.
  14. Web site: Mulhern . Sinead . December 22, 2015 . The Flanagan clan: A family of runners . February 2, 2023 . Canadian Runner.
  15. Web site: Stol . David . January 16, 2023 . The Joy Of Running With Canadian Record-Holder Ben Flanagan . February 2, 2023 . Glory.