SALT LAKE CITY — Eric Nelson discovered himself in a little bit of a quandary after profitable the Deseret Information Half Marathon Saturday morning.
The 22-year-old Nibley man ran a scorching 4:57 tempo and crossed the end line a lot faster than anticipated — in 1:04:53 — that race officers almost missed his end.
“I wished to be underneath 65 (minutes),” he stated. “I knew I might try this, if there have been a bunch of fast folks that would pull me via the race. …I’m tremendous proud of that.”
As a result of he’s native, his victory would have earned him $1,000. However as a result of he needs to stroll on at Utah State as a cross nation athlete this fall, he can’t settle for the cash.
NCAA guidelines stop him from accepting prize cash for operating, despite the fact that athletes can now be paid for the usage of their title, picture and likeness.
Nelson shrugged when requested about it, whereas race officers stated the cash would develop into the prize of the subsequent native runner.
For the Ridgeline Excessive grad, chasing his dream of being a university runner was value greater than the prize cash.
“I used to be by no means quick sufficient to run in school,” he stated of his highschool profession, “so I went on a mission, got here again and I’ve been doing a number of highway racing.
“Hopefully sooner or later I can run in school.”
Nelson returned from a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April of 2020. He stated COVID-19 precautions aided in his post-mission adjustment.
“I believe it was nearly higher as a result of there have been no expectations, no massive races,” he stated. “I might type of grind on my own, after which when races began, I might go race.”
He spent the yr after his mission simply operating what and when he wished.
“I simply do my very own stuff, run on my own, principally,” he stated. “I simply do the whole lot alone.”
Saturday was the primary half marathon that he’d particularly skilled for, and he was thrilled with how he carried out.
Working, he stated, drew him in as a result of it was so accessible.
“It’s one thing you are able to do alone,” he stated. “Get out, go run, it doesn’t take an entire lot of drugs, and you’ll type of do what you need….I like operating since you get out of it what you set in.”
Jake Heslington, 27, of Provo, wasn’t far behind Nelson, crossing the end line of the 13.2 mile race in 1:05:37.
Dallin Letham, 24, of Ogden, earned third place with a time of 1:07:48.
On the ladies’s facet, Tori Parkinson, 27, of Draper, gained the race with a time of 1:14:05. Natalie Callister, 32, of Ogden, earned second place with a time of 1:14:41. Madey Dickson, 26, of Herriman, got here in third with a time of 1:15:31.
