Nicholas Stanko: Michigan Runner of the Year 2009

By Charles Douglas McEwen

Nicholas Stanko pretty much had the 2009 Michigan Runner of the Year award wrapped up with his victory at the Kensington Challenge 15K in September. But just for good measure he won the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon in October.

Stanko, 28, of Haslett amassed 180 points in the Michigan Runner Race Series. He was also Michigan Runner of the Year in 2005.

Stanko started the series winning the St. Patrick’s Day 8K in Bay City in 24:41, then added runner-up finishes at Running Fit’s Meteor 10K in Dearborn (30:25) and the Brian Diemer Amerikam 5K in Cutlerville (14:34).

He finished third among state runners at the Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K in Grand Rapids (1:17:36) and the Crim 10-miler in Flint (49:48). Then came wins at Kensington (47:51) and Free Press marathon (2:20:22).

The former University of Michigan track and cross-country standout describes 2009 as a good year. “I set a couple personal records, but I really wanted to run 2:19 in the marathon.” That time would have qualified him for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials marathon.

Stanko came nearest his goal at the P.F. Chang Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Phoenix in January. There he finished eighth overall and first among Americans with a 2:19:37 PR. That beat his previous-best 2:20:29 run at Detroit in 2004.

He knew 2:19:00 was out of reach by the 20th mile of this year’s Freep marathon. At that point he shared the race leadership with Chad Johnson, who runs for the Hansons-Brooks Development Project in Rochester Hills.

“On Belle Isle, a little after 20 miles, Chad upped the pace to see if he could break open the race,” said Stanko. “He put a few seconds on me, but I closed the gap before he increased it further.

“Going into 22 miles, it was my turn to lead. I was familiar with Chad’s credentials and knew if I left it up to the last mile, I’d be in trouble. I figured the boardwalk, with its turns and limited spectators, would be a good spot to try to open a gap on Chad.

“Once we hit the boardwalk, I upped the pace and put a few seconds on him. From then on I red-lined it to the finish, worrying about getting caught. My hamstrings cramped every now and then, forcing me to back off a few seconds. I was able to get back at it after they calmed down.”

The winner, who ended up beating Johnson by 31 seconds, said Hansons-Brooks runners inspire him. “They’re going to give you a good race whenever they’re out there,” said Stanko, who is also sponsored by Brooks.

He became the first American man to win the Freep since Fred Kieser of Ohio did it in 1999, and the first Michigan man to win it since Doug Kurtis in 1992. Still, Stanko thought his 1:17:36 PR at the River Bank 25K was his best race of the year.

“They changed the course this year because of the Grand River flooding,” he said. “It seemed much more difficult than in the past. And it was a really competitive race.”

Stanko would like get back on the track a little more next year. “I like to be competitive in everything from 800 meters to the marathon,” he said. “I don’t want to pigeonhole myself as just a marathoner or 10Ker.”

He and his wife, Theresa, teach and coach cross country at Haslett High School. Their four-year-old daughter also keeps them busy.

“Theresa and I are still in the early stages of developing the Haslett program to where we want it to be,” he said. “The runners are starting to see how important consistency is ... and running for most of the year.

“Coaching high school runners who are devoted to the sport is an honor. To be successful at running, one must have an intrinsic desire to succeed. As coaches, we try to give the runners as many useful tools as possible so they can get the most out of themselves.

“The 4H’s -- being humble, healthy, hungry and happy -- are something I teach consistently. If they’re not being met, not much else matters.

“I try to teach the kids how to be in control of their running, both in races and in training. A major piece of that puzzle is having the kids run a good amount of hard aerobic running. Not intervals, not easy recovery runs, but going out and doing a progression run of 6 to 12 miles, with each mile getting faster and harder, but always in control,” he said.

Many of Stanko’s Haslett runners came out to cheer him on at the Free Press marathon, which he appreciated greatly.

As to his own efforts, “My strength as a runner seems to be my intrinsic need to improve,” he said. “I feel I have gotten the most out of myself, both in workouts and in races.

“This sometimes is a double-edged sword and comes back to bite me, because when I go into a workout I always want to run all-out. I am getting better at keeping things in check. When I find a happy medium and run most of my harder workouts a little more controlled, I have better races.

“I grew up doing a lot of hard manual labor jobs for my dad. This instilled early on my perspective of what hard work really is.

“But there comes a point in running when too much hard work can be a negative thing,” Stanko said.