Ward placed 6th in the 2016 Rio Olympic Marathon without the super shoes worn by the podium finishers. Neither he nor anyone outside Nike even knew about super shoes at the time.
He soon began working with Saucony on that company's line of super shoes, and continued running fast times in major marathons. Ward hit his marathon PR, 2:09:25, in the 2019 Boston Marathon.
Perhaps more importantly, he mentored a gaggle of younger BYU graduates like Conner Mantz and Clayton Young to their significant marathon careers. He also helped form the public/private "Run Elite Program" to encourage professional running in Utah while promoting health and fitness to the wider population.
After moving his wife and six kids to Oxford, England, where he pursued an Executive Business Administration degree, Ward returned to near-top form this spring. Now 37, he ran a personal best 46:49 for 10 miles at Cherry Blossom, and then finished second in the Pittsburgh Marathon.
In this podcast, he explains why BYU running has reached such a high level, and what he sees in his own running and business future.
For more about Ward, see his profile on the Run Elite website.
WHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"
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