Cross-country running has taken Durango native Laura Thweatt far. But even as she reached the pinnacle of her career, Durango was never far away.
Yes, it was there again last weekend, like a running companion pushing her to be her best.
On Saturday, she was, and as a result, she’ll be traveling far, far from Durango, and Colorado, with her eyes on an even bigger prize.
Worlds.
Thweatt, a 2007 Durango High School graduate, won the biggest race of her life, at least up to this point – the USA Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Boulder. She moves on to the IAAF World Cross Country Championships on March 28 in Guiyang, China.
“I was more relaxed than I thought I would be here – racing at home is a great opportunity, but also, there comes some pressure,” said Thweatt, who starred in cross country at the University of Colorado and now calls Boulder home. “But I felt relaxed. My parents (Jean and Steve Thweatt) came up from Durango – they’ve always been a huge part of my success. And my aunt and uncle who live in Denver and my cousin. So there was definitely a good Durango contingent.
“Having so much support,” Laura Thweatt said of what helped make it all work Saturday. “My coach (Lee Troop of the Boulder Track Club) has been such an instrumental part of my growth. And I had a lot of teammates racing, Family, high school kids I coach, having all the people you surround yourself with day in and day out cheering for you gave me strength for the last lap.”
Not that she necessarily needed it. Saturday’s race went pretty much as planned – a rarity, Thweatt said – as she cruised to a 31-second victory, finishing the 8-kilometer race at Boulder’s Flatirons Golf Course in 27 minutes, 42 seconds.
“I was in front of the race the whole time,” Thweatt said. “I tried to stay tucked back the first two laps to make it feel as easy as I could. Then the plan was to start pressing in the third lap, to pick up the pace and string out the field, to see who was coming and who wasn’t. And then the fourth lap to run it in. It was a great field. I knew it would be tough to get a win when competing against women like that. I knew it would be a battle from the beginning.
“It was one of those days where everything came together and played out the way I hoped it would. There aren’t many races where that happens.”
Thweatt, 26, runs with the Boulder Track Club – she has won consecutive club titles – and is the assistant distance coach at Monarch High School in nearby Louisville. Her runners at Monarch were there in full force Saturday, as spectators and competitors – there were a number of age classes at the championships. And turns out, it was a big day all-around for Thweatt.
“A lot of my girls raced in the high school race. ... They won as a team. And Kaitlyn Benner won the junior collegiate race. I coached her in high school. She’s a freshman (at Colorado). It’s been cool to watch her progress. So it was a pretty cool day for (the University of) Colorado and my kids. That’s the sort of energy that gets you excited. It helped in my race.”
Between now and the worlds, Thweatt will train as usual, then compete in the Race USA 15-Kilometer Championships – the Gate River Run – March 14 in Jacksonville, Florida, as a sort of warm-up. Then it’s on to China.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” she said. “The world cross-country team is something I’ve always wanted to make. I’m so honored. It’s exciting. I can’t wait to go over there and represent the USA.”
From Durango to China – in only about 10 years.
“I had a fantastic experience in high school,” Thweatt said. “I didn’t start running until my freshman year, when two friends talked me into running. I had a lot of good friends out doing it. It created a good foundation for me. I fell in love with the sport and wanted to continue doing it at the highest level. That’s why I like coaching – to help the kids fall in love with it.”
bpeterson@durangoherald.com
