WASHINGTON, D.C. - 26-year-old Kenny Foster, originally from Brookville,
is hard to keep up with. But you can see his name sitting near or at
the top of race results all over the country. He's in the Army and even
spent some time in it's World Class Athlete Program, known as WCAP.
"In 2015 I'm going to be getting out (of the Army) and then training full time. My focus will be on the 2016 Olympic trials. Hopefully I'll be looking to make the Rio de Janeiro team," Foster said.
Foster placed second in the 2012 Marine Corps Marathon with a time of 2:22:39. Pretty amazing, considering he got a cramp early in the race. At the halfway mark, he realized he was still in a good position.
"That's when I told myself if I run a good second half, I have a chance to set a personal best for myself. I think I was sitting at 5th or 6th and I just kind of went after it from that point on," he said.
A week before the Marine Corps Marathon, he ran the Army 10-miler in Washington, D.C. He took first place in the Tucson Half Marathon held last month, his wife took first for the women. Then just this week, he was back in PA and took first place in a 5-mile race in Erie.
Foster credits Dan Murdock, one of his high school cross country coaches, for encouraging him to run.
"He persuaded me to join the team because it would help me get in shape for basketball season," Foster said. "He and Doug Roseman both coached cross country and track and field."
"It makes you feel good that he gives a nod to any of us back here. We might have gotten him started, but it's the countless miles he's put in on his own that's made him so successful," Murdock, who is still a teacher and coach at Brookville High, said.
Foster is living in Arizona now, he said his grandmother is his only family member who remained in Brookville. He has fond memories, recently reminded of his high school days when he found a 2002 Rocky Grove Invitational t-shirt.
"At the time, I had run a personal best time of 18:57 and that was my first year of cross country. I was showing my wife that shirt and remember being so proud of that race," he said.
Foster said he plans to run the Boston Marathon in 2014.
"In 2015 I'm going to be getting out (of the Army) and then training full time. My focus will be on the 2016 Olympic trials. Hopefully I'll be looking to make the Rio de Janeiro team," Foster said.
Foster placed second in the 2012 Marine Corps Marathon with a time of 2:22:39. Pretty amazing, considering he got a cramp early in the race. At the halfway mark, he realized he was still in a good position.
"That's when I told myself if I run a good second half, I have a chance to set a personal best for myself. I think I was sitting at 5th or 6th and I just kind of went after it from that point on," he said.
A week before the Marine Corps Marathon, he ran the Army 10-miler in Washington, D.C. He took first place in the Tucson Half Marathon held last month, his wife took first for the women. Then just this week, he was back in PA and took first place in a 5-mile race in Erie.
Foster credits Dan Murdock, one of his high school cross country coaches, for encouraging him to run.
"He persuaded me to join the team because it would help me get in shape for basketball season," Foster said. "He and Doug Roseman both coached cross country and track and field."
"It makes you feel good that he gives a nod to any of us back here. We might have gotten him started, but it's the countless miles he's put in on his own that's made him so successful," Murdock, who is still a teacher and coach at Brookville High, said.
Foster is living in Arizona now, he said his grandmother is his only family member who remained in Brookville. He has fond memories, recently reminded of his high school days when he found a 2002 Rocky Grove Invitational t-shirt.
"At the time, I had run a personal best time of 18:57 and that was my first year of cross country. I was showing my wife that shirt and remember being so proud of that race," he said.
Foster said he plans to run the Boston Marathon in 2014.
