By Jake Willard
Reigning world bronze medalist Evan Jager has a new race strategy as he chases the 8-minute barrier in the 3,000-meter steeplechase: “to not do anything as long as possible.”
Prior to this season, Jager was known for pushing the pace early and trying to drop those runners who he thought had quicker finishing kicks. While this tactic proved to be successful, earning Jager a silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and a bronze from the world championships in London last summer, it took a toll on him.
“It’s incredibly mentally taxing leading for four laps and pushing really hard for four laps,” he said. “I’m just a little sick of pushing the pace from far out and getting outkicked. So I just want to do something different.”
Jager holds the American record with his personal best of 8:00.45, and he’s hoping to break that, too, during his outdoor debut Saturday at the Prefontaine Classic.
“For most of the year, I’m going to do everything and train with sub-8 in mind,” Jager said. “With the new Diamond League schedule, there’s only a couple of races to choose from. So my focus this year is Pre and Monaco. And then USAs, obviously.”
Jager will be racing several familiar faces.
Reigning world champion and this year’s Commonwealth Games gold medalist Conseslus Kipruto will be Jager’s biggest competition, even though he dropped out of the Shanghai Diamond League 5,000 on May 12. “I don’t put much stock into that result for him,” Jager said. “I know that he’s going to be insanely competitive tomorrow in the steeple.”
The field will also feature three other athletes from last year’s world championship final: American Stanley Kipkoech Kebenei, Ethiopian Tesfaye Deriba and Kenyan Jairus Kipchoge Birech, one of two runners in the field who have run under 8 minutes. He ran 7:58.41 in 2014. The other comes from veteran steepler Paul Kipsiele Koech, who ran 7:54.31 in 2012.
Jager, a veteran in the world of professional running, said his consistency and trust in his coach, Jerry Schumacher, have been factors in his steeplechase success. “At this point, after 10 years of running professionally with him, I just do what I know is right and what he would want me to do,” he said.
But it has also been Jager’s ability to absorb Schumacher’s coaching and put it into practice in races that has allowed them to develop such a trust. “He feels like there’s not as much that he needs to teach me,” Jager said. “We’re on the same page.”
The strong relationship between Jager and Schumacher allowed them to come up with their new race strategy for Saturday. After settling in on the first lap, look for Jager to tuck in behind the two leaders and make it interesting at the bell. “I want to go along for the ride and see how I feel the last lap doing that,” he said.
