Hale Wins Emerging Elite Heat at National Championships

On Friday, March 8th, Swampscott High School senior Peter Hale joined track teammate Rob Seymour and head coach Joe Tenney at the New Balance Indoor National Championships held in New York City at the famous Armory. Hale, looking to cap off his last high school indoor track race with a personal best time, ended up placing first in the Emerging Elite section of the National Championship with a time of 9:18.45 for two miles.

Hale's focus leading up to the race helped him work towards his personal best. "I came into this race knowing it would be my last chance to go sub-9:20 before the season ended. Crossing that finish line, knowing I surpassed my target time and claimed the race, lifted a massive weight off my shoulders. It's a feeling you can only get in track or cross country," said Hale.

Hale's finishing time of 9:18.45 was a lifetime personal best for the Big Blue harrier, whose personal best in the event as a sophomore was 10:06. After going through the first mile in 4:43, Hale did not panic, even though the pace was slower than the desired 4:40 (9:20 pace) for the first mile. "During the second half of the race, everything fell into place. Running a slower first mile meant I had more left in the tank as the finish approached," mentioned Hale, who closed hard over the second half off the race, running his last mile in 4:34 with a blistering last two laps.

Hale was also able to learn from his past racing experiences, choosing a different tactic than other races this season. Hale explained, "I have a tendency to stick behind one runner and let him do the work. It's like tunnel vision; you focus so much on staying with one runner that you forget what's going on around you. I avoided that this race, taking opportunities when they presented themselves and moving up to the front of the pack during the last quarter of the race." 

After ending his season on such a positive note, Hale is even more excited to continue his racing during the spring outdoor track season: "Given another week, I think I could have pushed my pace even faster. It's exciting to know that I still have room to improve and grow as a runner."

Exciting indeed.