Late Injury Threatens Andrew Carlson's Marathon Plans-Again, by Jon Gugala, note by Larry Eder

Andrew Carlson, Philly 2010 race, photo by PhotoRun.net

Andrew Carlson is fighting injury, will decide on Aramco Houston event, held next weekend, January 12-13, 2013. This story from Jon Gugala.

Jon Gugala wrote for us in 2012 most of the year. Many recall his daily coverage of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials (along with our team of Dick Patrick, James Dunaway, Elliot Denman, Justin Lagat, David Hunter and Roy Stevenson).

This is Jon’s first story of 2013.

2025 USATF Half Marathon Championships Coming to Running City USA Top U.S. Athletes Will Compete March 2 as Part of Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend

CJ Albertson Eyes Improvement After Chicago Marathon Personal Best, Aims for More Success

Mainova Frankfurt Marathon on Sunday: Elisha Rotich and Yeshi Chekole head strong elite fields in Frankfurt

Late Injury Threatens
Andrew Carlson’s Marathon Plans–Again

by Jon Gugala

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. –
Andrew Carlson, sixth at the 2012 Olympic Team Trials Marathon, is on the start
list for the Aramco Houston Marathon on January 13. However, Carlson says a late
injury is now jeopardizing his ability to compete, and intimates the
possibility of withdrawing.

In an exclusive statement
to RunBlogRun, Carlson, 30, says, “I’m dealing with an Achilles problem right
now and have been stressing about it,” adding that he’s still trying to get the
injury “sorted out in time for Sunday [Houston Marathon].”

Carlson, the
seventh-fastest American ever to debut at the marathon (2:11:24, at the Trials
last January), was originally planning to run his sophomore effort at the New
York City Marathon in November. Houston was in essence a contingency plan after
the former was canceled due to media pressure after citywide damage during
Hurricane Sandy the week preceding.

If Carlson does withdraw,
it would be the second time an injury has interrupted the Team USA Minnesota
member’s marathon plans: In 2011, his debut at Twin Cities Marathon in October
was shelved when, during his final long run, he turned his ankle, tearing
ligaments that necessitated his withdrawal the week before the race.

Should Carlson withdraw
from Houston, the greater tragedy may be the lost opportunity in a career
that’s remaining days are dwindling. In an interview with Competitor Magazine
after the Trials (http://running.competitor.com/2012/01/news/first-times-the-charm-exclusive-interview-with-andrew-carlson_46000),
Carlson himself acknowledged that his marathon career, which started formally
almost a year ago, may have been too little, too late: “To be perfectly honest,
I probably should have stepped up a while ago,” he said.

Check back with RunBlogRun
for further developments on this and other stories around the 2013 Houston
Marathon.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
View all posts