Ben Rosario Leaves HOKA NAZ Elite: Six Deep Thoughts on Rosario's impact

This Day in Track & Field History, May 10, 2024, Frank Wycoff sets 100 yard WR(1930), John Carlos equals 100 WR (1969), Eamonn Coglan runs his first sub 4 minute mile (1975), by Walt Murphy’s News and Results Services

Clyde Hart’s Guide to 400 meter training (from 1996 Super Clinic Notes/World Coaches Notes)

Jake Wightman-Increasing the Pace, part 3 from Matt Long on the Training of Jake Wightman

This column pays homage to Ben Rosario and all the wonderful things he has done for HOKA NAZ Elite. Ben Rosario has built a legacy as a class athlete, a savvy retailer, and an excellent coach and administrator. He will be missed.

Ben Rosario has announced (Dec. 4) that he would be leaving the club he founded, HOKA NAZ Elite. HOKA NAZ Elite has been a visible and exciting club for eleven years, showcasing its sponsor, HOKA, his athletes, and his club.

Ben will announce the next chapter in his professional career, and we wish him the best!

Here are five Deep Thoughts on Ben Rosario and his tenure at HOKA NAZ Elite;

Ben developed some fine athletes, from Kellyn Taylor to Scott Fauble to Kelly Taylor and Stephanie Bruce. Consider Kellyn Taylor, who ran through four Olympic Trials. Consider Stephanie Bruce, who competed in XC, track, and marathons. And consider Scott Fauble, whose marathon consistency was impressive!
NAZ Elite promoted the HOKA and NAZ brands and athletes. Ben Rosario gets it. His social media promotions, newsletters, previews, and reviews did what every club and brand should be doing across the US. NAZ Elite athletes have fan bases, and their social presence has helped build the HOKA brand.
NAZ Elite showcased tough, committed, fascinating women athletes. From Aliphine Tuilimuk, Olympic Trials Champion, to Kellyn Taylor and all in between, Ben Rosario and his team built stories around the NAZ athletes. We knew where they were, day in and day out. We developed a conversation, which is key in this modern age of 24-hour sports.
HOKA track spikes, photo by The Shoe Addicts
Ben Rosario always had time for the media. He was cheerful, honest, and thoughtful. As a media professional for 45 years, he is pretty unusual. Many brands make us jump through hoops to get basic information. Ben and his team knew they were only as good as their narrative.
HOKA NAZ Elite, under Ben Rosario, put more into the sport than they took out. Great role models, building up from bad races, racing consistently, showcasing the variety of HOKA products, Ben Rosario gets it: a brand gets value from its sponsorships when they are visible consistently
We finish with a series of videos that Ben did for us, working with our partners, The Shoe Addicts, in 2016: https://www.runblogrun.com/2016/10/2016-hoka-one-one-coaching-interview-series-ben-rosario-on-coaching-distance-runners.html?swcfpc=1

Kellyn Taylor Aliphine Tuliamuk, Stepanie Bruce, 2020 US Olympic Trials, February 29, 2020, photo by Kevin Morris

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