Former BYU Star Makes His Mark as a Pro

By Scott Bush

As one of the best runners in BYU history, Jared Ward flashed his potential time and time again in a navy and blue uniform. Now, turning to the professional ranks, Ward is determined to make his mark as a contender for the 2016 Olympic Team. After placing second at the USA Marathon Championships this past fall, as well as a fourth place finish at the .US National 12K, Ward is ready to take on the field at the USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston. 

We caught up with Ward this week, discussing his recent training, life as a post-collegiate runner, his expectations for 2015 and his New Year’s resolutions. 

Scott Bush (SB): The USA Half Marathon Championships are here. How are you feeling heading into the big race? How's training been going?

Jared Ward (JW): Training has been great. I am fit and ready. I am excited for the deep field and the opportunity to race some of America's best.

SB: You’ve run a marathon, but you haven't run a half marathon before. How are you approaching Houston from a tactical standpoint?

JW: That’s always hard for a new distance. We have done some workouts designed to estimate what the right pace is, but ultimately you don't know what it feels like until you try it. I plan to just try to mix it up with some of the talent Houston has brought in, and see what happens.

SB: You really got out and challenged yourself over the roads the past bunch of months. Do you see yourself transitioning to the roads full-time or do you think you'll jump back on the track a bit in 2015?

JW: I think on the road is ultimately the right place for me, but that doesn't mean I'm quite ready to throw in the towel on the track. If I could get into the right 10k I think I'd like to race it again, but the USATF road circuit is so well done, I could have a great year just running those races.

SB: As a relatively new pro, what's been the biggest transition from the structure of collegiate student-athlete life to one where running is your primary focus?

JW: I still have one more semester on my statistics degree, so life has changed less than for most making the transition. I hope that once I finish in April, I can really shift my professional focus to running.

SB: Are you still training in Provo? Who are you training with and who's coaching you?

JW: I am still in Provo. BYU has great facilities and awesome trainers. Coach Eyestone is still coaching me. His style has really worked well for me and I don't see any reason to seek other coaching at this point. I train with Rex Shields, Tylor Thatcher, Jason Witt, and Doc Hunter, former teammates.  

SB: With it being a new racing season, what are your running goals for 2015?

JW: Really this year for me is an opportunity to get ready for the Olympic year coming up. With all of the senior marathon talent, as well as new younger talent, it will be fun to see who ends up on the Olympic marathon team next year. I hope to be able to contend for that team.  

SB: It’s a New Year. Any non-running resolutions you've set for yourself?

JW: Always. I have set goals to become closer to God this year, and spend additional quality time with my wife and children. I think we can often get caught up in the rapid pace of life and forget to allot time to the most important things, and I hope to do a better job making time for the things that matter most this year.