Legendary track coach's unwavering support has Canada's Flanagan on path to 2024 Olympics

Ben Flanagan remembers legendary track coach Ron Warhurst being a keen observer at his college training sessions, offering encouragement and support during the early years of his retirement from the University of Michigan.

"I watched him run at a cross-country meet. He was five-foot-six, 125 [pounds] soaking wet," Warhurst recalled in a phone interview with CBC Sports. "I saw how tough he was. Cross-country's grueling and he handled it well.

"Then he went to the track and I watched him run the last three laps at the 2018 NCAA championships in the 10,000 [metres] and he stayed with the leader. The [other] guy got away but [Flanagan] never broke or fell off the back end. Benny had the presence to sprint the last 100 and beat that kid. I said, 'that kid's got a lot of balls.'"

The "kid" from Kitchener, Ont., who hadn't stood out much until then, has accomplished plenty since. On Saturday, the 28-year-old set his second Canadian record in six months, reaching the finish of the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) 5k in 13 minutes 26 seconds for second place — nine seconds ahead of Charles Philibert-Thiboutot's winning time and national mark from last year's road race.

The 79-year-old Warhurst, who was unable to watch the race following knee replacement surgery last week, is "tremendously encouraged" by the performance as Flanagan pursues a spot with the Canadian Olympic team for Paris next summer after an unsuccessful attempt in 2021.

"You see the people that have run [the B.A.A. 5K] and the career success they had. Some impressive people that didn't run 13:26," said Warhurst, referring to U.S. 50K record holder Josh Cox and 2016 Olympic 5,000-metre bronze medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia.

In late January, Flanagan ran a personal-best 13:11.12 in the indoor 5,000 in Boston, and Warhurst was quick to point out the measurable difference between an indoor track setup and road race.

"[The B.A.A. 5K] course is up-and-down, has some hills in it and there's no rhythm to it," he said. "The record is 13:20 and [American] Ben True set it [in 2017]. Three weeks after that, Ben ran 13:02 [on the track in the 5,000]. We can make some correlations, maybe. We'll find out in three weeks."

On May 6, Flanagan is scheduled to race the 5,000 at Track Fest, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet in Walnut, Calif., where he'll attempt to run under the 13:07 automatic qualifying standard for the Aug. 19-27 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The 13:11 effort at Boston University "is validation I'm making progress," Flanagan said.

He added the process of reaching a new level began Jan. 1, 2022 after signing with Swiss shoe company On, one day after the expiration of his contract with Charlottesville, Va.-based Reebok Boston Track Club.

"It's just a good personality fit," Flanagan told CBC Sports last week of being a member of Warhurst's Very Nice Track Club in Ann Arbor, Mich., since early last year. "Ronnie's really big on communication and I'm a big talker, so we can hash it out.

"He listens to my thoughts, feelings and is unconditionally supportive. The way things are going now I want to be working with Ronnie for my whole career."

After he completed the 2022 Houston Half Marathon in 1:01:38 while recovering from broken toe, Flanagan got to work with his new coach in mid-March. Warhurst shortened the runner's stride, got him on his toes and moving his arms differently to improve his quickness.