ZAP-Reebok athlete Johnny Crain saved his best for last in his final race of the spring / summer season. On July 8th Crain took to the streets of Utica, NY to race some of the world’s best road racers at the Boilermaker 15k. Johnny tucked himself in a large pack of nearly 30 elite athletes in the opening miles of the race. The pace was moderate as the field navigated the hilly opening 4 miles of the race, but the terrain pared the field down by nearly half as the race entered the 2nd half. As the field approached 10k Crain was firmly planted in the lead pack. The race began to string out as the field moved into the final 5k and Crain found himself running inside the top 10. As Crain powered through the final 2 miles he showed himself to be the class of a high quality American field finishing 10th overall and 1st among Americans. In a tight finish Crain’s 44:13, 4:45 per mile pace, was only 1 second out of 6th place.
The race marks one of the finest races of Crain’s career and concludes his racing season on a high note. Crain will take a short rest now before resuming training later in the month in preparation for the Chicago Marathon.