Heath aiming for a fourth win at Great Edinburgh

By Chris Lotsbom for DyeStat, @ChrisLotsbom

Few athletes can say they’ve defeated quadruple Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah on his home turf.

Even fewer can say they’ve emerged victorious in the same race against 5,000- and 10,000-meter world record holder Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, along with Olympic and World Championship gold medalist Asbel Kiprop of Kenya.

That’s just what Garrett Heath has done over the past three years, completing a trifecta of wins at the Great Edinburgh XCountry International Challenge in Scotland.

Heath will go for his fourth straight victory at the Jan. 7 event, squaring off against Farah, Turkish runners Aras Kaya and Polat Kemboi Arikan, along with a host of other elites over 8 kilometers.  LIVE WEBCAST INFO

What is Heath’s secret to success on the slick trails of Holyrood Park?

“I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s been good to me,” Heath said with a laugh. “Probably it’s just the nostalgia of running in the cold and snow and wintry conditions that I really like. It kind of gets my adrenaline going more than most.”

Heath’s knack for winning at Great Edinburgh is due in part to his roots: growing up in Winona, Minn., he learned to be tenacious running outside in harsh conditions.

Before heading to sunny California and Stanford University, Heath dealt with his fair share of bad winters. Enjoying the outdoors, Heath wound up developing a thick skin and gritty racing style which he possesses to this day.

“The conditions were always pretty extreme as far as being cold and snowy through the winter (in Minnesota),” said Heath via phone from Bend, Ore., where he’d just finished a day of cross-country skiing.

“I ended up skiing a lot (as a kid) and got used to being out there in a onesie spandex suit where it was 10 degrees, 0 degrees, sometimes below zero wind chill. You just kind of grit it out ‘cause you didn’t really have a choice. You were out there whether you liked it or not.”

Be it snow or mud, freezing winds or slick ice (all of which have been the conditions at Great Edinburgh over the past three years), Heath has persevered and thrived. The nature of cross country is dealing with whatever is thrown your way, be it tough footing or bad weather and Heath hasn’t just embraced that mentality, he’s gone one step further in turning it into a mental advantage.

“It gets sloppy and it’s a grind out there,” Heath said. “I think the mindset going in, the colder, snowier and rainier it is, the more I like it. A lot of people are OK running in it but maybe don’t look forward to those conditions quite as much. For whatever reason, it’s been a magical place for me.”

Kicking off a new year in Scotland gives Heath – usually a 1,500- and 5,000-meter runner on the track for the Brooks Beasts – a chance to assess his fitness and take on some of the best harriers in the world. He equates it to an early season college basketball tournament, when top teams are still finding their groove and underdog opponents are seizing the chance to pounce.

In 2014, Heath came to Great Edinburgh and didn’t expect to win. He stunned the field by dropping Bekele and Kiprop over the 4-kilometer race, then won a close sprint with Ethiopian teenager Meresa Kahsay. A year later, Heath would again play spoiler, running away from Japheth Korir, Dathan Ritzenhein and Kiprop.

With Farah in the 8-kilometer field last year, Heath just wanted to be competitive and hold good position on the final lap. Matching American teammate Scott Fauble’s surge with 800 to go, Heath found another gear while Farah sat behind. The Olympic champion began his kick too late and couldn’t catch Heath, who possesses 3:34 speed in the 1,500.   

“It’s been pretty special. To be honest, every year that I’ve gone in, I haven’t gone in with the expectation of beating those guys,” Heath said. “I’ve always had aspirations to beat them, but you never go in expecting to take down a guy like Mo when he’s done so well and been so consistent, as far as being on the track anyways. But that’s what I enjoy most about cross country. It is really a different sport. It’s a different strategy, different tactical race being out there.”

Heath said he gets added motivation in Great Edinburgh knowing that a strong contingent of American teammates will be cheering him on throughout the looped course. With junior, senior, and mixed relay events, Team USA will be sending at least 34 athletes to compete. That support system, combined with the mentality of thriving in inclement conditions, has helped Heath be unbeatable thus far in Scotland.

“Whether it’s more on my end or their end, I think it gives you the feeling of, like, ‘Yeah, if I was on the track next to Mo running a 10,000, I wouldn’t probably try to go with him.’ But in cross you feel like you’ve got a fighting chance," Heath said. “You go out there and feel like anything can happen. Whether or not that’s being a little bit ignorant or oblivious and then it turns into a potential reality, or if it is something else, that helps level the playing field a little bit or switch up some of the dynamics that might be more favorable for someone like Mo or Kiprop on the track. For me, it’s been the mindset of feeling like ‘Yeah, maybe I do have a shot.’ Get out, hang with these guys, and if I’m there in the last lap then anything can happen.”

This year, Heath’s position entering the race is different than the past three editions. Yes, he has a target on his back and is the one all the Brits want to take down on their home soil. But he’s also trying to start anew and forget last year’s disappointing Olympic Trials where he was a distant 13th in the 5,000.

Following the Trials, Heath ran the Falmouth Mile then shut the season down for good. Taking close to eight weeks off from hard workouts, the time off has again stirred the fiery spirit that has made Heath such a consistent competitor over the years.

“It’s probably the most I’ve taken off since high school. We redefined the goal and allowed the body to reset,” Heath said.

“I felt like I was right there two years ago and had the speed, endurance, everything was clicking to be top three and vie for the win or at least vie for a spot on the World Championship team.

“Last year, I missed the mark a bit. Where exactly, I’m still not sure. It’s one of the things where you’re riding that line between being right on the cusp of being super fit and PR’ing and going just a little bit too far and your body breaking down, not being able to get out of the cycle of being a bit more tired, bit more worn down. Somewhere along the line it went wrong last year, and hopefully this year I’ll be one year smarter and find that line again and get myself back on a (World) team.”

The first step back is in Edinburgh, where the crowds and competition will be hot. Heath hasn’t raced since Aug. 21 and is chomping at the bit to return with renewed energy.

Knowing that he’ll be sporting the Team USA singlet alongside teammates Hillary Bor, Sam Chelanga, Thomas Curtin, Martin Hehir, Stanley Kebenei, Leonard Korir, Morgan Pearson and Daniel Winn in the 8-kilometer race gives him even more pride and enthusiasm. He’ll be running not only for team and country, but for a fourth consecutive win.

“Great Edinburgh is always fun because it’s (about) remembering some of those times and feeling like it is a bit of a throwback to high school where it’s just getting out there and having fun with the sport, going hard and pure running,” Heath said. “I think it’s pretty special. Any time you get to represent the country, it adds an extra element of pride for what you’re doing and the results being out there. It gives you pride for your teammates ... You get that national pride and want to represent the country well, not let people down. It’s a special and fun way to start off the year.”