CSU Coach Epperson in Marathon Race at World Championships

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Few coaches participate in a practice. Sure, they shout direction, show techniques and intertwine themselves in the sport, but few participate alongside the athletes they're tasked to mentor.

That is, most coaches who aren't Andrew Epperson.

The Colorado State cross country team welcomed Epperson to their coaching staff three years ago. Since then, the team has brought home consecutive top-10 finishes from the NCAA Championships. All the while, he's been training for a lifelong dream as well.

"Everyone, as a runner in high school or wherever they are, the ultimate dream is to represent your country at the Olympics," Epperson said.

Epperson qualified for the Olympic Marathon trails in October. On Tuesday, he took another step forward in his non-Olympic goals. For the first time in his running career, the assistant coach is heading to Doha, Qatar for the 2019 World Championships. He's set to run Saturday.

Juggling an international trip with a coaching schedule is nothing new for Epperson. At the onset of his career, he worked a part-time engineering job, attended Colorado School of Mines and served as a part-time coach for the cross country and track and field programs.

The current head coach for the Rams' cross country program gave him a head start.

"Both (Art) Siemers and his brother coached at School of Mines so I was under him for three years and before that, Art was my college coach," Epperson said. "I had a very steady and familiar grasp of who I'm working with and the opportunities that presented themselves.

"I was working at Mines as a paid assistant for two years and then the opportunity to come to Fort Collins presented itself and I jumped at the chance to kind of stop juggling three balls and go down to two where it was just my running and working full-time as a coach."

As part of his agreement to come to CSU, Epperson was informed he'd be able to continue his running career – one which started with marginal success.

In high school, Epperson failed to tally a point in a single state tournament in his tenure. Siemers originally gave him the chance to extend his career at Mines. Now, he's returning the favor by adding a new element to the team he's partially in charge of.

"He was the slowest high school recruit we had on the team," Siemers said. "For someone that is that far behind, the only way you can get to the next level is through hard work, dedication and being a good teammate. Those attributes are huge for growth as an athlete, and it's also important for growth as an assistant coach."

Those facets of Epperson's athletic personality are passed on in stride. After a hard morning workout, he'll head out with the team in the afternoon and participate in similar workouts for the Rams' runners.

More than just tips, the work ethic of Epperson stands out. When he does have a sluggish start to a training day, they return the favor.

"It's a simple sport, but at the end of the day, going out for a run every single day or six days a week can add up and be a little bit mentally tough," Epperson said. "It's nice to have other people to run with and even on the days I don't feel like running, starting the first couple of miles with the team and getting back in the groove has been a huge help.

"It's great to be surrounded with so much love and excitement for the sport."

The Rams who normally run aside Epperson are now being represented by him. Both the United States and CSU are being shown off with each move the coach is making in his career.

The trip to Qatar will serve as the second international trip of Epperson's career.

In February, Epperson traveled to Japan to participate in a marathon – an event that's prepared him for the bigger stage of Worlds.

"I'm less nervous this time even though it's a completely different country because I've already done it this year," Epperson said. "I've gone through the process. I know not to take too much stock in, 'I'm going to be on a plane for 20 hours.' It's not normally what I would do before a race, but I've made the adjustments, I believe in my training."

As part of the flight, Epperson scurries around the plane to keep his legs loose. Before and during the meet, he'll consume several doses of electrolyte-dense, low-calorie foods.

The preparation in his career stems back even further than just an international trip at the beginning of the year. Epperson used to live in Houston, Texas. The dry heat of the country's southern-most state is a preview of the arid conditions of Qatar.

The World Championships moved back an entire month to avoid the heat, but the conditions are still extreme for marathon running.

"He's really good at running in the heat," Siemers said of Epperson. "The more efficient you are, the better you tend to do in though conditions. We knew (the conditions) before he took the bid to Worlds… We knew that he was going to beat a lot of guys based on his strengths."

Epperson's current personal best is 3-plus minutes behind several of the world's top runners. Each advantage he can get is vital to making a mark in the meet.

Results notwithstanding, the opportunity is one that is worth relishing.

"It's truly incredible. As much as I have focused on training these last 10 weeks, I've had a couple of days where it's just like 'Wow.' It's hit me in waves and been like, 'Wow, this really incredible,'" Epperson said. "It's an incredible opportunity."

Former Rams' Student-Athletes set to represent respective countries

For their efforts, both Mustafa Hassan and Shadae Lawrence, both former Rams' throwers, are set to partake in the World Championships as well.

Both will face off with more than 30 athletes from more than 20 countries.

"This is another step in the process," CSU track and field coach Brian Bedard said. "They have big dreams and they've had some failures. They've had some big injuries along the way."

For Hassan, a torn adductor in his groin and abdominal hernia set him back to end his final outdoor season for the Rams. The meet being delayed served as an aid.

"They actually pushed the meet (back) which was good for us, because it gave him more time to train and we could be more patient with his recovery," Bedard said. "That was good for us. It's been a long haul for us and we've had to change his technique and his training."

He is one of two Egyptian shot put throwers – alongside Mohamed Magdi Hamza – set to compete for the country this year.

At his side, Lawrence brings experience to the table, though she will be competing for Jamaica's National Team. The event will be the second World Championships she's participated in as a discus thrower. Even as a veteran, her goals have risen.

"I was 15th at the last World Championships, but this time around, I'm looking to make the finals," Lawrence said. "It means a lot for me to be here, and I think the journey has just begun for me as a young thrower."

Both Hassan and Lawrence arrived in Qatar last week. For Lawrence, Wednesday marks the first day of competition. Hassan will have his chance Thursday.

The culture of the program, as laid out by Bedard, has pushed both to continue their pursuit of more.

"We're never content. Two weeks after the outdoor championships, I sat my staff down and said 'Okay, how do we get better? How do we make it a better experience for our student-athletes, how do we move forward?'" Bedard said. "We never want to get stagnant, and we still have to continue to work hard in recruiting and that sort of thing, but having athletes do special things is always a bonus."

IAAF World Championships Info
Event Home Page: https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships

MEN'S MARATHON EVENT TIMING

ROUND	DAY	LOCAL TIME	MT TIME
Final	SATURDAY 05 OCTOBER 2019	23:59	20:59

MEN'S SHOT PUT EVENT TIMING

ROUND	DAY	LOCAL TIME	MT TIME
Shot Put Group A	THURSDAY 03 OCTOBER 2019	19:20	16:20
Shot Put Group B	THURSDAY 03 OCTOBER 2019	20:40	17:40
Final	SATURDAY 05 OCTOBER 2019	20:05	17:05

WOMEN'S DISCUS THROW EVENT TIMING

ROUND	DAY	LOCAL TIME	MT TIME
Discus Throw Group A	WEDNESDAY 02 OCTOBER 2019	18:00	15:00
Discus Throw Group B	WEDNESDAY 02 OCTOBER 2019	19:25	16:25
Final	FRIDAY 04 OCTOBER 2019	21:00	18:00

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