Making his way through the streets of New Haven with his gracefully
powerful strides, Brett Gotcher could barely believe his good fortune as
he moved tantalizingly closer to the biggest victory of his blossoming
running career.
The pretenders to the crown were languishing
behind, leaving Gotcher to battle it out with Mohamed Trafeh and Jason
Lehmkuhle for the title at the 2009 New Haven Road Race, which doubles
as the U.S. 20-kilometer national championship.
Content to let
others set the pace, Gotcher bided his time before making the decisive
move that not only made him a national champion, but also made him a
major player in the road racing circuit. When he crossed the finish line
in 58 minutes and 57 seconds, a mere 4 seconds ahead of Trafeh, the
Stanford graduate could barely comprehend the magnitude of his
achievement.
As Gotcher heads to New Haven to defend his title on
Monday, the 12 months have allowed him to get a sense of perspective of
what it was he accomplished on Labor Day 2009.