The shoes allowed me to get in more miles without tons of pain - they were like a fountain of youth. I’ve had a lot of Achilles and plantar problems. The new shoes with plates in them have been a big help. I run now for a purpose greater than myself, and believe that is critical.

At races, I have been representing LifeRunners, an international Christian pro-life running group. We usually have to take turns with the kids. Julia also loves to run, so we support each other. I am healthier, and a better husband, father and coach when I am fit. I am trying to use the gift that God has given me while keeping it in its proper perspective. Despite having four young daughters and a full-time job, I can still run, and decently fast, I believe. There are so many people who can’t run for one reason or another. I wanted to focus on enjoying the gift of running. I decided instead to bump up my own running, which had been at about 30 miles a week. I didn’t like the idea that Covid was going to keep us all indoors, exercising less, and eating more. It was great.” How and why did you get started training hard again? “But I wanted an opportunity to congratulate him in person, and I got the chance to do that on Saturday. “Hobbs is going to Northern Arizona University, so I wasn’t recruiting him,” Webb notes. Kessler recently slashed nearly four seconds off Webb’s high school record for 1500 meters.

Last week, while notching a 100-mile training week “for the first time in a long, long time,” he was on a recruiting trip to Michigan, home state of this year’s high-school mile sensation, Hobbs Kessler. He’s now a full-time cross country and track coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with four daughters aged 9 years to one month. Much more has changed for Webb since his pro running days. He briefly explains below that he simply wanted to shed some “bulk,” observing that “most good marathon runners like Eliud Kipchoge are little dudes.” Webb is hesitant to discuss his recent weight loss, worried that it might send the wrong message to young runners.

Indeed, at his current 5’ 9” and 124 pounds, Webb is nearly 20 pounds lighter than during his pro racing career. In the recent photo, he appears almost emaciated. In his prime, he was known for his muscular build, and was sometimes even second-guessed about spending too much time in the weight room. A post shared by Alan Webb the Memphis race, Webb posted a photo that startled longtime followers.

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