No Looking Back

American and former world marathon record-holder Khalid Khannouchi approaches his last shot at Olympic glory

New York, October 20, 2007—The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon is four days away, and three-time sub-2:06 marathoner Khalid Khannouchi appears sharp, calm, and focused. Today, a news conference showed a video montage of Khannouchi’s record-setting moments, and instead of watching the memories, he bowed his head and projected an almost prayer-like, meditative state. 

“That’s the past. That’s history,” said Khannouchi. “I’m proud to have been part of making history, but we’re talking about the present now.” 

Khannouchi replied softly and positively to questions regarding a discomfort in his right foot that, shortly after his fourth-place finish at the 2006 Flora London Marathon, developed into a neuroma in the ball of that foot. He has been struggling with the injury ever since. This summer, the Moroccan-born Khannouchi, who lives in Ossining, NY, with manager and wife Sandra, traveled to Barcelona, Spain, where he spent a month under the care of Dr. Eduardo Osorio. Khannouchi learned that his foot problem stems from a biomechanical issue due to a seven-millimeter leg length discrepancy. He and Dr. Osorio tried several types of orthotics before settling on the pair he now runs and races in. Khannouchi has run his last two races—the U.S. 10K Classic in Atlanta, where he finished seventh in 31:01, and the San Jose Rock ‘N’ Roll Half-Marathon, where he finished 13th in 1:05:04—wearing his new orthotics.

Disappointed with his 13th-place Trials tune-up race, Khannouchi does not offer the excuses of finishing the observance of Ramadan (the month-long Muslim ritual of fasting from dawn until sunset) just prior to the race, or of auditioning his orthotics in the 13.1-mile distance. “People tried to make excuses for me afterward, but there was no excuse; I just sucked,” said Khannouchi. “It took me about a week to get over that bad race, but I’m back now. I’m a mature person and have tried to convince my brain of the fact that I have to perform well. The focus is there.”

The 35-year-old Khannouchi has achieved things that his competitors—Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi, American marathon debut record-holder Ryan Hall, and U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon veterans Alan Culpepper and Dan Browne—have not: running seven sub-2:08 marathons, besting Paul Tergat of Kenya and Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia to set a then-world-record 2:05:38 at the 2002 Flora London Marathon, and maintaining the four fastest marathon times ever run by an American. If marathoning is a mental game, the fastest Trials qualifier’s sharp focus may help put him at the head of the pack.