Aiming for Rio: Laurel's Casey keeps eyes on Olympics prize

By LINDSAY ROSSMILLER For The Gazette

Updated Jan 9, 2016

When Pat Casey remembers the 800 meters from his track and field day as a fourth grader in Laurel, he remembers it being hard, but he’s pretty sure he won.

“Looking back it was probably like a super mediocre race,” he said, “but at the time and as a little kid I was like, ‘Man! Really, I’ve got something here. I’m good at this.’”

Casey traces his running career to that day. Since then, he’s run all the way from Laurel to Hayward Field to European stadiums and around the world. This summer, Casey hopes to be one of the top American milers, on what is considered by many to be one of the toughest teams to make, and represent the U.S. in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

“When I go home, people want to know if I’m going to run in the Olympics. Not even if, but when,” he said. “I think it’s funny they just assume that I’m going to do that.”

Their assumptions aren’t entirely without merit. He was a decorated high school runner for Laurel High School, became the first person to run a sub-4 minute mile in Montana during his collegiate career at Montana State, and was an All-American after transferring to Oklahoma. He still holds multiple records at Montana State and Oklahoma.

His first season as a professional runner in 2014 culminated in a second-place finish at the U.S. Outdoor Championships in the 1500. Last year started off well when he ran the anchor leg for a world record in the Distance Medley Relay at the Armory Invitational in January and then took third at the US Indoor Nationals.

However, he battled foot injuries late in the season.

Casey is sponsored by Nike and currently trains in Eugene, Ore., with the Oregon Track Club (OTC) Elite. His team includes many of the current top U.S. competitors in his event as well as 2012 Olympians Andrew Wheating and Irishman Ciaran O’Leonard. They all train under Mark Rowland, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist in the steeplechase.

Off the track, few people may recognize Casey. With the lack of attention many in the U.S. paid to track and field in non-Olympic years, he blends into a crowd wearing a hat, jeans, and Nikes. His lifestyle is unlike many people, though. His location varies depending on training and upcoming races and his days are filled with runs and workouts, mixed with rest in between.

“That’s the thing about running, we get to travel a lot and we get to go to all these cool places and it seems exciting, but a lot of the time is spent resting and relaxing and preparing. It’s a lot of inside of hotel rooms,” Casey said. “You see a lot of that. When you’re actually out running you can explore and stuff and it’s great, but you can only run so much a day.”

Running requires work and time, but time doesn’t have any shortcuts.

Time is required to build a base. Time is required to increase stamina. Injuries are healed by time. And ultimately, time is the final measure of achievement. Casey trains year-round for races that are determined in less than four minutes.

And while running is an individual sport, a team is also important for getting to an elite level.

“If I was to try and do this every day by myself, I would go crazy,” Casey said. “It’s so hard to wake up in the morning and go out and push your body to your limits by yourself. It just is a lot easier when you have people there by your side every day helping, pushing you, and sharing in the journey a little bit. It makes it less lonely and more manageable. . . I just think it makes the journey more enjoyable and what we do more enjoyable.”

While the members of OTC Elite train together, they also know that only the top three finishers for the U.S. at the Olympic Trials in July can make the Olympics. And many of them stand a chance to make it, including Casey.

“It is tough that we all want the same thing and there is three spots so it’s not completely unimaginable that at least three of us don’t get those spots. But I think it’s a good thing. We know that dynamic is going to be there, but we also know that we need each other to get to that level,” he said. “...it will be hard because we can’t all do it, but I think it’s a risk that we’re all aware of and have accepted I guess.”

Moving to train with Rowland has helped Casey to improve quickly, dropping seconds off his PRs at multiple distances. He laughs when talking about his high school PRs compared to those of his current teammates.

“It’s pretty much confirmed that mine’s the worst,” he said, chuckling.

However, he recognizes that where he’s from plays a role in his career compared to many of his competitors. Much of his regular competition have raced each other since high school and trained in warmer climates. In contrast, he describes training by himself on long runs in the winter and slipping on the ice.

“I think there’s something to be said about me being from Montana. I think I’m tougher for it,” he said. “It’s just a completely different, as far as track and field goes, a completely different upbringing.”

His coaches recognize the mental toughness that Casey possesses. Rowland appreciates Casey’s “never say die attitude,” and says, “You want to see that hunger from individuals.”

Casey attributes much of his attitude to his upbringing.

“I’d say these days that not a lot rattles me coming into races. It’s like ‘oh it’s hot out’ or ‘oh it’s cold out.’ Well we’re not in Butte, Montana and it’s not snowing and we’re not at 5,000 feet. It could be worse,” he said with a laugh.

But Casey has come a long way from running state meets in the snow in Butte. Rowland calls the 2015 injuries a “blessing in disguise” leading to the next phase of Casey’s maturation as a runner. Rowland and Casey can now make adjustments entering the 2016 Olympic season.

“The key is to run fast times, but to be able to do it when it really matters,” Rowland explained.

This means paying more attention to when rest is needed and perhaps spending more time building in the winter instead of racing as much of the 2016 indoor season to peak optimally at the beginning of July.

To stand on the start line in Rio this August, Casey needs to finish in the top three at the U.S. Olympic Trials on July 10 in Eugene at Hayward Field. But first he needs to qualify, which means running the standard (3 minutes, 36.20 seconds) sometime before then. His current PR is 3:35.32, so it’s within reach if healthy and he gets into fast races.

“I really do, I like running. I’ve dedicated so much of my life to it at this point, it’s like why not give it a shot,” Casey said. “Just getting on the line to even start the first round of the Olympics would just be amazing.”