Big River Interview: Ben Murphy-Baum

Ben Murphy-Baum, a senior at St. Louis University High School, has established himself as one of the area’s premiere distance runners. Murphy-Baum, a three-time all-state selection in cross country and track, recently finished 28th at the US Junior Cross Country Nationals in New York City’s famed Van Cortland Park. Big River caught up with Ben as he enters his final high school track season.

BR: You have improved each season throughout your career, with your most successful race being last fall’s State Cross country meet. Take us through that race and what your thoughts were heading into it.

BMB: Coming into the State Meet I was trying to have the mindset that I was going to win the thing. Still though, it was difficult picturing myself as one of the guys who could win. The week of the meet is a pretty relaxing time for me and I don’t really think about the race until I warm up. Knowing that we had the possibility of having three all-staters was a really positive thing. That’s a lot of motivation and so I had some confidence going in.


BR: Watching the race it seemed like Ben Brammeier made a big move just past the mile mark and all the big guns pretty much had to make a split second decision on whether to go or not but only Jacob Boone and yourself really covered it. What went through your head at that moment?

BMB: I’ve seen that move at least a hundred times. That’s how he wins races. I knew that if you’re going to have a mindset that you’re going to win you have to go. I didn’t really cover him as closely as Boone did and maybe I should have but in the end I think I made the right decision. [Ed. Note- Murphy-Baum ended up finishing second to Brammeier by just four seconds]


BR: Your team at St. Louis U. High has been very successful during your entire career. What makes the team as good as it has been?

BMB: I think the thing that makes SLUH so successful is we’re a team that has a lot of camaraderie. We have five or six coaches and it’s like a big family. Since we get along so well we can run well at high levels of competition.


BR: Well tell us about a key workout that you do at SLUH that shows you are ready to go.

BMB: I would say I have to be able to do mile repeats at a fast pace. It’s the workout I most dread but you can really connect mile repeats to the race pretty easily. We also do 16 x 400 and 1k’s.


BR: I know SLUH has a reputation for doing a lot of tempo runs as well.

BMB: We do. When we are running our tempos at 5:30 pace then we know we are in shape.


BR: You recently ran in the US Junior Cross Country Championships in New York against some of the best high school seniors and college freshman in the country. The top six finshers in the race qualify for the World Championships, the most prestigious distance running event in the World. When did you decide to run in that race and how did you prepare for it?

BMB: I heard about the New York race from you. [Ed. Note- Ben Rosario, who conducted this interview, ran in the senior mens 12k at the Championships] I wanted to do a race that would get me ready for college. I basically did tempo runs on Wednesdays and we got up to seven miles on those which is pretty far and interval workouts on Saturdays like mile repeats at 5:00 pace. Stuff that would increase your lung capacity. We organized a time trial, the SUMAC Invitational, to get ready and I ran 9:35 [for 3200]. I felt great and could’ve gone faster so I was really pleased and it wasn’t the greatest of conditions.


BR: So what did you think when you first got to New York and there were all these famous professional runners walking around?

BMB: At first I didn’t know what to think. We would pass these guys in the hall and you would tell me who they were like Adam Goucher or a sub 4 minute miler. It was a great atmosphere. Then you get to the course and you have the announcer getting everybody pumped up and the music playing and everybody’s just running so fast.


BR: The atmosphere must have worked for you seeing as you ran 25:22 for 8k and beat some pretty big name guys. Take us through your race specifically.

BMB: I wasn’t nervous. I knew some guys from Iowa State and I keyed off them at first. It was so much smaller than Foot Locker so you’re not sure with that few of people what to expect. At Foot Locker, with 300 people you are know you are going to beat a lot of guys, but there it was like 50 guys and they were all good. I ended up liking it though. Once I got out there I found a comfort zone. I started out in the 30s and stayed there most of the way and then took a few spots at the end. I hit the first 2k in 6:05 and I don’t think I realized the pace I was running. I came through 5k well under 16 minutes, in a pr, which was nice. We were just running fast. There were some good guys in front of me and some good guys behind me. [Ed. Note- Murphy-Baum finished 28th and beat 2005 Foot Locker finalist Diego Mercado and Oregon freshman Jon Thomas among others. He is now the sixth best returner for next year’s Championships]


BR: So with that race out of the way I assume the focus shifts to your final high school track season. What are your goals for the upcoming campaign?

BMB: I want to try and take the 2 mile title. There is Jacob Boone, Ben Brammeier, Kyle Rood, Dan Quigley and a bunch of guys who are gunning for the win. Last year Boone won in 9:16 or 9:17 with a 59 second last lap. This year I think it will probably be around 9:10. My goal is to go under 9:00. I figured why not bust it and go for that 8:59.


BR: Your team will be in the hunt for the team title as well. How will that factor in to your strategy and give us your ideal scenario at the State Meet.

BMB: Basically I want to score 15 points for the team. That might be winning the 2 mile and getting fourth in the mile but that’s what I will have to do. If Paul [Chaney] and Stephen [Simmons] score 50 points between the two of them and I get 15 that will put us at 65. Plus if we can get a couple points from Matt Lawder we will be around 70 and hopefully win the team title.


BR: One last question. Have you made a decision on where you are going to go to school?

BMB: I’ve decided to go to Iowa State. I haven’t actually told the Coach yet, but when he calls I am going to give him a verbal commitment.


BR: Wow. A scoop on our first ever Big River Running Interview! Ben, thanks for a great interview and best of luck this track season.