The 2021 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Live At Ocean Breeze, Staten Island, All According To Coach Coogan's Plan!

Elle Purrier, Liane Farber, Mark Coogan, Katrina Coogan & Jeff Benjamin in Staten Island in 2019, photo by Jeff Benjamin

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Defending Champion Alicia Monson and World Bronze Medalist Konstanze Klosterhalfen Headline Terrific Women’s 3000m at the 115th Millrose Games, February 11th at The Armory

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Jeff Benjamin, Elle Purrier, Mark Coogan after Purrier’s 2020 American 1-Mile Record at the Millrose Games, photo by Jeff Benjamin

In this second piece on the NB Indoo GP at the Ocean Breeze AC on Staten Island, Jeff Benjamin updates us on the New Balance Boston Elite Club’s coach Mark Coogan and his athletes.

The 2021 New Balance Indoor Gran Prix Live At Ocean Breeze, Staten Island

All According To Coach Coogan’s Plan!

By Jeff Benjamin

In sports there’s an old adage that a great athlete does not necessarily make a great coach.

1996 Olympic Marathoner Mark Coogan has definitely broken that mold.

Coogan’s New Balance Boston Elite Club is one of the top teams in the Sport. With patience and long term planning Coogan (whose wife Gwynn was a 1992 Olympian at 10K) has produced some of the top middle and long distance runners not only nationally, but worldwide as well.

And Coogan and his charges are quite familiar with Ocean Breeze’s fast indoor track.

Elle Purrier, Liane Farber, Mark Coogan, Katrina Coogan & Jeff Benjamin in Staten Island in 2019, photo by Jeff Benjamin

Back in 2019, Elle Purrier came down to Staten Island and competed well, finishing 3rd in the 2-Mile and 6th in the mile. But 2020 started off explosively for Purrier, as she broke through to the top of the Sport, beating a world-class field in winning the Millrose Games Mile with a time of 4:16.85, shattering Mary Decker’s 38 year old American record.

Elle Purrier sets amazing American indoor mile record! photo by Mike Deering / The Shoe Addicts

Meanwhile, Coogan’s daughter Katrina, finished 5th in the2019 2-Mile as well and is progressing also.

“The team is doing great,” said Coogan, whose team has been training in the thin-air high altitude of Flagstaff for the last 5 weeks.

“Everyone is healthy and hungry to race,” said Coogan. “Elle keeps on improving and the sky is the limit for her… She is going to try to run fast in the 2 mile possibly getting the American Record.

Heather MacLean, ATL #2, photo by Kathy Camara via ESPN TV

Coogan’s other top runner Heather MacLean is going for the win in the mile.

“She’s leading the world right now.”

Daughter Katrina will also be in the 2-Mile with Purrier. “She is focusing on a 10k in the spring.”

“All in all,” said Coogan, “We are in very good shape for working towards the June USA Olympic Trials.”

Sounds like a solid plan from a solid planner!

Bell Lap

Although no live spectators are allowed, the 2021 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix will be shown live on NBC from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13. The event is the only gold-level U.S. stop on the World Athletics Indoor Tour.

For further information check out https://www.nbindoorgrandprix.com

Author

Jeff Benjamin
Jeff Benjamin has written for 30 years for American Track and Field along with RunBlogRun. The Former President of the Staten Island AC & Chair of the Staten Island Running Association was the 5th man scorer for his Susan Wagner High School NYC XC City Championship team. Also a member of the College of Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame for XC, Jeff currently serves as the LDR Chairman for USATF NY. A passionate (or fanatical) follower of the Sport, some of Jeff's subjects have included Sebastian Coe, Emma Coburn, Eamonn Coghlan, Matt Centrowitz, Jim Spivey, Galen Rupp, Joe Newton, Tom Fleming, Ajee’ Wilson, Bill Rodgers, Allan Webb, Abel Kiviat, Jordan Hassay, Marty Liquori, Caster Semenya, Rod Dixon, Carl Lewis and Jim Ryun as well as Book Reviews and articles covering meets and races in the Northeast U.S.
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