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Meg Hogan enters the homestretch during the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Who is the best collegiate distance runner you’ve never heard of? The George Washington University’s Meg Hogan would be a strong contender for that distinction. Hogan was certainly one of the NCAA’s fastest distance runners who didn’t run at the NCAA Championships this past spring. Her absence from the NCAA meet had nothing to do with a lack of a qualifying performance and everything to do with the fact that GW does not officially sponsor track & field.*

Hogan, however, had a fabulous track season. In February of 2010, she won the Virginia Tech Challenge 5,000 by more than a minute in a PR of 16:09.54. She went on to with the ECAC Indoor 5,000m title in 16:18.10 in early March, followed that up with a huge personal best of 32:34.95 10,000 at the Stanford Invitational, finishing fifth in a race won by Lisa Koll, who set the collegiate record of 31:18.07. Hogan’s only loss of the season to collegians other than Lisa Koll came at the Penn Relays, where she ran 16:12.10 to finish a close third behind Stony Brook’s Holly Van Dalen and Villanova’s Amanda Marino.

Hogan’s best race of the season, however, came in June at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Lap after lap, the lead pack consisted of four professional runners, one collegian on the verge of signing a professional contract (Koll) and Hogan. This prompted comments on Twitter, even among those who follow the sport closely, along the lines of, “Who?!” Those who weren’t familiar with Hogan’s accomplishments wondered who she was, how she was hanging in there, and how long she would last. Hogan dropped off when the race really heated up, but she made herself known at the top level, finished sixth in 32:52.84, and showed agents and shoe company representatives that they better be paying attention next November when she competes in her final collegiate race. Hogan finished 27th at the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships after taking a hard fall early in the race, and will look to finish significantly higher in 2010.

The most interesting part of Hogan’s story, and the biggest indicator of her future potential, perhaps, is the fact that she did not do any competitive running until her sophomore year of college — the fall of 2007. Growing up, Hogan focused the majority of her athletic attention on basketball. The Ballston Spa, New York native attended Saratoga Central Catholic School, just up the road from Saratoga Springs High School, which is known for producing star distance runners.

Hogan’s first season of running, at Mount Ida College in Massachusetts, was solid, but if you didn’t know she was new to running, you probably wouldn’t have known that there was a future star in your midst. This reporter, for one, was at several of Hogan’s meets that season and, frankly, did not notice her 69th place finish at the New England Division III Regional (23:19 for 6k) or her 35th place finish at the ECAC Division III Cross Country Championships (24:17 for 6k). One year and one school later, however, she finished 96th at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, and that was just the beginning of Hogan’s rapid rise.

We caught up with Hogan via email in July.

*Hogan’s coach, Brian Beil, has since learned that it may be possible for an athlete in this position to petition in to the NCAA meet, noting that Oregon State had a high jumper compete at the NCAA Championships, and Oregon State does not officially sponsor men’s track & field. Under NCAA rules, athletes at a Division I school that sponsors cross country but not track and field can compete in track meets, paid for by the school, on a limited basis.

Tell us about your basketball background, and did you do other sports, too?

I have been playing basketball since I was 10 years old. I was also a soccer player, and I was an Irish dancer. I was very serious about basketball; I played fall ball at the same time as soccer, summer league, AAU basketball in the spring and, of course, regular season in the winter. I practiced all the time! I was a point guard, mostly because I was short and quick and was a good three-point shooter. I moved up to varsity as a freshman in high school and I was recruited to play at the Division III level at Mount Ida College. I went to basketball camps — including Siena Basketball Camp — five years in a row. I was obsessed.

Did you run at all in high school? When did you first realize that you had talent for running?

I did not run in high school. I actually never ran; the only associations I had with running were suicides at basketball practice and Indian runs at soccer practice. My high school actually had neither a cross country team or a track team. I went to a small Catholic school in Saratoga Springs, New York. When I started running my sophomore year of college, I realized I had a talent for running and I also fell in love with the sport.

Are there other runners or great athletes in your family?

My dad ran cross country when he was in high school and he is now getting back into it. He plans on running a marathon next year. Other than that, my brother is a good soccer player.

What made you initially decide to attend Mount Ida College?

Since I was 12, I wanted to go into Interior Design, not interior decorating [laughs]. I always like to point out that distinction. They had one of the best Interior Design schools in the country and I also went because I could play basketball there.

What made you decide to transfer to George Washington, and did running play any role in that?

One of my best friends went to GW, she was a year ahead of me. My freshman year, I went out to visit her and I fell in love with GW. I think GW is the perfect balance between being a campus and being a part of the city. I loved Washington, DC, too. It was my first time being there.

Towards the end of my freshman year, I started to realize how much Mount Ida was the wrong school for me. It was just the wrong fit and I went there for all the wrong reasons. That’s when I decided to get into running. The cross country team at Mount Ida needed people and I thought it would be a great way to stay in shape for basketball. That summer I ran road races, trail races, I had no idea how to train, no idea. I was just running, and I loved it. Then I entered my first cross country season feeling excited and competitive. I won my first three races and continued to have a great season after that.

Unfortunately, I was still really unhappy at Mount Ida and the only thing that was still keeping me there was the great Interior Design program. I talked to my parents about it and they were really supportive of my decision to transfer to another school. I thought, ‘If I had to go any school in the country right now, which would it be?’ I absolutely loved GW and they had an accredited Interior Design program. I knew I really wanted to keep running, though, so I thought I would just shoot the coach an email and see if he was interested…and he was! Now the rest is history.

What made you choose a school that officially sponsors cross country but not track?

I chose GW mostly for the school, my life wasn’t centered around running back then like it is now. Also, I was still such a rookie to the sport. At Mount Ida, we only had cross country and I didn’t know the difference…I guess I thought it was normal.

Do you think that not having a track program at GW has held you back at all?

I actually don’t think it held me back too much. I was still able to compete at some major races. I think the only down side would be the inability to compete at NCAAs, which I hear isn’t true anymore.*

What, if any, do you think are the advantages to a “cross country only” college program?

I think some advantages to a cross country only college, for me, is that you can still run track but not have the added pressure of being in season. There is a lot more freedom in that if I’m not feeling ready for a race, it’s not a big deal, I’ll just run in the next meet. Also, you are running for yourself, really, for your pride and your goals. You are mostly on your own. It can be difficult at times because you have to be strong mentally, but coming from someone who can easily get psyched out, I think it has made me a stronger person and a stronger runner.

How has your mileage progressed over the years, and how have you been able to increase it relatively quickly and remain healthy?

My first year of running I had no idea what I was doing, I was just running. When I transferred to GW, I jumped into high mileage and got injured. I think that’s when I learned how to take care of myself and ease into high mileage.

What’s a typical training week like for you? Do you do much supplemental work (conditioning/weights, crosstraining)?

Typical weeks are Mondays and Wednesdays 8-10 miles followed by weight training. Tuesdays and Fridays are workout days with a morning workout and an evening 30-minute run. Thursdays and Saturdays are 8-10 miles and Sundays are long runs. My coach will have us do pool workouts, which I dread! I am really not a fan of crosstraining, I get really bored. I am a terrible swimmer and I think that’s why I don’t like pool workouts.

Do you train with the other women on your team, and do you ever hop in with the men?

I don’t really train with the women on my team, I will sometimes jump in workouts with the guys, but for the most part, I do my workouts by myself. Sometimes my coach will do a workout with me.

What are your goals for the cross country season?

This coming cross country season I would like to lead my team to top three at our conference meet, help Jessica Stern (one of my teammates) qualify for nationals, and I also hope to be top three at nationals. Last year I fell at nationals, which was a little disappointing because even though I was All-American, I know I could have placed better.

What are you up to this summer?

I am training for cross country, of course, but besides that, I spend all my time working. I am a host at a restaurant in DC and I also have an internship at an architecture firm once a week, because I’m taking an internship course right now. It’s a very busy summer!

Do you plan to focus on the 10k in the future, or having you considered going longer and branching out to racing on the roads?

I do plan to continue racing the 10k but I am also interested in moving to marathons in the future. I really love the marathon, I think it’s a great race.

Do you ever race on the roads during the spring semester or in the summer?

I normally don’t unless I am pacing for someone or using it as a tempo workout. I think I might run a road race or two in August and use them as a workout. I love road races; they are always fun.

In what area are you getting a graduate degree, and have you started the program yet? Do you plan to finish it?

I am getting my graduate degree in Interior Design, I start the program in September. I do plan on finishing it, but who knows! It’s a two-year program but if a pro team with a great deal wants to sign me when my eligibility is over, I have no idea what I will decide! I guess I will just cross that bridge when I get to it.

Is a professional running career something you hope to pursue full time after you finish your education?

That is something I hope to pursue, I don’t know what my options are, I am still a rookie to running so I guess I’ll see what happens when my eligibility is up! All I am sure about is that I definitely want to continue running after college at the elite level.

Do you plan to remain in DC after graduation, or have you considered going elsewhere?

I am staying in DC for now. The graduate program is two years and I have eligibility this coming year. I would prefer to finish out my graduate degree and stay in DC for the next two years, but I am up for anything! After two years, I would love to go to the West coast, like Oregon or the San Francisco area, or even back to the Northeast where I am from, but I would even consider leaving the country, so I really am up for anything!

What are your ultimate goals in your career both in and out of running?

My ultimate goals are to continue running to the best of my ability, that’s all I can ask. To also continue having a career on the side is something that I would love to do. I want to be happy and healthy, and also eventually get married and have children.

I’ve seen a couple of things suggesting that you are a huge ice cream fan. Is this indeed true? And if so, who makes the best ice cream, and what is their best flavor?

It is! I have had a every Ben and Jerry’s flavor! Ben and Jerry’s definitely makes the best ice cream. I like all their ice creams but I tend to choose flavors that have chunks of cookie dough or something like that. I have a two favorites, first is Cinnamon Buns, which is amazing for obvious reasons, the cinnamon bun cookie dough is ridiculously good. Then, if I want a fruit flavor, I pick Magic Brownies, the Dave Matthews flavor, which is a black raspberry ice cream with fudge brownies. I think a part of me loves that flavor due to my love for Dave Matthews. Ice cream is one of my obsessions, I have a pint of ice cream after every race.

Interview posted July 31, 2010.

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