"Good Guys Take a Long Time to Die"
Chris Derrick Story, post-NCAA


Every runner has a motto or a quote that helps them approach that day when the gun goes off for the big race. For former Stanford superstar Chris Derrick, one quote that stuck with him from his early running days is a message that Hakon Devries told him as a young college freshman, “Good guys take a long time to die.” As Derrick closes his collegiate career, arguably one of the most successful college running careers in history, he reflects on the process and his last race wearing the Cardinal red.

“I think it is a very dangerous thing as an athlete to focus on the big picture too much before a race. I've always believed the best thing you can do is ‘focus on the process’ as Coach Dunn is always saying,” Derrick said after being asked about his approach to the 10k at NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Almost two weeks ago, Derrick’s college running career ended at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships where he was favored to win the 10k and finally earn his first championship title. The race came down to the final three of Stephen Sambu, Cam Levins, and Derrick battling for every inch of the last 400 meters. Levins of Southern Utah would be the one to emerge with the victory, followed by Sambu, and Derrick in 3rd place. It was not the ideal storybook ending for the graduating senior, who put all of his eggs in the 10k basket for the championship.

“I think I probably ran the style of race that I should have. The longer drive for home has always been my strength and I wanted to play to my strength. I think that something like 64-61-58 would have been good enough to win in the last 3 laps (or maybe not), but I tried to do something along those lines. I just didn't have it physically or mentally and I can only blame myself for that. Either way I think that Cam has shown that if the pace is even up until the last lap, he has the superior burst,” said Derrick on wondering whether he ran the race that gave him the best opportunity to win.

Looking back on the past four years, to say that Derrick has had an amazing run at Stanford is an understatement. His resume includes 14-time All American, four consecutive top seven finishes at the NCAA cross-country championships, school record holder in the 10,000, and two-time USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Men's Scholar Athlete of the Year, among many other honors. Although Derrick has had numerous accolades during his running career, he has never won an NCAA title, and many would consider him to be the best collegiate runner to never win an NCAA title. This last race marked the end of an era for a true team contributor to the Stanford distance program.

“If there is one thing that I have prided myself on in my running career is always putting aside how I'm feeling and focusing on delivering my best effort. To not do that in my last collegiate race is shameful,” Derrick said explaining how his plantar fascia issues affected his mental state during the race.

His college racing days may be over, but Derrick will embark on the post-collegiate running journey starting with the Olympic Trials on June 22nd. Since graduating on Sunday, Derrick has signed with Dan Lilot of Aurum Sports Group, who also represents Dathan Ritzenhein, Kara Goucher, and Garrett Heath.

For the first step in his post-collegiate career, Derrick plans on racing the 10,000 and possibly the 5,000, depending on the outcome of the 10,000 final this Friday at the Trials. In 2012, Derrick posted personal bests of 27:31 in the 10,000 and 13:19 in the 5,000, both times hitting the Olympic “A” standard for each event. With the race quickly approaching, Derrick finds his strength by reflecting on lessons learned during his college career.

“Focus on the process’ and ‘good guys take a long time to die’ pretty much sum up it up. If you add in ‘consistency and moderation’ you basically have all of my running beliefs summed up in 15 words. I'm also imagining that the trials are going to be a bit of a sufferfest so I'll be thinking about some of my tougher races and just trying to take strength from knowing I've made it through those without dying.”