Josh Cox has successfully transitioned from professional runner to agent. The 50K American record holder now represents a stable of athletes that includes Kate Grace, Desi Linden, and the majority of the Northern Arizona Elite training group. That transition makes sense for Cox, because when he was a professional marathoner, he was a master at maximizing publicity. Probably the apex of that publicity was Cox's appearance on season three of "The Bachelorette."

He was first asked to apply to appear on the ABC show in late 2003, but demurred and focused instead on training for the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials. "I was running 140 mile weeks at the time. Trying to make the team was my entire life," Cox said. After he finished seventh at the '04 Trials, he got an email from a producer that asked, "You didn't make the team--how about making the video?"

Cox said his three older sisters persuaded him to make a "super overtly cheesy" audition video, and from there, Cox was interviewed by producers and cast on the show. He filmed in fall 2004 instead of running the New York City Marathon as initially planned, and the season aired in January and February of 2005. Cox agreed to talk to us about his experience on the show before tonight's season finale.

How much running were you able to do when you were filming the show?

Before I even decided if I was going to go on, I talked to my sponsors. I ran it by my shoe company and all of my sponsors--Powerbar and all the way down the list of my four sponsors at the time. I asked all of them if they would rather I run the New York City Marathon that fall or go on the show, and all of them said, "Go on the show."

The producers asked me what I would need when I was there before I started. I said that all I needed was to be able to run twice a day. They shot that down. So I asked for just 90 minutes in the morning. Even if we have a 5AM call time, can I leave the house at 3:30 to go run? I wouldn't even be doing it for my job, just for my sanity. And they said sure, no problem.

But when I got there, the first rose ceremony lasted literally eight hours. The sun started coming up near the end! One dude passed out because we were standing there for so long.

So after that first night, we all went back to our hotel--before we all moved into a double brownstone together--and slept a little bit because it was already daytime. And then we were told we were not able to leave at all! They confiscate your cell phone, you can't read books, and there's no TV because they want you interacting.

I went to the producers and said I thought I was going to run, but they said it's not going to happen. So Stu and I were on the deck, and I was jumping rope, just trying to get in some sort of semblance of a workout. I go into the bathroom and shower up after. The rules were, if there were two people in the bathroom, a camera crew could come in, though they have a camera in there anyway.

I'm showering, and another guy comes in to shave. A producer comes in, and I put my towel on. She asks me, "When Jen comes over for the group date, we want you to answer the door with your shirt off." I had no problem taking my shirt off, I'd been running around San Diego my whole life with my shirt off. But I'd only spent five minutes with her and this would be the second time I'd ever met her and I'd be answering the door like (lowers voice five octaves), "Hey, welcome." I'm not doing that--it's totally absurd.

She then says, "I talked to the other producers. If you're willing to answer the door with your shirt off, we'll give you the 90 minutes in the morning to go run."

So I answered the door with my shirt off. And I got the 90 minutes in the morning to run. It was a no-brainer.

How real is the show? I've read that the producers just try to get everyone drunk and stir up as much drama as possible.

The first night, they put me in a limo with four other guys and they kept us in there with a fully stocked bar for three hours before they drove us up to the house. I drank like half a beer because I didn't want to be "that guy."

Our limo was pretty tame. But certainly, guys were getting totally lit in other limos. They would ask us what our favorite drinks were, and they would go buy it and keep it stocked. Everyone made a list and they kept it fully stocked--they want the drama.

One time, two weeks in or so, a producer asked, "Are you in love with Jen?"

I laughed, "I've barely spent 20 minutes with her alone--not there yet!"
"Well, do you think you could fall in love with her?"
"Honestly, I have no idea."
"Well, tell us what you're looking for?"

I went on about characteristics I wanted and finished with, "When I meet the woman I'm going to be with forever, I'm going to fight for her heart every day. Do I know if Jen's that person? Absolutely not."

When it aired they played the entire quote but cut off the final word--which, you know, changed the meaning just a bit!

I hosted viewing parties at my house with four other guys from the show and a hundred or so others. When that aired I was like, "I said NOT! Absolutely NOT!" The guys were dying laughing. I thought it was funny too--served me right for talking so much.

At the rose ceremony, she would say two names and then go downstairs for ten minutes. The producers would say, everyone look forward at Chris. Keep looking at the roses like Jen is there and do not talk to each other. So when we'd inevitably talk to each other, they'd say "Hey, so and so, don't talk." And you'd react negatively by looking at the ground, or rolling or eyes or whatever. What they were really doing was capturing your facial expressions and reactions.

So in editing, they're going to pit you against somebody else. From the very first time they give someone else a rose, they show you shaking your head. They did it to me--and I was like, I didn't even meet that guy that night, but we ended up having a conflict. From the very first go, it was me shaking my head at this French guy Fabrice.

They're just there to tell a story, and that's what you sign. It was like a 20-page contract that you sign, and it says that they can portray you how they want, and edit whatever you say.

I'm still friends to this day with like five guys from the show, some of them have been in my wedding and I've been in theirs. It's super cool to be able to forge these friendships with guys you otherwise would have never met. They get thousands of guys that apply to be on the show and the producers have their pick of some pretty unique individuals. Not all of them are driven, super type-A achievers, but the vast majority of them are.

Is there anyone in the track and field world who would make a good 'Bachelor' or 'Bachelorette' contestant?

The biggest thing is you need to be have a big personality. I know Nick Symmonds was potentially talking about it a while back. I thought he would be a good person to go on.

There's a large handful of men and women. I don't want to ruffle any feathers.

I think Centro or Emily Infeld would be super entertaining. Kate Grace would also be fun since she's smart, pretty and introspective. But she is happily dating Patrick, so hold off on pitching, producers!

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

Watch Cox work out with Ryan Hall in a 2008 Workout Wednesday: