Interview with Macharia Yuot

By Sabrina Tillman

Macharia Yuot, 25, has a proclivity for overcoming obstacles that originated as a survival instinct during his childhood. One of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Yuot was separated from his family and forced to walk nearly 1500 miles through Ethiopia and Kenya over the course of three years before being airlifted by the U.S. government and transplanted to America. Yuot ended up living with a foster family in Philadelphia, where he attended high school, learned to speak English, and began running for the school’s track team.

Yuot blossomed as a runner while attending Widener University, where he is studying social work and has won five NCAA Division III titles, including a remarkable three-day span in 2006 where he won the 5000 meters, 10,000 meters, and 3000-meter steeplechase. Yuot is focusing now on the marathon distance: After a sixth-place debut (2:25:39) at the Philadelphia Marathon in November—incredibly, the day after that steeplechase victory!—Yuot hopes to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon (also contingent upon his being awarded U.S. citizenship) at Grandma’s Marathon on June 16. He finished 13th in 29:49 at the Healthy Kidney 10K in New York City on May 19. Mensracing.com spoke to Yuot after that race.

MensRacing.com: What are your thoughts about running in New York?
Macharia Yuot: I’ve never raced in Central Park before. I think the quality of the race is different—I didn’t get the time I wanted to, but at least I was challenged. I like it, though—you can’t get good without being challenged by competitors, by your coach, by yourself, sometimes by the weather. I might come back [to New York] soon. It depends on how things go this year and how things are going to work out with my racing—I want to see if I can qualify for the Marathon Trials because you need at least a 5:25 pace per mile to compete.

MR: How did you feel today, running with the other elite athletes in the Healthy Kidney field?
MY: A race like this is a mind game. It’s better when you have people who are a little faster than you so you can try to reach out and stay close to them, so you can have someone to look for that can help you run a better race. I didn’t get the quality of time that I was looking for, but you can’t have a good race every day. I was hoping to get a good time—it depends how you place. The time I got today wasn’t my best time, but this was a good turning point for me for the races I’ll be doing in June. I enjoyed the challenge today, and I think it will help me focus better.

MR: How does the running community in New York compare to what you’re accustomed to?
MY: I didn’t know much about the running in New York—when I used to think about New York, I would think about downtown, and I thought, wow, how can people train here? When I came to New York last March, I saw that there are a lot of people in New York that use running to stay fit and healthy. I think almost everybody here is friendly, and it feels like they’re connected. I think it’s a good place to run—the marathon is big here, and that is such a good atmosphere to be around. So when I come here, I know I’m going to have a good time; the people are very nice. We really like the way things are set up here; I really like the NYRR staff.

I’d like to come back for some more races, and maybe for the NYC Half-Marathon [Presented by NIKE] in August, and maybe the following year for the 8K. I was here for the Men’s 8K Championships in March, but, because of the delay from the ice and snow, I couldn’t stay in town to compete.

MR: What are you doing to prepare for Grandma’s?
MY: I have to increase mileage—you can’t just show up; you have to be prepared. You have to prepare mentally for the challenge. You have to be prepared for whatever might come your way.

MR: You’ve raced a number of distances while at Widener—do you have a preferred race distance?
MY: I did various distances in college to improve and gain experience, but now I’m focusing on the 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon. I didn’t get the chance to do many road races in college because I was so focused on track, but now it’s my chance.

MR: Have you graduated yet, and if not, when will you graduate?
MY: I’m still taking some classes, but I’m getting close to finishing.

MR: Do you think that everything you’ve had to endure growing up, then coming to a new country, has helped make you a better runner?
MY: I would say yes, because running is a lot about overcoming challenges, and, like you said, I had to overcome a lot of challenges in my life.

MR: Do you miss your homeland? Do you hope to return someday to reunite with your family?
MY: I do miss home, but I’m a different person now, and it’s a good thing. I miss home, but it’s not like I’m sitting here doing nothing. I would like to go back, but I need to focus on training—it’s what helps me overcome challenges. Going back is something I would like to do, but it’s not something I want to put ahead of what I’m trying to accomplish now. There are a lot of races coming up, so I need to focus on one thing at a time.

MR: What is your ultimate goal for this year?
MY: I’m just catching up with my training now, so I want to see what happens for now. I learn from every race, so I need to focus and see where the next race takes me. You have to focus on things day by day and see where things go.

MR: You’re currently going through an application process to obtain U.S. citizenship, correct?
MY: Yes—right now we’re just waiting. If it does work out, I can potentially come back to New York to compete in the Olympic Trials.

MR: Running here today has given you a glimpse of a part of the Olympic Trials marathon course. Do you feel good about that?
MY: Yes, and it gives me something to think about because you can’t run a four-something pace with these hills.

Interview conducted May 19, 2007, and posted on June 6, 2007.