Jeff Benjamin wrote this piece on Sam Prakel and focused his attention on him USATF Indoor Championshipswhich will take place from February 28 to March 1, 2026. Jeff is the lead writer RunBlogRun: and: RunningNetwork:. RunBlogRun will be covering USATF Indoor LIVE Larry Eder and: Jeff Benjamin and: Daghestan Islam.
To say that Sam Prakel is pretty consistent is quite the understatement.
It seems that no matter what the championship, the adidas-sponsored middle distance runner always runs the line, as evidenced by his professional record over the past 8 years.
Prakel will compete in both the 3,000 and 1,500 next weekend at the USATF Indoor National T&F Championships at Ocean Breeze here in Staten Island.
1) How is your training going?
Sam Prakel. “My training went well this indoor season. Every year I try to refine my training to get closer to the perfect balance of intensity and recovery, and I feel like this season I’ve found a routine that works really well for me. We have a great group of professionals here in Seattle that train. Andy Powell, so I was able to have some great sessions with Joe Waskom, Nathan Greene and Sam Ellis. I also run a lot of easy runs with my wife, Cathy, so it’s made the training really enjoyable.”
2) I would think that after the indoor season, this is the outdoor season for records and personal bests; do you agree?
Sam Prakel. “Even without the World Outdoor Championships this year, there are still many opportunities in the sport. I plan to target USATF road mile and: 5k Championship in the spring before going on the USATF tour and some meets in Europe. The goal is always the limits and running fast, so I’m excited to chase some personal bests without the pressure of peaking for the US. That being said, I am excited to return to New York in July for USA Outdoors and compete for a national title.”
3) As a frequent visitor here now, how do you like the Ocean Breeze facility?
Sam Prakel. “I love the Ocean Breeze track. I ran there for the first time at the 2019 US Indoor Champs and have enjoyed every Staten Island experience since. Ocean Breeze is a great platform for world-class athletics and a beautiful place to run.”
Albuquerque, New Mexico 2023-02-17
photo © 2023 Kevin Morris
4) With all the changes in the sport after you’ve been competing for over a decade – super shoes, nutrition, carbs – how do you still stay sharp and motivated?
Sam Prakel. “It’s been crazy to see the level and depth of performance grow so quickly since I started running. I would say that I’m motivated by seeing so many people run fast and knowing that if I work hard and stay consistent, I have a chance to do the same.”
Albuquerque, New Mexico 2023-02-17
photo © 2023 Kevin Morris
5) Anything else you would like to add?
Sam Prakel. “Just a big thank you to all the track fans who are following and watching the indoor champs this weekend. The sport is really fun to watch right now, so hopefully the fans can enjoy some good racing this year.”
