Central Oregon is full of great sporting events and amazing athletes, otherwise this site would serve no purpose. When it comes to runners in Bend, it is clear who the king is… Max King! King was just named USA Track and Field “Athlete of the week.” He just set a course record on his way to winning the USA Marathon Trail Championships on Saturday in Ashland Oregon.

The Crater high school graduate and Cornell alum resides in Bend and if he’s entered in a local race, then it has been a race for second place. Among the local races he’s won this year are; Xterra Nationals (21K), Dirty Second Half (half marathon) and the Sunrise to Summit (race up Mt. Bachelor). He took 18th in the New York City Marathon this month. His racing accomplishments are vast, including representing the USA at the World Cross Country Championships. He was kind enough to answer a few questions for COA:

COA: What is your favorite workout in Central Oregon?
MK: For the marathon recently I started doing 3Xmile in Drake at 4:50 pace, 10mile tempo run at 5:20 or so out Century Dr, 3Xmile back in Drake as fast as my dead legs would carry me.

COA: Is there any particular area or trail that you log the most miles on in Bend?
MK: Well, I get in a lot of miles on the river trail both off 1st street and the south loop because that makes a great 10mile loop from work to home. So that gets a lot of use. But really I like to vary the trails I run on as much as I can so I don’t get bored.

COA: What has been your greatest running moment so far?
MK: Hard to say, but probably it was achieving all-American my senior year. It was a long, rough, injury plagued season and I saved my best race for last. It was one of those moments when everything just came together.

COA: Any specific running goals in the near future?
MK: Well I’m dabbling in Ultras so this year is going to be geared toward Western States 100 and doing well there. In the short term I’d like to make the World XC team this year as well.

COA: How was your experience in the New York Marathon?
MK: NY was quite a thrill and a big learning experience. It was great to culminate a big training cycle with almost a good race, a good 20miles anyway, and know that I can run much faster.

COA: When did you get into running and did you enjoy it from the start?
MK: I started running in 7th grade because my coordination with a basketball or baseball bat rivals that of a chimp, no offense to them of course. So I ran. I didn’t always enjoy it but it was what I had and now I really do enjoy all aspects of it, easy long runs in the woods, hard grueling workouts that really test me, and just getting out for a social run with friends.