Maag takes on history

Junior Michael Maag broke the 17-year-old school record in the 3,000-meter run two weeks ago with a time of seven minutes, 56.40 seconds, surpassing some of the greatest runners in Princeton history in the process. A week later, Maag came fractions of a second away from breaking one of the greatest barriers in sports — the famed four-minute mile. Maag crossed the line in 4:00.43, the second-best indoor mile time in Princeton history.

Maag’s previous personal best in the mile was 4:02.40, set last year at the University of Washington’s Husky Classic. His performance at the same meet this year was nearly two seconds faster and moved him up two places on Princeton’s all-time list. Standing atop that hallowed list is the legendary Bill Burke ’91 with a time of 3:58.70, the only sub four-minute mile ever run by a Tiger.

Maag got the best of Burke, however, in the 3,000. Maag eclipsed Burke’s previous school record time of 7:58.66 by more than two seconds. Not surprisingly, Maag set this record at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the Armory Track and Field Center in New York City, where he ran his previous personal best last February.

“The really fun part of running for me right now is toeing the line in a race where you pretty much know all the other guys in the field through times you’ve seen them online or read about them in magazines and being able to mix it up and even beat some of them,” Maag said.

Maag has reached a new plateau in athletic pursuit. In addition to competing against other collegiate runners, he is also running against history. By the end of his collegiate career, his name should hold a revered place in the history of Princeton athletics.

“It’s kind of cool to have a school record at a school that’s over 200 years old,” Maag said. “Racing against history is something I try not to think about too much; it would probably mess with my head if I did.”

Besides dominating on the track, Maag is also a standout on the cross-country course. Three months ago, Maag finished his cross-country season at the NCAA nationals in Terre Haute, Ind. He finished the 10K race in 30:44.50, earning All-America honors. Being a good distance runner, however, does not automatically translate to success on the track, and Maag has had to train hard to make the transition.

“The transition to track just is just a shift from quantity to quality,” Maag said. “I do a little less mileage, focus a little more on keeping the pace a bit more honest, and the workouts are usually shorter and faster.”

“If I did a 20-mile-long run in the fall, I do a 15-17 mile run now. If a core workout was five timed mile repeats in the fall, it’s five timed kilometer repeats now,” Maag added.

Despite having set numerous personal and school records this year, Maag insists that greater goals and accomplishments still lie ahead.

“My goal all year has been to run a really fast 5K,” Maag said. “I want to smoke Cornell at Heps and run well at the NCAA indoor meet, too.”

Surpassing Bill Burke and claiming the elusive four-minute mile are also on the top of Maag’s to-do list.

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“That four-minute mile is still hanging right there,” Maag said. “That time carries instant cred, so it would be a nice one to have. I know I’m ready to do it, it’s just a matter of getting in the right race.”

For a kid born to run, picking a favorite between cross country and track seems to be a nearly impossible choice. His tremendous success in both arenas certainly does not help the matter.

“My usual answer is ‘whichever season I’m in,’ but they’re so different that the change of season is welcome whichever it is,” Maag said. “However, given how well this track season has gone so far, I might have to say track. Then again, that’s basically my original answer, isn’t it?”

In the end, Maag settled for the simplest answer.

“I love running,” Maag said. “Let’s just leave it at that.”