Husband and Wife Track Stars: Alan and Shayne Culpepper

Contents

Daily Camera
29 Jul 1998
Section: SPORTS, Page: 2D
Mike Sandrock, Column: Running

Alan Culpepper busted a personal best in the mile at the U.S. Open Grand Prix track meet over the weekend in Edwardsville, Ill. The meet was billed as a farewell to multi-Olympic track medalist Jackie Joyner-Kerseee.

Culpepper, a former NCAA 5,000 meter champ at the University of Colorado, rebounded from a disappointing showing in the Goodwill Games 5,000 (where he finished eighth) to clock 3:55.12 for the mile. In the process, he beat the last two U.S. mile champs, Jamey Harris and Paul McMullen, and got something even more important - a needed dose of confidence.

"I went back to my old ways of having fun, just being out there and was not worried about having to stick to a plan," Culpepper said. "I was just going out there and racing. It went well."

Culpepper ran even splits for the first three laps, and with 400 meters to go was in last place. He then unleashed a 56-second final 400 meters to pass Harris and several others. "I moved well the last 150 (meters) and passed a bunch of guys," he said. "I'm really pleased. This race really gives me a lot of confidence going back overseas."

Culpepper and his wife, Shayne, have already been over to Europe once this summer, but came back after a few days when races did not materialize. Coach Mark Wetmore would like Culpepper to run a 1,500 meters, a 3,000 and a 5,000 meters in Europe. "It is a case of 'Have spikes, will travel,' said Wetmore. "I am sure Alan has the fitness to run 13:20 (for 5,000) right now. I hope he gets the opportunity to run."

Alan Culpepper Wins Individual Title at USA Cross Country Winter Nationals

13-14 Feb 1999, Tacoma, WA

Goucher, Culpepper Head Cardinal Field

7 May 1999
Boulder Daily Camera
Section: Sports, Page: 6c
By Mike Sandrock

Some serious track racing will be taking place tonight when many of Boulder's best runners compete in the Cardinal Invitational at Stanford University. It should be the fastest meet so far this season, with Adam Goucher, Dan Browne, Mark and Gwyn Coogan, Alan and Shayne Culpepper, Peter Julian, Jason Stewart, Roxanne Bernstein, Art Siemers and Brad Hudson all taking part.

Goucher and Culpepper, winners of the short course and long course U.S. cross country titles in February, will be two of the most-watched runners.

Included in the stacked 10,000 meter field are Coogan, Culpepper, Julian and Hudson, as well as other top Americans Gary Stolz and Ray Appenheimer. Shayne Culpepper will race U.S. 5,000-meter record holder Regina Jacobs in the 800. 

Culpepper will be running just his second 10,000 meters ever. His first, two years ago, was 28:25, second-fastest in the nation in 1997. Culpepper said this week he will be going for the World Championship qualifying time of 28:10. That way, he said, he will not have to worry about turning in a fast time at the U.S. national championships at the end of June in Eugene, Ore. The top three finishers in each event at nationals earn positions on the U.S. team going to the World Championships in Seville, Spain, at the end of August __ but only if they have made the tough qualifying standards. That is sometimes difficult to do at nationals, because the races are often tactical.

Alan Culpepper Runs 7th-Fastest U.S. 10,000

9 May 1999
Daily Camera
Section: Sports, Page: 10c
Camera Staff Report

PALO ALTO, Calif.  Alan Culpepper ran a spectacular 10,000 meters at the Cardinal Invitational Friday night, clocking 27:39.27, the seventh-fastest U.S. time ever. Culpepper, racing just his second track 10k ever, placed second to Bob Kennedy (27:38.37), who was making his track 10k debut.

Culpepper`s wife, Shayne, defeated U.S. 5,000 meter record holder Regina Jacobs in the 800 meters. Culpepper ran 2:03.32 with Jacobs coming in at 2:06.11.

"That is a world-class time by Alan," said Mark Coogan, who was ninth in 28:19, his best time ever. Both Culpepper and Kennedy made the qualifying standard for the World Championships, set for August in Spain, as did Peter Julian, fourth in 28:05.42. The top three finishers at the U.S. track championships at the end of June make the team going to the World Championships.

Shorter High On Future For Culpepper, Goucher

14 May 1999
Boulder Daily Camera
Section: Sports, Page: 2C
By Mike Sandrock

Alan Culpepper`s 27:39.2 clocking for 10,000 meters on the track at Stanford last Friday night "bodes well" for U.S. distance running, says Frank Shorter, the man who was knocked off the all time top-10 U.S. list by Culpepper and race winner Bob Kennedy.

"Both Alan and Adam (Goucher) are training well and running well," Shorter said. "They have had consistency, are training around some good people, and are at the age where we will start seeing good times from them."

Kennedy`s 27:38.3 is sixth on the all-time national list, while Culpepper is now seventh.

Shorter`s response to slipping out of the top-10? "I don`t mind. It has been almost 25 years."

Shorter, fifth in the 1972 Olympic 10,000 meters, ran his best 10k of 27:45.9 back in August 1975 in London.

It appears Culpepper is fit enough to go even faster. He said he "felt within himself" during the race, and had enough left at the end to run his last 200 meters in under 28 seconds. Culpepper made up six seconds on Kennedy on the last lap, nearly all of it in the last 150 meters, said coach Mark Wetmore.

"If the race had been ten thousand and 30 meters, Alan would have had him. He looked real good, real smooth."

In the same meet, Goucher ran 1:49.1 for 800 meters. Goucher will run the mile this weekend in Eugene, Ore.

Culpepper, slow, but sure wins the 10K

25 Jun 1999
The Register-Guard, Eugene, OR
By Bob Rodman

Alan Culpepper's plan from the get-go was to win. It was a good plan. And it worked.

The former Colorado star successfully parlayed a tactical approach with some steady, churning legs to win the men's 10,000 meters as the first day of the four-day USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships drew to a close on Thursday at Hayward Field.

It was a slow race for the crowd of 6,675 to watch. Culpepper won in 28:22.46 as the sun finally outdueled the day's clouds and showers. The world-record time of 26:22.75, set by Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie last year, passed Thursday's field with two laps left to run.

But it was a tough race.

"I had to show my speed," grinned Culpepper, who will be joined on the U.S. team at the World Championships at Seville, Spain, later this summer by Brad Hauser (second in 28:24.32) and Abdi Abdirahman (third in 28:28.26).

Each of the three already had met the qualifying standard of 28:10 for Worlds - Culpepper at 27:39.27, Abdirahman at 28:06.65 and Hauser at 28:08.12.

"My whole focus was on August (21-29 at Seville)," said Culpepper, who won the NCAA 5,000 at Hayward in 1996. "Now, the hardest part will be doing two 10,000s in four days (at the World Championships). I need to get strong enough to do that."

He was strong enough Thursday.

With two laps remaining in the 25-lap test, Abdirahman was the lead runner. With one lap left, Hauser and Culpepper sought to be the front-runners.

"My plan was to win, but I was willing to wait as long as possible (to make a move)," said Culpepper, who emerged as the man to beat with his 27:39 time earlier this year. "But with 500 meters or so left, I knew it was time to go."

He went.

Culpepper, a slender, 6-foot-1 Texan and two-time silver medalist in the 5,000 at nationals, led from the start of the bell lap to the finish line. But it was not easy.

"That last 100 meters was the longest of my life," he said. "I thought he (Hauser) was going to run me down."

It was not from lack of trying that Hauser came up a shade short in his chase of Culpepper.

"I burned up pretty much everything I had early," said Hauser, an NCAA distance champion from Stanford. "I tried to stick with him on that last lap, tried to stay as close as possible ... but then I started to tie up."

But not into a knot.

"The race was pretty slow," he said. "I knew everyone would have some kick left. In the last 600 I gave it some gas, and then Culpepper came around me like I knew he would because he has a great kick.

"But I'm glad I qualified for Worlds."

So they all are.

"My goal was to make the (World) team," said Abdirahman, the Arizona graduate with NCAA credentials. "On the last lap, I told myself I had to sprint, but it's hard to make muscles go fast after going slow for so long."

With one lap remaining, the pack of 12 dwindled in a hurry to five runners, and Culpepper and Hauser began to pull away.

"I didn't take any of the lead duties," Culpepper said, "and that was selfish of me.

"But the last three weeks haven't been my best."

His solution? "I had to take a rest. That helped."

Four-time national champion Todd Williams, hobbled by injuries in recent years, finished eighth though he was in the lead after 2,000 meters. Portland's Pete Julian was the leader at 8,000 meters but finished fifth.

Shayne Culpepper's Third-Place Finish Is Huge

Philadelphia Inquirer
27 Jun 1999
Section: Sports, Edition: D, Page: D14
By Ron Reid, Inquirer Staff Writer

On another successful occasion for athletes with a Philadelphia connection, Shayne Culpepper finished third in the women's 1,500 meters yesterday during the U.S. Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore.

But Culpepper's show-position finish was nothing less than a golden moment that qualified her for the U.S. team that will compete in the world championships in Seville, Spain, in two months.

Culpepper will make the trip with her husband, Alan, who qualified for the men's team two nights earlier with an impressive victory in the 10,000 meters.

Shayne Culpepper, originally from Havertown, ran for Colorado as a collegian and now lives in Boulder, Colo. Though she was never in contention for victory in the 1,500 final - Regina Jacobs took control and held it all the way to the wire - Culpepper staked her claim to a medal with 400 meters to go.

Jacobs got to the wire in a meet-record 4 minutes, 2.41 seconds, the fastest time in the world this season, and Stephanie Best was less than a stride ahead of Culpepper. The timers clocked Best in 4:08.53 and Culpepper in 4:08.69.

Alan Culpepper Going to Sydney; 10,000 Victory Places Runner in Olympics; Wife Shayne, On Brink

15 Jul 2000
Denver Rocky Mountain News
John Meyer, Staff Writer

Alan Culpepper of Superior ran his way onto the Olympic team with a courageous performance in the men's 10,000-meter run Friday night, and his wife, Shayne, moved one step closer to joining him.

Alan Culpepper made up 50 meters in the late stages of the race and finished second by only 0.03 second to Mebrahtom Keflezighi, a UCLA grad and naturalized citizen from Eritrea. Keflezighi's winning time was 28:03.32. Joining him and Culpepper on the Olympic team was Abdihakim Abdirahman, a naturalized citizen from Somalia who ran at the University of Arizona.

Deena Drossin of Alamosa won the women's 10,000 late in the evening in a trials-record 31:51.05.

"First, second or third would have been a victory for me today," Drossin said. "It was almost overwhelming crossing the finish line and feeling so strong in the four laps I decided to take the lead. I'm honored, I couldn't be more ecstatic.

Libby Hickman of Fort Collins finished third and made the team, as well.

Shayne Culpepper easily won her 1,500 heat in 4 minutes, 10:38 seconds to qualify for Sunday's finals. Culpepper 's time was third best, behind Regina Jacobs (4:06.16) and Suzy Favor-Hamilton (4:10.29).

Alan Culpepper , who won the 1999 national 10,000 championship, was happy to make the team but frustrated to finish second to a lunging Keflezighi.

"I won last year, and I feel like I should have won tonight," Alan Culpepper said. "That was my goal. I was glad I was able to not be complacent in second. I wanted to run as hard as I could."

That he did, stirring a crowd that didn't expect to see a photo finish in the longest event of the trials.

"The crowd was just amazing," Culpepper said. "It's never been that loud, ever, and I've run at the world championships."

Shayne Culpepper was in a different situation, trying to hold herself back and save something for Sunday's finals.

"I was just doing what I had to do to win the heat," Shayne Culpepper said. "It felt real easy. I pretty much was confident in my kicking ability, so I figured whatever the pace, I would just sit and wait. I kind of felt like I was holding back."

On paper, Jacobs, a two-time world championships silver medalist, and Favor-Hamilton figure to finish 1-2 Sunday. Culpepper 's times suggest she's the best of the rest, though, and the ease with which she qualified suggests things are coming around according to plan.

"My time coming into this race was a good 3-4 seconds faster than the rest of the field," Culpepper said. "Yeah, anything can happen, and there's always somebody out there that you're not expecting, but I don't foresee anything real surprising happening. I'm glad I'm favored to come in third. It just builds my confidence."

Shayne Culpepper dearly wants to join her husband in Sydney, Australia, but she also is driven by the crushing disappointment of last summer, when she qualified for the world championships by finishing third in the U.S. Outdoor Championships, but tore the plantar fascia in one of her feet 100 meters from the finish and could not compete in the worlds.

It's a bad memory, but it's also motivation.

"That's huge," Shayne said. "Not being able to compete at world championships last year was devastating. That has made me more motivated this year. I've taken my training and racing to a whole new level."

Alan wasn't surprised by his wife's performance.

"I'm excited," Alan Culpepper said. "She's done everything she could possibly do. Her training has gone excellent. My goal for the rest of the weekend is to keep her pumped up and keep her excited because she's going to make the team - I know it."

Maurice Greene, the world record holder in the 100-meter dash, shook off subpar performances in recent European meets and ran an eye- popping time of 9.93 seconds in the first round of qualifying. The semifinals and finals of the 100 will be run today. Greene's time was the fastest of the evening, and the only sub-10-second timing.

"A lot of people thought I came in here not ready to run," Greene said. "Now I'm here to show them I am (ready). Just because I lost a couple of races, that's practice. Now it's showtime."

Ticket to Sydney eludes Shayne Culpepper in Women's 1,500

17 Jul 2000
Denver Post
By John Henderson,Sports Writer

SACRAMENTO - They call it 'the agony of defeat,' but it probably isn't meant to be this agonizing.

The forgettable Kodak moment of these U.S. Olympic track and field trials is this: Boulder's Shayne Culpepper burying her head in the shoulder of husband Alan, sobbing as her dream of joining him in the Sydney Olympics died with her kick in the home stretch of the women's 1,500-meter final.

Slightly favored for the third and final spot Sunday, Culpepper finished fourth.

As the media and fans mobbed third-place Marla Runyan, the legally blind runner who has become a top inspiration story at Hornet Stadium on the Cal State Sacramento campus, nearby away from the mob Culpepper couldn't pry herself from her husband's grasp.

'I'd rather have come in fifth,' she finally said. 'It sucks.'

What went wrong? The kick that has been the Culpeppers' trademark wasn't there when she needed it most. The race basically was for third. Regina Jacobs, silver medalist in the 1,500 at the world championships, and SuzyFavor-Hamilton, a two-time Olympian, were heavily favored to go 1-2. And they did, with Jacobs winning in 4:01.01.

Culpepper stayed back for three-quarters of the race as Colette Liss led a slow pace. Runyan, like Culpepper , was well back waiting to make her move.

'I ran really smart,' said Culpepper , whose husband and former University of Colorado teammate made the Olympic team Friday in the men's 10,000. 'I paced myself well. Maybe it was the heat.'

At the gun lap, Favor-Hamilton and Jacobs took the lead from Liss who faded fast. They separated themselves from the field in the back stretch. Runyan made her move there, getting about a 5-yard lead on Mary Jayne Harrelson and Culpepper .

Runyan wasn't a darkhorse, but she definitely had to overcome some hurdles. And not just her blindness. She injured tendons in her leg June 8 when she tried avoiding a child on a bicycle while running near her home in Eugene, Ore. She couldn't bend her knee and didn't run for five weeks before Friday's first round.

In fact, she barely warmed up. And she had to keep an eye on Culpepper , which naturally isn't easy. As a child Runyan suffered from Stargardt's disease, which deteriorates the retinas and left her blind since age 9. Still, Culpepper was favored for third, injury or not.

'I knew Shayne's an excellent runner and has run well this year, and I wanted to make sure I was in contact with her during the race,' said Runyan, a former high jumper at San Diego State. 'It actually worked out well that I was behind her most of the race, so I could see what was going on. I felt the pace was ideal. It was not too fast. It was the right kind of pace, where I could accelerate when I needed to.'

Runyan shifted gears with 250 meters left and Culpepper and Harrelson took off with her. Then Culpepper got a break. Runyan locked up. She had nothing left. But Culpepper didn't, either, and got no closer. Culpepper nipped Harrelson at the wire, finishing in 4:08.38, 1.94 behind Runyan but only .39 of a second off her lifetime best.

'I was really hoping she wasn't right behind me,' Runyan said. 'So I had a little bit of luck on my side. I kind of had this vision of her and I battling down the straightaway.'

So did Culpepper .

'I thought I had it until 100 to go,' Culpepper said. 'I didn't have as much left as I usually do, especially since it was a slow race.'

Culpeppers' bid for Sydney still alive

21 Jul 2000
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
By Gil LeBreton

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - It may not be the kind of going-for-the-gold experience that the Culpeppers had in mind. But as husband Alan said, "Stranger things have happened."

First, there was fast-finishing Alan Culpepper , kicking down the stretch and nearly overtaking Mebrahtom Keflezighi to win the Olympic Trials' 10,000 meters last Friday night. Then Shayne Culpepper, Alan's wife, was overtaken in the women's 1,500 meters Sunday and finished fourth.

He made the Olympic team. She didn't.

"It was heartbreaking because I know how hard she's worked," Alan said.

To assuage their disappointment, the families of the two went out to dinner Sunday night.

"The best thing to do is be around your family at a time like that," Alan said. "In the realm of things, it's just a track race. We're just running around in circles. It's not the end of the world."

It was Shayne who lightened up the meal by pointing out that, at least, she was "the winner of all the losers."

Nobody made a big deal, as Alan recalled, about the Culpeppers still having their second-best event, the 5,000 meters, to run.

But Shayne ran the next night and finished second in her heat in 15:39.54. And later that same evening, Alan, who says he has no intentions of running in both the 5,000 and 10,000 in Sydney, qualified for the men's 5K finals.

"She still has a chance," Alan reported. "And she says that she felt good."

Alan was born in Fort Worth but, as far as he knows, "I've never lived there." His dad Stan is a former miler for TCU. The family moved to El Paso when Alan was young, but moved back to Fort Worth "about six or seven years ago."

Alan went to high school in El Paso and was an All-American at the University of Colorado. Alan and Shayne now make their home in Boulder, Colo.

The Culpeppers are attempting to become the second husband-and- wife pair to make the U.S. team for Sydney. The first to qualify was Marion Jones and husband C. J. Hunter.

Culpeper Connections Note: Sadly, Shayne placed 7th in the 5,000 meter finals and initially failed to qualify for the Sydney Olympics.

Alan Culpepper Olympic Profile

NBC Olympics.com
September 2000

Alan Culpepper
Team: USA
Sport: Track & Field
Events: 10,000m
Born: September 15, 1972
Birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas
Residence: Boulder, Colorado
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 130 lbs.

Photo finish. With a lap and half to go in the 10,000-meter final at the 2000 Olympic Trials, Alan Culpepper says he knew he would be headed to Sydney. He was solidly in second place, with the trail pack well behind. Catching first-place Mebrahtom Keflezighi, however, seemed unlikely. But with 300 meters to go, Culpepper saw Keflezighi in front, closed his eyes for about 10 seconds and started to make a move. The sold-out Sacramento crowd was so loud, Keflezighi didn’t hear Culpepper coming and Culpepper nearly caught him at the line. It was a photo finish and Culpepper lost by just .03 seconds -- not even the 100-meter final at the trials was that close. Following the race, Culpepper received his medal from the only American man to win an Olympic gold medal in the 10,000, Billy Mills (1964). Culpepper stood on the podium barefoot because his feet were torn up. Qualifying for the 10,000 along with Culpepper and Keflezighi was Abdi Abdirahman, who, like Keflezighi, was born in Africa. When asked after the race if it was significant that two African natives qualified for the U.S. team in the 10,000, Culpepper said, “To me, we’re just three guys who worked hard.”

Running wife. Culpepper has been one of the top American distance runners for the past several years. He won the 10,000-meter national title in 1999 and placed second in the 5000 at the 1997 and 1998 nationals. Culpepper’s wife, Shayne, also is an elite distance runner. After making the Olympic Team in the 10,000, Alan said he would devote the rest of the week to supporting his wife’s bid for an Olympic berth in the 1500. Two days after Alan’s successful attempt, Shayne fell short, finishing fourth in the 1500 final, almost two seconds behind third-place Marla Runyan. Shayne later placed seventh in the 5000. The couple met at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where they ran cross-country and shared a class called “Geography of Africa.” Alan won the 1995 NCAA title in the 5000 and graduated in 1996 with a degree in geography and sociology. Shayne and Alan were married in November 1997 and now own a graphic design business called Culpepper Mill, which, among other things, produces business cards and shirt designs for road races

Shayne Culpepper Qualifies After All

NBC Olympics.com
9 Sep 2000

Shayne Culpepper
Team: USA
Sport: Track & Field
Events: 10,000m
Born: December 3, 1973
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
Residence: Boulder, Colorado
Height: 5-foot-4 1/2
Weight: 112 lbs.

One More Kick. Shayne Culpepper, who finished fourth at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, took the place of Regina Jacobs in the 1500 meters when Jacobs withdrew a week before the Sydney Games because of the effects of a viral infection. Culpepper, favored for the last qualification spot behind Jacobs and Suzy Favor Hamilton, couldn’t produce her trademark kick at the 2000 trials and was passed for third place by Marla Runyan with 250 meters left in the race. Culpepper finished in 4 minutes, 8.38 seconds, 1.94 seconds behind Runyan but only .39 seconds off her lifetime best.

Good Move. Culpepper was a three-time All-American and five-time Big 8 and Big 12 champion at the University of Colorado. She first attended the University of Vermont and became the No. 1 runner there by her sophomore year. However, after working a summer job at a dude ranch near Boulder, Colorado, she decided to transfer to Colorado, where she made the team as a walk-on.

Double Quick. Culpepper met her husband, Alan, who will compete at the Sydney Games in the 10,000, in 1995 when she transferred to Colorado. While she became an All-American at 3000 meters, Alan won an NCAA title at 5000 meters. They were married in November 1997.

Heel Injury. At the 1999 U.S. outdoor championships, Shayne finished third in the 1500 but tore a plantar fascia (a fibrous band that connects the heel to the front of the foot) about 100 meters from the finish. In tremendous pain, she completed the race to earn a spot in the World Championships, but she was unable to compete at worlds because she was still recovering from the injury.

Fort Worth Culpeppers to watch son, daughter-in-law run in Olympics

By Paul Bourgeois
12 Sep 2000
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Page 1, Copyright 2000

FORT WORTH - Stan and Patty Culpepper would need a very good reason to fly halfway around the world - this year the Fort Worth couple has two.

While most of us will be watching the Olympics on television, the Culpeppers will be in Sydney, cheering on son, Alan, and daughter-in- law, Shayne, husband-wife Olympians.

Professional runners, they live in Boulder, Co. Alan has qualified for the 10,000-meter run.

Shayne competes in the 1,500-meter run. She placed fourth in the trials and moved up when one of the top three became ill.

Talking from their home in the City View area, the Culpeppers, both 55, said there was never a question of going if either Alan or Shayne had qualified, regardless of the cost.

"We're just a middle-class couple," said Patty Culpepper, adding that her occupation is "the grandmother."

They're not exactly world travelers. They went to Hawaii once.

"But whatever it cost to get there, we're going," she said.

"Including the flight, it costs about 1,000 bucks a day, not counting food," said Stan, regional manager for a chain of truck stops. "We were talking about going for six days. We may extend it to 12 now that Shayne is getting to run."

"It's been a 15-year goal that Alan has been working toward, and we wouldn't miss it for the world," Patty Culpepper said. Alan, incidentally, will turn 28 on Friday, opening day for the Games.

"He was probably in the seventh or eighth grade that he started dreaming that sometime he might go to the Olympics," Stan Culpepper said. He came in fifth in his event at the trials for the Atlanta Games and didn't make the cut.

They said their son's preliminary event will be Sept. 22. The final in his event will be Sept. 25.

Shayne Culpepper 's first round in the 1,500-meter run is scheduled for Sept. 27. The semifinal will be Sept. 28. The final is set for Sept. 30.

Stan said that it's much like a football game. You can often see it better on television.

"But we don't care," he said. "We want to be there to hug him before and afterwards."

"Just getting there is quite an honor, to be able to represent the United States," Patty Culpepper said. "We feel like they are winners no matter what."

MSNBC.com
SYDNEY, Australia
September 14, 2000

At a tune-up meet on a practice field adjacent to the main Olympic stadium...

"The men’s 3,000 turned into a strange race. The clock did not start until the four runners - all Americans - had run about 200 meters. Then, the first two finishers, Alan Culpepper and Adam Goucher, were disqualified because they ran with an illegal pacesetter, steeplechaser Tony Cosey, for part of the race. Cosey rested near the 200-meter mark for two laps, then resumed running, rested again for two laps, then ran again before stopping for good. The officials then declared Nick Rogers, who finished far behind Culpepper and Goucher, as the winner. His time of 7:45.47 obviously was incorrect because of the late-starting clock."

Alan Culpepper out of the 10,000.
Superior runner sick about race

By John Meyer, Denver Post Sports Writer
23 Sep 2000
Denver Post, Rockies, Page D-10, Copyright 2000

SYDNEY, Australia - One of the most heartbreaking scenes at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in July was the image of Alan Culpepper consoling his sobbing wife, Shayne, after she missed qualifying for the Sydney Games in the women's 1,500-meter run by only 1.94 seconds.

The roles were reversed for the Superior couple at 110,000-seat Olympic Stadium.

Alan Culpepper came here in the best shape of his life. But five days before the first round of the men's 10,000, he came down with the Sydney crud that seems to be sweeping the Athletes Village. Severely hampered by the congestion in his chest, Culpepper finished last in his heat and failed to qualify for the final.

Long after other runners composed themselves and moved on, Culpepper was bent over in despair, head in hands. Shayne tearfully hugged and consoled him, speaking in his ear.

'This morning I was hacking and hacking,' Alan Culpepper said later. 'It's in my chest. I did everything I could to get well. I've been on antibiotics for five days. This was absolutely the best I could have done, as sad as that might seem. I just couldn't breathe.'

It actually was a fairly heroic performance. Culpepper ran a fraction of a second over 29 minutes, an impressive time for someone so sick.

'I was in the best shape of my life,' said Culpepper, who is coached by Colorado's Mark Wetmore and trains in Boulder with 5,000- meter standout Adam Goucher, a former CU star. 'My progression of workouts and my progression of fitness from the trials to now has been unbelievable. You can talk to Wetmore, talk to Goucher - anyone who was around me knows that. I was in the best shape of my life.

'I knew I was in under-27:39 shape. I know I would have run better than 29-flat (healthy).'

Travelers to these Olympics were warned that it is the flu season in Australia, which is just coming out of winter. Several American athletes, including Amy Rudolph, Monique Hennagan and Jen Rhines, have been sick. Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey, who pulled up in his men's 100 heat, has been ill as well, though he also was injured.

'These are people who haven't gotten sick in three years, and I know 10 of them who are sick,' Culpepper said. 'We (athletes) don't get sick. We do everything right so we don't get sick.'

Shayne Culpepper, who was named to the U.S. team in the 1,500 two weeks ago after Regina Jacobs withdrew, also has a chest cold and has been taking antibiotics. Her next race isn't until Wednesday.

'Every bus I get on, everywhere I turn, someone was coughing on me,' Alan Culpepper said. 'The village is too many people, too close together. You just get exposed to all sorts of different things you're not used to. It's just really unfortunate. I just wish I had two, three more days.'

Mom at one TV, Dad at another, daughter Shayne Culpepper in Sydney

28 Sep 2000
St. Petersburg Times, STATE, Page 1, Copyright 2000

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Susan Wille of East Lake was working at Mease Dunedin Hospital while WFLA-TV Ch. 8 showed her daughter, Shayne Culpepper, warming up for a qualifying heat in the women's 1,500-meter run in the Sydney Olympics.

Mrs. Wille, a labor and delivery nurse, asked co-workers to watch her patients for a few minutes and sprinted to the lounge. She switched on the TV and there was Culpepper, "looking fabulous" and not even appearing nervous.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Wille's husband, Dean, had inserted a blank tape in the VCR at their home. Because Culpepper was the only American in the heat, "they focused on her and did a lot of close-ups of her," Mrs. Wille saidand added she was happy because she has not seen her daughter since June.

Then came the big moment. Mrs. Wille watched as her daughter finished with a time of 4 minutes, 12.52 seconds. Culpepper, an alternate on the U.S. team, came in ninth, which means she did not qualify to go any further in these Olympics.

"Initially, we were disappointed," Mrs. Wille said. "But she called after the race and said, 'I'm happy with my time. I wasn't in the best of shape because I didn't expect to run.' Once she was happy, we were happy."

Shayne's husband, Alan Culpepper, finished 17th in his men's 10,000- meter heat with a time of 29 minutes, 0.71 seconds. That means he will tour Australia for a week with his wife instead of running more races. Despite the race results, Mrs. Wille said ''It was really an honor to be a parent of an Olympic runner."

Culpepper Ancestry

Alan Culpepper is the son of Stan Culpepper, son of Rayford (and Alma) Culpepper, son of John Asbury (and Fairy) Culpepper, son of James Houston Culpepper, son of John A. Culpepper, son of Burrell Smith Culpepper, son of Joel Culpepper, son of Rev. War soldier Benjamin Culpepper of SC.