Joe Klecker鈥檚 (BioChem鈥20) mom made the 1992 Olympic team. His dad holds the U.S. 50-mile ultramarathon record. His five siblings run. Running is in his blood.
鈥淚 have this wristband I made in 8th grade,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd I put my high school [running] goals on it.鈥 A 4:05 mile. An 8:50 two-mile.
He broke both of these marks, earning him Minnesota Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year. CU 麻豆影院 presented new challenges 鈥 biochemistry and Division I competition. He contemplated the next half-decade.
鈥淚 was stubborn, trying to always work harder,鈥 Klecker said. 鈥淸Coaches] Mark [Wetmore] and Heather [Burroughs] put my redshirt in perspective: Do you think you鈥檒l be a better runner now or in five years? I listened to them.鈥
Klecker has since become one of the NCAA鈥檚 best distance runners. He also began mentoring teammates, like transfer standout Alec Hornecker (Fin鈥21), and emphasized restarting CU鈥檚 Pac-12 Cross Country championship streak.
Wetmore joked about Klecker鈥檚 offseason leadership: 鈥淗e will murder [teammates] if they come back out of shape.鈥
He runs 100 miles a week in the summer, including 20-mile treks up to Gold Hill and speed work for end-of-race sprints. But Klecker learned that fitness only goes so far.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about being a tactician,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou have to pay attention to the metrics: your heart rate, breathing, how you鈥檙e feeling.鈥
Though the 5,000-meter is Klecker鈥檚 favorite event, he鈥檚 an elite miler. He ran 3:58:51, breaking the four-minute mark, at 2019鈥檚 MPSF Championships in Seattle. At the 2020 Colorado Invitational, he ran 4:01:00, the fastest mile ever run in the state.
In May, Klecker announced he鈥檚 forgoing his additional year of spring eligibility, heading pro and will compete at the eventual Tokyo Olympic trials. Until then, he鈥檚 finishing his dental school application.
鈥淓ventually when I鈥檓 done running, that鈥檚 the career I want to go into,鈥 he said. 鈥淟ike running, it鈥檚 a family thing.鈥
Photo courtesy CU Athletics
