Collegiate Times

Virginia Tech junior Billy Berlin conquered one of man’s most challenging athletic feats this past track season. Berlin completed the 1,500 meters in a time of 3:41.88. His time converts to a sub-four minute mile time of 3:59.7, making him the first Virginia Tech athlete to break the four-minute barrier. With that time he broke the school record and later qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento.

The sub-four minute mile was thought of as an impossible time for the human body to achieve by many until it was first broken by Roger Bannister in 1954. The time has since become a benchmark that all young runners dream to achieve.

Q: How did it feel to break four minutes in the mile?
A: “It didn’t hit me until about 20 minutes after. When I found out that I had broken a barrier that I had been trying to break for so long, I was pretty much speechless. I eventually just started screaming out loud, I was so excited.”

Q: Your training must have played a huge part in your improved performances this year. What was your training like before the race?
A: “I was actually following the same training plan of Rwandan athlete Alexis Sharangabo before the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. I was following what my coach Ben Thomas had Alexis doing right before the Olympics that year. I was continuing to do the hardest workouts of my season without any tapering (late season rest). We were running anywhere from 50-80 miles a week late in the season.”

Q: What is a typical day like for you when you’re in the middle of your season?
A: “I would wake up at the crack of dawn to go to morning practice where I would usually do a fast paced four to five mile run. Then get a big D2 breakfast and head to my classes. After classes, I usually laid around the apartment drinking a lot of water to get ready for afternoon practice. We usually had hard track workouts or longer runs in the afternoons. Then I would have dinner and do some homework before hanging with my friends and going to bed early.”

Q: This was a huge step in your running career. What are your goals for next year?
A: Next season my main goal is do get All-American and be the top 8 in the nation. I also want to keep improving my times.

Q: You have also qualified for the Olympic Trials. Do you plan on racing there?
A: “Yes, I want to go to the Olympic Trials and see how that goes. I want to aim for the Olympics one day. If not for 2008 games then definitely the 2012 games in London.”

Q: How has Coach Thomas here at Virginia Tech influenced your running?
A: “I would have to attribute all of my success to Coach Thomas. Without him, I don’t think I would be where I am at today.”

Berlin took a short break after his track season before beginning summer training for cross-country in the fall. In the fall, he hopes to help the Hokies improve on their sixth place finish at the ACC Championships in 2006.