A senior cocaptain from Norfolk, Chris Allen is a consistent finisher, and respected leader, for the men’s cross-country squad at Harvard, in addition to competing in distance events for the Crimson’s indoor and outdoor track teams.
The 21-year-old King Philip Regional graduate placed third among Harvard runners, and 112th overall, at the Harvard-Yale-Princeton meet Sept. 11. And he was 47th overall at the Battle of Beantown invitational meet on Sept. 25.
“Chris brings a lot to our program with his intensity and determination and has really grown and stepped up as a leader,” Harvard head coach Jason Saretsky said.
At King Philip, Allen was the Division 2 outdoor champion at 2 miles in 2012, and captured New England 3,200-meter and Division 3 cross-country individual titles in 2011.
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As a sophomore and junior, he played varsity soccer. His father, Greg, captained the 1986 Brandeis University soccer squad that lost the NCAA Division 3 championship in four overtimes. The elder Allen is enshrined in the Brandeis Athletic Hall of Fame.
Chris Allen’s younger brother, Andrew, is a freshman on the Brandeis soccer team, coached by the same man who coached his father, Mike Coven.
Q. What do you hope to accomplish as a team captain?
A. With so many younger runners, it’s important for me to set a good example athletically and academically. We’re young, but talented, with a lot of potential, and I want us to come to practice with intensity and focus, and to be dedicated to our sport away from practice with good training and study habits.
Q. What is the most satisfying race you have competed in?
A. I had a disappointing freshman cross-country season at Harvard, and when we qualified for the NCAA championships my sophomore year, I finished fifth on our team and contributed to the scoring. It meant a lot to me.
Q. What has been your father’s influence in your athletic career?
A. He coached me in youth soccer and Little League and stressed working real hard, focusing on what you can control, and believing in yourself.
Q. Why did you switch from varsity soccer to varsity cross-country at King Philip your senior year?
A. Each year I ran more, I loved it more. I realized I had talent and wanted to take full advantage of it.
Q. What are your plans after graduation?
A. I’d like a career in data and statistics. I really enjoy solving puzzles, looking for patterns, and answering questions using data. I like number crunching.
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Q. What has been the most interesting course you have taken in college?
A. Sleuthing Through Linear Models. It was the next level up from a traditional statistics course and it taught me how to analyze and approach more complicated data.
Q. How do you approach long-distance running?
A. The key is that every day has a purpose. It’s important to listen to your body and respond appropriately. There are days when you need to go harder and days when you need to recover, especially in a sport that beats you up as much as running.
Q. What did you do this summer?
A. I worked at the Harvard Business School as a research associate for Paul Gompers, one of Harvard’s greatest all-time runners and the US junior record holder in the marathon. It was a rewarding experience. I also went on a cruise to Bermuda with my family and extended family, 14 of us altogether.
Q. When did you realize you could run long distances?
A. When I was on the soccer team as a high school freshman we had two-mile time trials and I did really well. That gave me the idea to go out for indoor track.
Q. How do you balance athletics and academics?
A. The key is good time management and being efficient. It’s especially important before big races and exams. I’ve been successful so far. You get more efficient as the years go by.
Q. What are you most proud of as a student and an athlete?
A. Being able to experience everything that Harvard has to offer, from the courses I’ve taken to the friends I’ve made. It’s been an incredible time in my life.
Marvin Pave can be reached at marvin.pave@rcn.com.