Background

In June of 2005, Ed Moran had just concluded a fine career at William & Mary with a personal best at 5000 meters of 13:39, but did he have what it took to run as a pro? Based on his master’s degree in public policy, he had a job lined up with a Washington, D.C., government consulting firm to start three weeks later. “I really saw myself moving on,” he said. But first, Ed planned an assault at nationals. “This was a last chance, last-hurrah type of race, and I just wanted to see how fast I could run,” he told an interviewer shortly afterward. The answer: 13:25.87, 14 seconds faster than he had ever run before and the top amateur in the race.

A Nike contract followed, as has another fine career, highlighted so far by a 5000-meter gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. There, Ed took off with 1000 meters to become the first U.S. male to win a Pan Am gold medal in the distances since Bruce Bickford won at 10,000 meters in 1987.