Britanny Atkinson 
Personal Bests
- 3200 Meter Run 11:56.28
- 5000 Meter Run 18:26.83
Widewater Invitational, 1st 18:34.10
Tiffin Cross Country Carnival, 2nd 18:26.83
Lakota Invitational, 1st 18:43.76
Napoleon Wildcat Run, 1st. 6:14.1, 19:22
Panther Run to Fun, 1st. 11:56.28
2010 Tiffin 1st D3 MS 6:01, 11:58.32
2009 Tiffin 1st D3 MS 6:10.8, 12:17.15
In 2009, a young girl from Versailles made her presence known in Ohio’s D3 Girl’s Cross Country and Track. Now, in her Senior year, Tammy Berger is intent on defending her two time Cross Country and 3,200m State titles and poised to become one of the most notable female distance runners in Ohio High School history. This year, another Freshman, Brittany Atkinson of Liberty Center, has confidently arrived on the State scene and she just may have the talent and tenacity to challenge Berger for her titles.
OHRunners: Brittany. Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you. As a Freshman this year, you are running well. You have first place finishes in all of your races except one and that 2nd place finish was at the Tiffin Cross Country Carnival where you and Tammy Berger of Versailles, the two time defending State Champion, battled the entire race, with Tammy finishing .37 seconds ahead of you.
Panther Run to Fun 11:56.28 1st
Napoleon Wildcat Run 19:22 1st
Tiffin Cross Country Carnival 18:26.83 2nd
Lakota Invitational 18:43.76 1st
Before we discuss this season however, I would like to understand a little about your Middle School running and when you first started to run and race.
When did you first start running and how old were you in your first competition?
Brittany: I started running with my dad when I was in 3rd grade. We have a path between our farm fields that the two of us would run together for fun. My first competitive race was at the Galion Invitational when I was in 4th grade. I went with my dad to watch the races when I found out they had an elementary race. I decided to run in it at the last minute, and I finished 9th. I really enjoyed the experience.
OHRunners: As a Middle Schooler, you won the Tiffin Carnival in the 7th grade with a 2-mile time of 12:17.15. You also won as an 8th grader in 11:58.32. Tell us about those runs and what were your expectations going into each of those races?
Brittany: In 7th grade I just wanted to run as good as I could for my team. I wasn’t quite sure how to run the race, as it was only my second 2 mile race. I decided to go out fast and just see how long I could keep that pace. I ended up feeling pretty good and just stayed up front. I tried to be focused on beating my time from my first race. In 8th grade, I felt a little more confident and focused more on winning the race. I really wanted to break 12:00 as an 8th grader.
OHRunners: What did you do after last year’s Cross Country season? Did you continue running through the winter or do you participate in other activities?
Brittany: After last season, I took a couple weeks off. After that, I began going back to running base mileage and swimming for fun. My coaches really focused on keeping my mileage low so that I could focus more on my high school running.
OHRunners: What did you run in track in Middle School? What kind of times?
Brittany: In Middle school track, I mainly competed in the 1600m, 800m, and 1600m relay. I really enjoyed running the relays with my teammates. My PR’s were 5:20 in the 1600m, 2:24 in the 800m, and 1:06 in the 400m.
OHRunners: After Track season last Spring did you take time off or did you continue running through the summer? What kind of miles did you run during the summer? Any pace work or just base work? Did you run any 5K's?
Brittany: After track last Spring I took about 3-4 weeks off. I then started slowly building my base mileage again. My mileage was about 30-35 miles a week. I trained strictly base. I ran one 5k last Summer, and that was our hometown race the Tigertown 5000.
OHRunners: Typically, most freshman runners, while having the talent, seem to struggle at first with the 5K distance and lack the strength and experience to run at the varsity level, especially in larger invitationals with older and more experienced girls. Thus far, you have proven that you can run the distance and win at the varsity level. Going into this season, and with your father as your coach, what were your expectations? Did you expect to be as successful as you have been so far?
Brittany: Going into the season I just wanted to try and run up front and help my team the best I could. I was nervous, but excited at the same time. I felt that I had a really strong base and that it would help me in my Varsity races. My teammates really helped me with my confidence over the summer. As for my father as my coach, If anything, I've felt less pressure. My dad does a great job of keeping running fun for me. He keeps things light, and doesn’t let me take things to serious. Outside of practice/meets, he is my dad.
OHRunners: How have you found the transition from the 2-mile run to the 5K run?
Brittany: At first it wasn’t easy, but as we get farther into the season, I’m starting to like it more and more. My teammates and coaches have really helped me with this transition. Over the past year, I’ve tried to get advice from some of the top coaches my dad knows. One of those coaches (Jesse Magato from Minster) really took time out of her busy schedule to talk to me about high school running when I was still in 8th grade. She really gave me some good advice.
OHRunners: Pace is very important in a 5K Cross Country run. How comfortable with pace are you? How much pace training are you doing?
Brittany: I am really comfortable with pacing right now. Since I have built such a good base, I feel that I can be really consistent with my splits. We do pace training once a week.
OHRunners: What specific type of pace training are you doing? At what paces? Any interval speed work? What distances, pace and interval between runs?
OHRunners: How do you pre-determine your split times? These can vary from course to course as well as course conditions. When you are running out front - alone, how do you know what pace to run? Or, is it more of learning to know how to run, as you say, relaxed and comfortable, and yet pushing?
Brittany: I think its more so on how to run because I don’t know what my 400 splits are in the 1st mile, but I do have a feel for the pace I’m running. There is a rhythm that I can feel that comes from doing speed workouts (e.g. Mile repeats). I can usually tell if I’m going out to fast or to slow based on this feeling.
OHRunners: As a Freshman, you are running new courses and against competition that you are not familiar with? How comfortable are you in leading a race and running out front?
Brittany: I’ve always liked being out front in a race, so I am comfortable taking the race out. So far most of the meets we have been in there has been a pace vehicle in front guiding me.
OHRunners: How do you mentally prepare for your races and what are your race strategies? Are you visualizing your races? Can you break down a typical race for us? i.e. start, first 400, first mile pace, second, third and finish?
Brittany: I try and visualize all of my races the week before I run them. At Coach Ron Martin’s Team Camp of Champs, I learned how to work on visualizing races. Coach Martin was my dad's mentor in the early 90's. I have known him since I was a little girl and have attended his running camp since the 5th grade. I respect him a lot and he has helped me to learn how to work on visualizing races. This helps helps keep me relaxed. At the start, I usually focus on my team captains and what they are telling me. When the gun goes off, I try to get up in the front pack right away. In the first mile, I just focus on my predetermined splits and staying relaxed. In the second mile, I try to focus on beating the clock and keeping my pace. In the third mile, I try to concentrate on my form and I work on my surging. At the finish, I try to just give it everything that I have left.
OHRunners Note: Ron Martin is a Hall of Fame coach who is now coaching for Tiffin University. His bio is on the OATCC website.
OHRunners: You mentioned several times about concentrating on your form. How important is this for you? What exactly are you concentrating on?
Brittany: Good form is really important to me. I feel that if I can keep improving my form it will help me run faster. Over the last couple years, I have watched other elite runners and I try to model my form after them. When I went back and looked at the video from my Tiffin race, I noticed how much more efficient Tammy Berger’s form is. My form is something that I’m working hard to improve.
OHRunners: I'd like to ask a few questions in regards to your run at Tiffin?
- What were your expectations going into this meet?
- What was your race strategy, knowing that the defending State champion was running?
- Take us through the race? Start to finish. What were your thoughts at the mile, two mile, three mile?
- You and Tammy finished .52 seconds ahead of the third place finisher. At what point in the race did you and Tammy start to break away? Did you go together or did you or Tammy initiate the push?
- With 400 to go, were you surprised that you were running up front? What went through your mind as you and Tammy were running stride for stride to the finish?
Brittany: I was so excited about having the chance to run with Tammy. I have been going to the State Championships with my dad for the past two years and I have really loved watching her. She is one of my favorite runners to watch. My race strategy was to just stay up front with the lead pack as long as possible. I wanted to run beside Tammy as long as I could. When the gun went off, I just took off and tried to find the lead group. During the race, Tammy and I started breaking away a little before the first mile. Tammy took off a little after the ½ mile mark and I went with her. When I got to the first mile, I just felt good and relaxed. Going into the 2nd mile, Tammy was right beside me. It was exciting to have the chance to run with such a great runner. Throughout the rest of the race we both helped push each other and during that mile, I was trying to stay focused on relaxing and hitting my splits. I was a little surprised that I was still running up front with her with 400m to go, but I was concentrating so hard on my form that I don’t remember much about the last mile. I just felt really good. It was only my 2nd 5k, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Tammy went around me in the last 150m and I just tried to stay by her side. Before I knew it, we were side by side and sprinting into the finish. As we were stride for stride at the finish, I was just excited to be running with Tammy in such a big race. My heart was pounding! Running with Tammy at the Tiffin Carnival in front of such a large crowd was awesome! I will never forget it.
OHRunners: How would you describe you as a runner?
Brittany: I don’t know how to describe myself as a runner. I just have always loved it. It relieves my stress and I just feel good when I do it. I try to run like one of my role models, Brianna Shook. I talk to her and she gives me good advice on how to race. I want to be mentally tough like her.
OHRunners Note :Brianna Shook was the 1998, D3 Girls State Cross Country Champion (18:17.40) from Seneca east in Attica, Ohio.
OHRunners: What are your expectations for the remainder of the Cross Country Season?
Brittany: I want to stay healthy and help my team as much as possible. I’m hoping to continue PRing and developing as a runner.
OHRunners: Brittany, thank you. We will be looking forward to watching you run the rest of this season and throughout your high school career.
