Indiana University distance runner Ben Veatch completed one longtime goal in 2022, but he has plenty of others he’d like to achieve.
The 2016 Carmel High School graduate became the 13th Indiana high school graduate and 11th Indiana University runner to complete a sub-4-minute mile. He ran the indoor mile in 3 minutes, 59.73 seconds at IU’s Gladstein Invitational Jan. 21 in Bloomington.
“It’s always been something on my bucket list. I think it’s something on every runner’s bucket list,” said Veatch, who is the first person from Carmel to complete the mile in under four minutes.
A longer-distance runner, Veatch usually runs the 3,000 and 5,000 meters indoors.
“When I get fit, tapered and rested, I typically don’t run a mile,” he said. “I knew I was capable of it and fit enough to do it. It’s just not the races we run when we are tapered. It was just cool to be able to do it in a heavy training block. I think I’m capable of being faster.”
Veatch, who is pursuing a master’s degree in public health, said he is focusing on the 3K and distance medley relay for indoors in the Big Ten (Feb. 25-26) and NCAA (March 11-12) meets. The anchor leg of the distance medley relay is 1 mile. Veatch was first-team All-American in 5,000 meters during the 2021 indoor season. He plans to compete in the 5K outdoors and hopes to set the school record. Hw already holds the indoor 5,000 school record (13:33).
Because the 2020 outdoor season was canceled, Veatch, who had previously redshirted, was offered a sixth year of eligibility.
Veatch said he was a little dissatisfied with how the 2021 season ended at the NCAA championships.
“I ended up getting tripped and I fell and ended up finishing last (in the 5,000),” Veatch said. “I didn’t want to leave my legacy at IU with that being my last race. I had already planned to come back for a sixth year and complete my master’s certificate. My training has been progressing. I feel I’m getting fit every year and I think it will show at the end of the indoor season and into the outdoor season.”
Following the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, Veatch plans to attend medical school to concentrate on sports medicine.
“I only have one opportunity to run professionally, and that’s when I’m young,” he said. “I don’t want to look back and regret things I could have done. Med school is definitely the dream, but I can go to medical school when I’m 30. I can only run when I’m young.”
