Dillon Maggard signs professional running contract with Brooks and his next race will be at TD Beach to Beacon 10K

Former Utah State distance runner Dillon Maggard has signed a professional running contract with Brooks and will compete for the Brooks Beasts Track Club. “I had a few options to choose from, which was good, and I narrowed them down,” Maggard said. “I tried to write out the pros and cons for each option that I had and found that Brooks offered me the best financial stability and security for an extended period of time. I was kind of bouncing back and forth between trying to stay in Logan and trying to go to Seattle, but those were, honestly, my two options. “There was just a little uncertainty about whether I would be able to stay in Logan for a long, extended period of time. So, this was the most comfortable decision where if I had to move, I was going back to Seattle where I grew up and it would be an easier transition.” Maggard signed a 3 1/2 year deal with Brooks. The native of Kirkland, Washington, recently competed at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, where he placed 13th in the finals of the men’s 5,000-meter run with a time of 13 minutes, 55.06 seconds. Maggard concluded his stellar Aggie career as a nine-time All-American. He matched the school record previously set by James Parker, who represented the United States in the hammer at the 2004 Olympic Summer Games and 2005 World Championships. Between now and then, Maggard is planning to run in three road races, beginning with the TD Beach to Beacon 10K on Aug. 4, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The event attracts almost 6,500 runners, making it the largest road race in the Pine Tree State. Two weeks after the TD Beach to Beacon 10K, Maggard will be competing in the New Balance Falmouth Road Race, a seven-miler set for Aug. 19. And finally, Maggard said he will cap his summer at the Murphy Mile in Tennessee. “Ever since I came to Utah, one of my biggest goals was trying to run professionally,” Maggard said. “The past four years of sacrifices, miles, hard work and training every day is definitely rewarding.”

posted Monday July 9th