Athletics: Summertime and the running is easy

Nick Willis has a plan to bring the glory days back to New Zealand middle-distance running - literally.

The 21-year-old, who made the semifinal of the 1500m at the Athens Olympics last year, wants to base himself in New Zealand once he finishes college in the US.

If it all works out, Willis will train in New Zealand between Christmas and April next year. He'll then finish his conditioning in the States ahead of the European Grand Prix season which runs from July to September.

He hopes to persuade a few big-name athletes to join him in New Zealand where they can train in warm weather and compete in domestic events.

"Ideally, I could see myself based in both New Zealand and America and follow the summer. I can study in America during the fall semester which is from September through to Christmas, then come back to New Zealand from December until the end of April. That would be ideal for my training and ideal for maintaining communities in both parts of the world.

"When I first left New Zealand I felt isolated and thought it was time to get out. But the few times I have visited, the more I have wanted to be part of the community again. I have maintained close relationships with my friends and want to put something back into the Hutt Valley community."

The move home will not be without sacrifice. He'll have to get through conditioning work on his own, without the guidance of his coach.

For some athletes that would be a disaster. Willis, though, is confident it won't be a major concern.

"I have such a close relationship with my coach and we have mutual respect for each other so I don't think it would matter if I was away for a few months. It would just be a base stage anyway where I would be going for some long runs.

"What I would like to do is bring back some people from the Northern Hemisphere and set up a training camp and give an influx to the local running scene."

For the meantime, the focus is on running well for the University of Michigan in the NCAA programme. He's currently a little behind where he would like to be after missing eight weeks of training at the end of last year due to stress fractures in his legs.

He says that making the final of the world championships in August would be a nice way to finish the year, but is not his overriding goal.

"I would like to get back to where I was last year. I've had a hiccup with injury. I'm coming back into fitness and I'm improving exponentially every day. I don't think I'll be disappointed with whatever I do, but I will be doing my best to make the final of the world championships. It would probably require me to run 3mins, 32secs or better."

While he's relaxed about the world championships, reaching the final will make him a far more attractive proposition for European race promoters. Athletics may sit below the radar in New Zealand, but it's a sport which captures the imagination of most of Europe during the summer months.

Willis wants to be part of that circuit, making a living on the strength of his finishing kick and ability to read a race.

And that's why he wants to spend more time in New Zealand, getting his preparation right both on and off the track.

"You don't head over to Europe until you are ready to bang out because they are the greatest runners in the world and you have to be on top of your game."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY