Ben Flanagan

Benjamin "Ben" Flanagan (born 11 January 1995) is a Canadian middle and long-distance runner. He is currently the Canadian record holder in the 5 km and 10 km road races. He also is a 3-time winner of the Falmouth Road Race, having won the race in 2018, 2021, and 2022.

High school career

Flanagan finished second in the U16 2000 m at the 2010 Canadian Youth Nationals. The next year he competed in the U18 3000 m, once again finishing in second. That same year he was selected to represent Canada at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Lille, France, where he placed 16th in the 1500 m.

He competed in the junior race at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland placing 34th and finishing as the top Canadian.

College career

Flanagan attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. While there, he was coached by 3-time Olympian and fellow Canadian Kevin Sullivan.

Flanagan was the Big Ten 10,000 m champion in 2016 and 2018, the 2017 NCAA Great Lake Regional Cross Country champion, and won the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships 10,000 m by running 28:34.53 and passing Vincent Kiprop of Alabama in the final metres of the race. Following his victory, Flanagan went viral on social media after he was recorded screaming "where's my mom?" in his post-race interview.

Professional career

Flanagan claimed his first major professional victory in the 2018 Falmouth Road Race running the 7 mile course in a time of 32:21.

On September 4, 2018, he joined the Reebok Boston Track Club in Charlottesville, Virginia to be coached by Chris John Fox.

2021

In 2021, Ben failed to qualify for the postponed Tokyo Olympics. He achieved the necessary world ranking but was beaten out for a spot on the Canadian team by Moh Ahmed, Justyn Knight, and Luc Bruchet.

Nevertheless, he was able to run a 10,000 m personal best of 27:49.07 on May 14 and a 5000 m personal best of 13:20.67 on May 27.

On the roads, he won his second Falmouth Road Race in August and won his first Manchester Road Race in November.

2022

On January 12, he announced on Instagram that he was leaving the Reebok Boston Track Club. The next week, he announced that he had signed a contract with On and was moving back to Ann Arbor to train with the Very Nice Track Club under coach Ron Warhurst.

Under Warhurst, Flanagan continued his success on the roads setting a Canadian 10 km road record at the B.A.A. 10K in 28:11 and winning his third Falmouth Road Race in 32:25.

On October 23, Flanagan competed in the Valencia Half Marathon. While he only finished 18th overall, he beat fellow Canadian Cam Levins by 4 seconds and broke Rory Linkletter's Canadian half marathon record holder with a time of 1:01:00.

2023

Flanagan opened his season on January 27 with a personal best of 13:11.97 over 5000m at the BU Valentine Invitational. The following week he set a personal best of 7:43.49 in the 3000m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

At the B.A.A 5K in April, Flanagan broke Charles Philibert-Thiboutot's Canadian record in the 5 km road race running 13:26, finishing second behind training partner Morgan Beadlescomb.

At the 2023 Canadian Track and Field Championships, Flanagan won the 5000 m in a time of 13:39.36.

Later that summer, he qualified to represent Canada at his first World Athletics Championships in the 5000m where he finished 11th in his heat with a time of 13:38.69

In October, he represented Canada in the inaugural 5 km road race at the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia finishing 12th in a time of 13:34.

Personal bests

Personal life

Ben is the son of Ron and Michelle Flanagan. He has two sisters, Kristen and Jamie.

Flanagan met his fiancé when his host family for the Falmouth road race got a flat tire causing him to stay the night with the president of the race, whose daughter happened to also attend the University of Michigan. After dating for three years the two got engaged.