In 2007, Jake Riley of Sehome High won the State 2A cross-country championship. Years later, he’s getting ready for the Olympics.
At the Olympic trials in Atlanta, the best in the nation came together for a marathon. Only the top 3 made the Olympic team.
Two-time Olympic Medalist Galen Rupp from Portland won the race.
Jacob Riley of Bellingham came in second with a personal best of 2 hours 10 minutes, qualifying him for the Olympics.
“It feels fantastic," he said. "It's something I played in my head and just pictured myself being able to do for, I don't know, since running really became a serious passion, and it's been almost 20 years. So, yes, it's just incredibly exciting and humbling and it feels awesome,” Riley said.
He embraced his coach Lee Troop after the race and thanked him for helping him fulfill his Olympic dreams, but Riley’s journey began long ago as a child in Bellingham.
"Running was not my sport until Bellingham - Fairhaven Middle School, Mr. Leone's track team," he said, "first time I ever raced a mile. That's where I found it.
"I'm surrounded by a lot of supportive, loving people. My parents have been just incredibly supportive throughout this entire process. You know, I went through some down spots. I had to move home for a little bit; I was going through a lot of personal issues. And their support of running and just me, in general, has been unwavering," Riley continued.
After high school, Riley went to Stanford where he became an eight-time All-American and helped the Cardinal win a Pac-10 cross-country title in 2010.
"I achieved more than I thought I was going to and I started out strong, won a state title in Washington, made it to Stanford, became an All-American and then I ran pro for a couple years," Riley said.
But in 2016 he struggled with injuries and then a rare infection in 2017.
In 2018, Riley had surgery on his Achilles. His coach says Riley was a broken man. The injuries took their toll.
"I was coming to terms that running might not happen for me anymore. I was ready to try and train, but if it doesn't work, finish grad school. I'll be an engineer and I was OK coming to terms knowing that my best years might be behind me,” Riley said.
He spent months rehabbing and in 2019 Riley was finally ready to run at full strength.
“I take inspiration from a lot of other athletes that have gone through similar adversity,” Riley said.
Jacob now lives and trains in Boulder, Colorado, but he still has lots of family in the Bellingham area and they’ll be ready to root him on at the Olympics.
The men’s marathon will take place on the last day of the games, August 8.