Over the last year, his training has been on point. His races have backed it up. More importantly, he’s been healthy.
“So why not now?”
Next Sunday marks a new chapter in Ben Drezek’s running career. The former Cumberland High and University of Massachusetts-Lowell star will make his marathon debut as one of the elite participants in the Ottawa Marathon.
Timing, more than anything, made this feel like the right moment for Drezek to tackle the grueling 26.2-mile distance.
“I think ultimately my main two reasons are it was a very good year training-wise,” he said. “I only took one day off the entire calendar year. I have also been injury free. I’ve been healthy and the clock is ticking towards 2028. My mind is kind of set.”
For Drezek, 2028 is more than just another year.. It’s an Olympic year and, with it, a chance to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
The ultimate goal next weekend is clear – 2:16:00. That’s the qualifying standard needed to punch his ticket to the Trials in March of 2028, leading into the Los Angeles Games.
“The longer I wait, the less opportunity I will have for a Trials qualifier,” he said. “So why not now? When the fire is lit and it’s going strong, you might as well keep it going.”
He added, “I’m confident in myself. My workouts have been going well. My mileage is great. I definitely feel that I am in shape to do it.”
The 27-year-old Ben Drezek’s journey to this point began late in high school. A soccer player throughout his youth, he competed in only a few track races as an underclassman before turning more seriously to cross country and track and field in his junior year in 2015.
In just two years, he developed into one of the state’s top distance runners. By graduation, he had earned all-state honors in cross country twice, including a fourth-place finish as a senior. On the track, he specialized in distance events, posting personal bests of 4:07.11 in the 1,500 meters, 8:46.11 in the 3,000 meters, and a then-state record of 6:23.51 in the 2,000-meter steeplechase.
At the UMass-Lowell, where he completed a degree in exercise physiology in 2022, Drezek’s career continued to develop. He became a two-time America East champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, qualified for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships as a junior, and recorded personal bests of 4:08.60 in the mile, 8:46.19 in the steeplechase, 14:12.7 in the 5,000m and 29:07 for the 10K.
It was at UMass-Lowell that he realized that the longer races suited him best.
“I learned I’m more of a distance and strength-based guy,” he said. “I was never really one with the best speed or turnover. Sure, I could run a quick mile or a quick 3K, but it wasn’t good enough or competitive enough to get me to the next level.
“I used to joke with my college coach that I really believed I could have done something special in the 10K,” he added. “I never really got the chance to run one in college. I look back and think there were a lot of what-ifs, but that’s in the past now.”
Since college, Drezek has continued to compete on the roads and trails, becoming a regular fixture on the New England racing scene. The Cumberland native is a four-time winner of his hometown Arnold Mills Road Race. In 2022, he set the course record at the Blessing of the Fleet 10-Miler in 49:28.
He also has been a frequent top finisher at the Bobby Doyle Summer Classic, one of New England’s premier road races. In fact, it was at the Doyle five-miler in 2023 that Drezek realized he had reached the next level in his development as a runner. He finished third overall against the highly-competitive field with a time of 23:15.
“That was my big breakout,” he said.
Drezek, who competes for Tracksmith Hare AC, is currently coached by Seekonk native and former Oregon great Johnny Gregorek, a former U.S. indoor mile record-holder.
He reached out to Gregorek shortly after that breakout race, realizing he needed a more structured approach to take the next step.
“I needed something more consistent,” Drezek said. “Something where I didn’t have to think as much; just follow the plan and execute it.”
“We communicate weekly,” he added. “He’s very patient. Whether I have a good run or a bad run, he always finds positives. I’m not always good at that myself.”
Now the attention shifts to Ottawa where Drezek will test himself against an elite field for his marathon debut. Over the last few months, he has averaged more than 100 miles per week.
Over the past few months, he has averaged more than 100 miles per week during peak training. One performance in particular suggests the goal is realistic: his third-place finish at the New Bedford Half Marathon in March in a personal-best 1:05:02.
“I’m confident in myself,” he said. “My workouts have been going well. My mileage is great. I definitely feel I’m in shape to do it.”
He chose Ottawa over other opportunities – including races where he might have been favored to win – because of the competitive environment.
“I wanted something where I wouldn’t be doing all the work alone,” he said.
Next weekend’s race has a deep international field that features multiple runners under 2:10, including former London Marathon champion Shura Kitata, who brings a 2:03.59 best to the line..
The course is also known for being fast and spectator-friendly.
“It looks relatively flat,” Drezek said. “It’s scenic, and it loops back near the start and finish a few times. My parents are coming, so it’ll be nice to see them out there.”
At 27, Drezek knows he still has time in the marathon – whether this weekend delivers the breakthrough or not.
But he is also realistic about the setbacks that have shaped him.
“I always tell myself it’s about growing through failure,” he said.
He pointed to missed opportunities in high school, college, and beyond – races that didn’t go according to plan, injuries, and near-misses at the next level.
“But those setbacks have been fuel,” he said. “That’s what gives me energy now. The Olympic Trials and the marathon are the next big thing. I’m not letting it get me down this time. It may not happen in Ottawa – but I will get it done.”
