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After Riley Cook crossed the finish line at the California International Marathon (CIM) in Sacramento, California, in an Olympic Trials qualifying time (OTQ) of 2:17:23, he felt a decade’s worth of hard work finally pay off.
“It was a long time coming,” Cook, 41, told Runner’s World. “But deep down, I always believed that the ability was there. I just needed to execute it on one of my limited opportunities.”
Masters runners rarely qualify for the Olympic Trials on the men’s side (unless their names are Meb Keflezighi, Bernard Lagat, or Abdi Abdirahman—all of whom were Olympians in their younger days). In fact, of all the Olympic Trials qualifying runners at CIM, Cook was the only one older than 34. More impressively, after a decade of attempts, Cook’s 2:17 is his very first OTQ.
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Cook’s career began as a prep runner in Utah. But when he graduated from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, in 2006, he swore off running completely. After four injury-laden years of collegiate track & field, the sport had become a chore.
He wouldn’t pick it up again until a few years later, while working at the Hill Air Force Base near Ogden, Utah. Cook’s coworker and friend Ken Richardson would ask him to go for runs at lunch time. Cook typically said no but eventually came to an agreement.
“I was like, ‘Ken, the day I weight 175 pounds, I’ll come run,’” Cook said. “Then one day, I got on the scale, and I weighed 175 pounds.”
Cook started recreationally at first, running 20 to 30 miles per week on a non-consistent basis. His parents ran the St. George Marathon every year when he was young, so he signed up for the 2009 race. Despite painful cramps, Cook debuted in 2:47:58.
“I was in the medical tent afterwards, and my wife came over. I said, ‘I gotta do another one of these,’” he said.
Cook ran a few more marathons in the following five years with some success and some failure. But after he won the 2014 Phoenix Marathon in a time of 2:21:42, Cook fired himself up to take a chance at an OTQ for the first time. Despite his best effort at the 2015 Chicago Marathon, he hit the usual roadblock that inhibited him in multiple previous races.
“My stomach doesn’t handle sugar at all,” Cook said. “If any type of drink or gel has sugar in it, I’m probably going to throw it up or stop to go to the bathroom.”
After the 2016 Olympic Trials qualifying window closed, Cook knew he needed to make a change. He frequently visited the popular running site Fast Running Blog, which often featured advice from Irish coach John Starrett. The two connected over Strava, and after a few back-and-forth exchanges in the comments of one of Cook’s activities, they started working together on training plans.
In addition to sharing training insights, Starrett instructed Cook to use the sugar-free product UCAN for race fuel. Cook saw success under Starrett’s guidance, culminating in a 2:16:09 at the 2016 St. George Marathon. Unfortunately, the St. George course is ineligible for qualifying purposes. Cook still had a full three years to chase the 2:19:00 qualifying standard and was confident he would achieve his goal.
When three years of attempts fell through, Cook’s signed up for the 2019 CIM as his last chance. His buildup was already hampered by a fracture in the first vertebra of his lumbar spine, so when he returned to training in October, he was already behind. The worst was yet to come, however.
After one noticeably difficult long run, Cook was met with an alarming sight: “When I first went to the bathroom, I had coffee-colored urine.”
Cook was diagnosed with exertional rhabdomyolysis, or “rhabdo,” a potentially fatal condition caused by overtraining. Damaged muscle fibers break down and release protein and electrolytes into the bloodstream, potentially injuring the heart and kidneys. The doctor instructed Cook to rest from all strenuous activities for six weeks.
“He was like, don’t even pick up your kids if you don’t have to,” Cook said.
At 38 years old, Cook thought the diagnosis meant the end of his OTQ dreams. He rested the recommended six weeks and slowly worked back into training. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in March 2020, shutting down races and forcing people to stay home, Cook was able to work back into respectable shape.
By the time he could run races again, he was over 40—a masters runner. He would soon win a pair of masters titles—the 2022 10-Mile and the 2022 12K championships. Racing and training for shorter distances injected speed back into his legs, which Cook believes helped him nail his OTQ at CIM—especially because his first half marathon in the race was 1:07:59, well under qualifying pace.
Cook credits his age for pushing him to succeed: “Ever since I turned 40, I have a sense of urgency. I don’t know how much longer I can keep trying to run PRs before my body’s like, it’s over.”
He also gains energy from the support of his family. His wife is also a runner, and his four young daughters have said they want to be Olympians one day.
“I don’t know if they understand yet the commitment that goes into that,” he said, laughing. “But they were really inspired by the female U.S. athletes in track and field this last Olympics.”
As for what advice he would give other aging distance runners hoping to score an OTQ, Cook kept it simple: “Consistency is key, especially at this age. Keep finding improvements where you can. Believe in yourself, and put yourself in a position to make it happen.”
Chris Hatler is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but before joining Runner’s World and Bicycling, he was a pro runner for Diadora, qualifying for multiple U.S. Championships in the 1500 meters. At his alma mater the University of Pennsylvania, Chris was a multiple-time Ivy League conference champion and sub-4 minute miler.
