Meet the New Team Sport Athlete of the Month: Patrick Tiernan

The vast majority of professional athletes in the world have to leave their home countries if they want to fulfill their dreams of becoming the best at what they do. And Patrick Tiernan, an Aussie living in the United States, and now an elite long-distance track and field runner in Oregon, is no different.

He has not, however, forgotten about his home. In fact, Patrick represented Australia at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, even though he had a scholarship to run track in long-distance events at Villanova University. Running track is not the only thing he’s passionate about. His university studies have taken him to areas as diverse as mathematics, economics and analytics, revealing his interest in statistics, while providing the basis for his profession once his athletic career is over.

For now, sports provide him the motivation to get out of bed every morning. He’s been training and competing in professional long-distance track events for 20 years — yes, two decades! His training is draining: “Generally, we have a training block leading up to a competition, with each week structured specifically to attain the final objective. I truly focus on recovery. Whether holding back a bit in easier races, or having an Immunocal Sport and Booster smoothie. Each little step in the recovery process is very important to ensure that I’m where I need to be on the day of the race,” he said in interview.

Immunocal Sport has helped him in his training sessions, he said, adding: “I’ve been able to put together really great training blocks lasting longer than 12 weeks, something I could never consistently sustain before. I’ve noticed that I sleep better and I don’t have as much muscle soreness. The combination of these two components gives me the energy I need to complete my daily training regimen.”

His sporting achievements tell his story best: Besides competing in the 2016 Olympics, he won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) individual cross-country championship in the United States. He was also the Australian National Champion in 10,000 meters. In 2017, he finished 13th at the World Cross Country Championships and he qualified to run in the final heat of the 5,000 meters. In 2020, he set the Australian 10,000-meter record.

This are his personal bests:

Mile – 3:57

3,000 meters – 7:37

5,000 meters – 13:12

10,000 meters – 27:22

Half-Marathon – 1:01:22

Follow him on Instagram: @tiernan_pa