Clovis Community College head coach crushes indoor marathon world record

CJ Albertson set a world record in the men’s indoor marathon with the time of 2:17:59.4 at The Armory’s New Balance Track & Field Center on April 13. PHOTO BY COURTESY OF JOHN NEPOLITAN

A new world record in the men’s indoor marathon was set by Clovis Community College cross country head coach CJ Albertson at The Armory’s New Balance Track & Field Center in New York City on April 13.

The 25-year-old Albertson surpassed the previous record of 2:19:02, set by two-time champion Malcolm Richards, with a time of 2:17:59.4, according to a release from letsrun.com.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the men’s indoor marathon world record has been broken at The Armory.

The marathon consists of 211 laps around The Armory’s 200-meter track. Albertson, a Fresno native and Buchanan High School graduate, posted a time of just 30.8 seconds in his final lap, while averaging 39.2 seconds per lap.

The former record holder Richards placed as the runner-up with a final time 2:18:47.9.

“My strategy was to stay with everybody for as long as I could,” Albertson said in the release. “I was planning on holding off for another mile, but I hit a patch where I started to feel better. I could tell the leader Malcolm was tiring a little bit and our pace was slowing up. We were within 2 ½ miles and I felt like I could go ahead and finish.”

Also competing in the event was Albertson’s wife Chelsey, who placed in as the women’s runner-up with a time of 2:54:26.5.

Both CJ Albertson and the women’s first-place winner Stephanie Pezzullo received the winner’s share of $3,000. Albertson also earned a $4,000 bonus for breaking the world record.

Seth Casey is an aspiring journalist, an avid sports fan and a Fresno/Clovis native. He currently attends Fresno State, where he is pursuing a degree in Media, Communication and Journalism with an emphasis in print journalism. He is excited for the opportunity to work at the Clovis Roundup and looks forward to serving the Clovis community and its residents by showcasing all the city has to offer.