Education
Ph.D. in Biology, Tufts University  
B.S. in Biology, Minor in Chemistry, Hobart Collage
NASM CPT
Professional Background in Stress Physiology
Currently Studies the effects of Chronic Stress on behavior and Physiology in his lab.

Ben Nephew - I started running track and XC in high school, and although I finally made it to the state XC meet my senior year, my PR’s in track were only 4:50 and 10:40.  I made progress throughout my college XC career at Hobart College, getting my 8k PR under 27 minutes, but most importantly I learned how to train smart and make running a long-term endeavor from my coach, Ron Fleury. 

I was fortunate to attend graduate school in the Boston area, and soon joined the Greater Boston Track Club.  With GBTC and the New England road racing scene, I was exposed to another level of competition. My road times improved steadily, running 25:50 for 8k and 1:11 for the half marathon, but I also discovered that I was much more competitive on the trails than on the roads, where I won the Western Mass Athletic Club trail series 9 times between 1999-2009. I was active on both surfaces from 1998-2003, when I started racing ultras after joining the Central Massachusetts Striders. 

My first road 50k was a 3:14 in 2003, and my first 50 miler was a 6:18 for 4th place at JFK.  My PR’s are now 3:10 and 5:47. I was the USATF National Trail Marathon Champion in 2006, and I’ve won a few other USATF medals at the road and trail 50k championships. I’ve been selected to the US team for the IAU Road 50k Championship twice, and I’m a three time member of the IAU Trail Championship team where I was 6th in 2011. The past four years I’ve been attempting Fastest Known Times, and some of my current FKT’s include the Devil’s Path in the Catskills and the Pemi Loop and Presidential Traverse in the White Mountains. 

My professional background is in stress physiology, and I study the effects of chronic stress on behavior and physiology in my lab. This research focus has benefitted my running, and I’ve also studied training and racing physiology informally for the past 15 years. I’m excited for this years MPF RNR Trail Running Team, and I look forward to helping others establish healthy training plans to maximize both enjoyment and performance.