Eagle Rock native James Corrigan recently participated in the 3000 meter steeplechase at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Corrigan placed third at the US Olympic Trials, and achieved a personal record (PR) of nearly 8 seconds to qualify for the games. The steeplechase is a 7.5 lap race with four barriers and one water jump per lap.
Corrigan’s coach at Eagle Rock high school, Richard Martinez, said he remembers Corrigan’s kindness and work ethic as what set him apart.
“Any time that there was work to do, he embraced it,” Martinez said. “There weren’t any workouts that he shied away from […] He is a person who embraces that idea of just grinding away and enjoying it.”
Throughout high school, Corrigan continued to improve but he was never the fastest runner on paper, Corrigan said. Corrigan now runs at Brigham Young University (BYU). He said that he is a hopeful person, and that he was always confident in his ability to run at a Division I program.
“I assumed that I would continue to be good at everything I do […] and that perspective has served me well even in things I am not exactly good at, because it creates a sense of hope,” Corrigan said.
According to Corrigan, one such accomplishment driven by hope was his result at the Olympic Trials, where he placed third in the 3000 meter steeplechase and secured a potential bid to Paris.
According to the US Track and Field Olympic Trials website, the top three in each event earn a bid to the Olympics, so long as they have run the Olympic standard — and in the steeplechase, the Olympic standard was 8:15.00. Corrigan said he had not achieved the Olympic standard before the trials.
“My coach told me ‘if you get top three we are going to celebrate it and figure out a plan [to run the standard] from there,” he said.
Corrigan did not run the Olympic standard at the Olympic trials, so he ran at a late-season meet at the University of Pennsylvania in hopes of achieving the standard. Corrigan said that he never doubted his ability to run that time, but that there was pressure. He said that he announced his attempt at the Olympic standard a few days beforehand, and many people came out to support him. Corrigan ran an eight second personal record to finish in a time of 8:13.67, which was fast enough to qualify for the Olympics.
“Pressure is a privilege, be grateful for it,” Corrigan said. “Knowing I was able to invite pressure and handle it well […] was really special, more than just getting the time.”
Noé Barraza (sophomore), an Occidental steeplechase runner from East LA, said that Corrigan’s performance was extraordinary.
“An eight second [PR] is really phenomenal. Most PRs occur within the [1-2 second range],” Barraza said.
Corrigan said he did many sports growing up — like basketball, football, teeball — and that he swam competitively.
“My mom was great about including us in a lot of different sports and encouraging us to stick with them,” he said.
According to Corrigan, he first found running in elementary school through a local sprinting club, but didn’t have much fun. Corrigan said he returned to the sport in middle school.
“I saw there was a running club, and I told myself that I can’t knock something until [I] try it twice,” he said. “That’s true for a lot of things […] like tomatoes.”
Corrigan said that his true inspiration to continue running came from both his mother’s encouragement, and from the club he had joined, Students Run LA (SRLA). According to Corrigan, SRLA is a marathon training club for middle schoolers, and that it was there he learned that he enjoyed the hard work that can lead to success in running.
“I have an innate desire to put a bunch of unpaid hours into something,” Corrigan said. “The things I enjoy most tend to be […] things that require a lot of work.”
Barraza said that he was thrilled at Corrigan’s success, as the two run the same event and reside in East LA.
“[It is] reassuring and also very motivating as well, to see success from a similar [person], and to [know I can] do something similar and do it in my own way,” Barraza said.
Corrigan did not make the steeplechase final in the Olympics. He said he was disappointed in the outcomes of the Olympics, but he was not disappointed in himself.
“It wasn’t exactly the performance that I wanted. I will say I wasn’t disappointed in myself in the least. I was trying as hard as I could, the legs were just gone,” Corrigan said.
Corrigan said he plans to sign an NIL deal while he finishes another calendar year of college with BYU and then sign a professional contract within the next year. Corrigan said that he is excited to make running a career.
Corrigan said that the Olympics have given him invaluable experience with international level competition.
“From now on [I’ll be able to] have that expectation that I’m going to make it to those races,” he said. “I’ll take that into the next cycle of Olympics and World Championships.”
Contact Andrew Eisenberg at aeisenberg@oxy.edu.
