Kim Smith broke the New Zealand indoor track record in the mile with her 4:24.14 performance at the Boston University Valentine Invitational, February 8, but she already has her sights set on a marathon this fall. Smith, 26, plans to run her first marathon at the ING New York City Marathon on November 2, 2008. American 10000-meter runner Kara Goucher is also expected to run her debut marathon at that race. Smith said that she and Goucher both surveyed the course last November. Smith is a versatile runner, but specializes primarily in the 5000-meter and 10000-meter distances. She was 5th in the 10000 at the 2007 World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan. She also holds New Zealand records in the 3000, 5000 and 10000. Smith plans to run the 10000 at the Olympics this summer. Although she ran a fast mile in Boston, Smith is not at her peak. She is currently working on her speed as part of her Olympic training. “I’m not looking to run really fast [right now],” Smith said. If her 31:20.63 personal best 10000-meter time is any indication, Smith should excel at the marathon distance. She has the speed to run PB times of 4:11.25 in the 1500, 8:35.31 in the 3000 and 14:49.41 in the 5000, but said she performs better the longer she runs. “I prefer the longer distances,” she explained. “When I do longer stuff, I get faster.” Smith has no problem handling 90+ mile weeks, but surprisingly does not lift weights or include any other supplemental training. She relies on track workouts to develop her strength and finishing speed. “I don’t do a whole lot other than just run,” she said. Smith also has a laid back attitude about her diet. With all the running she does, she eats whatever she likes. One of her favorite foods is pizza. “I don’t try to eat healthy,” she said. “I eat what I want, when I want.” A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Smith started running competitively when she was in high school. She said that track and field was not very popular where she lived, so she mostly trained alone and dominated her races. “I got to a point in New Zealand where I was winning races pretty easily,” Smith described. Since there were more opportunities to compete in the United States, Smith attended college at McNeese State University in Louisiana. However, she soon became homesick and moved back to New Zealand after her freshman year. Smith said she missed her friends and didn’t care much about running when she was a freshman. After a year at home, Smith became more serious about the sport and moved back to the U.S. to run for Providence College in Rhode Island. It was there that she met her coach, Ray Treacy. Smith now has a home in Providence, where she trains with Amy Rudolph, Molly Huddle, Mary Cullen and Amy Mortimer. Treacy’s group is currently training in Tallahassee, Fla., for the winter. The Olympics are Smith’s primary goal, but her next major race is the 3000-meter run at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, March 7-9. *Photo from nyrr.org