Sports

Dunbar wraps up first European track trip

Trevor Dunbar wrapped up his first trip to Europe as a pro track athlete with a disappointing 5,000-meter race Saturday in Belgium.

Dunbar, a Kodiak runner who recently completed an All-American career at Oregon, won the "B" race at the KBC Night of Athletics meet in Heusden-Zolder.

His time – 13 minutes, 39.33 seconds – was well off the personal-best 13:26.9 he ran last month at the NCAA championships. And it was significantly slower than the winning time in Saturday's showcase 5,000 meter race, where winner Augustine Choge of Kenya clocked 13:06.71.

"Disappointing last race in Europe but I'll be back in the states to fight again," Dunbar tweeted.

Dunbar was hoping for a third PR in as many races in Europe. He made his pro track debut earlier this month by registering personal-bests in the mile and the 3,000 meters.

A couple of days before the Belgium meet, Flynn Sports Management announced that Dunbar had signed a contract with Nike. In the announcement, Dunbar said he planned to remain in Eugene, Oregon, and train under the guidance of Andy Powell, an assistant coach at Oregon who works with distance runners.

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