PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Marco Langon got his payback!
The day after losing a heart-breaking finish in the men's distance medley relay Championship of America at the Penn Relays , Langon returned to the track at historic Franklin Field on Saturday with revenge on his mind.
He got what he came for in thrilling fashion as Langon came from way back and then held off a late charge from his nemesis Simeon Birnbaum of Oregon to bring Villanova across first in the 4xmile Championship of America race, stopping the clock at 16:18.47. Oregon was second in 16:18.52.
On Friday, Birnbaum, the collegiate record holder at 1,500m, held off a diving Langon at the line to give Oregon a dramatic DMR win, 9:32.08 to 9:32.18. After that race, Birnbaum said, ''Second place was calling, and I had to hang up.''
Langon fired back after Saturday's race.
"He should have never picked up that (expletive) phone," Langon said. "There was no way I was going to lose after what happened yesterday. I owed it to my coach, my teammates, my family, my friends, my girlfriend and to myself to get this wheel.''
Langon, a 2022 graduate of Bridgewater-Raritan, was in fourth place and 2.35 seconds behind when he got the baton, but quickly closed the gap and then made a bold move to the front with 600 to go and pushed the pace with Northern Arizona, Virginia, Wisconsin and Oregon all right on him.
Birnbaum made the biggest charge down the homestretch in an effort to try to overtake Langon and nearly pulled even with him as the two battled to the line. But Langon refused to lose and willed himself across the line first. Langon split 3:55.94, the fastest of the race.
Langon was honored for his two huge anchor legs by being named the Most Outstanding Men's College Athlete of the Meet for Relay Events!!
Langon said he cried in the shower after Friday's race, and had a talk with his coach, the great Nova legend Marcus O'Sullivan, who told Langon he experienced the exact same thing in 1984 when he lost to Arkansas on the DMR anchor leg at the Penn Relays and came back to get redemption the next day by beating Arkansas on the anchor to win the 4x1500.
"When Marcus told me that I knew that I was going to come back and win today,'' said Langon. "There's no way I wasn't coming through for my guys this time. Losing just wasn't an option.''
Unlike Friday, Langon ran much more aggressively.
"Today, I was just like, you know what, get to the front. Don't look back" Langon said. "I'm not going to die like a poodle in the street. I was going to go out and I was going to get this done for the team. I knew this would be the bloodiest wheel of them all. This was the hardest competition, and we got this (expletive) thing done. No way I was going to leave this program without anchoring a wheel. I owed to my teammates. This was all about my team and this program!''
As he crossed the line, Langon extended his arms in the air, exactly the same way O'Sullivan did when he won in '84, and then jumped into the arms of his teammates Sean Donoghue, Ben Thomas, Bailey Habler, which touched of a wild celebration.
Langon was so jacked up that he, along with Habler, pulled a "Lambeau Leap,'' climbing up the brick wall to celebrate with the crowd and exchange several high-fives with fans! Then Langon, Donoghue, Thomas and Habler took a victory lap as the huge Nova Nation section at the start of the backstretch gave them a standing ovation.
"It was just a moment of total relief,'' Langon said of the celebration. "There's no better feeling in this sport than winning a wheel at Penn!'
This was Nova's third 4xmile victory in the past four years and extended Nova's record to a staggering total of 98 Championship of America wheels at Penn, including a record 23 in the 4xmile!!
This was Langon's 2nd wheel at Nova. He ran the third leg on Nova's 4xmile in 2024 that ran a collegiate record of 15:51.91. That race was anchored by Liam Murphy, who starred at NJ's Allentown High.
"At Villanova, it's all about the wheel and the culture,'' Langon said. "This what we all work every day for, and the wheel is what connects all the runners who have worn this jersey. We have a responsibility to continue the Nova distance running legacy.''
Langon, one of the greatest distance runners to ever come through New Jersey and a Villanova legend, was asked if this was the biggest moment of his career?
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Marco Langon got his payback!
The day after losing a heart-breaking finish in the men's distance medley relay Championship of America at the Penn Relays , Langon returned to the track at historic Franklin Field on Saturday with revenge on his mind.
