It seems like just yesterday this team of relative unknowns showed up and stole our hearts. A ragtag group of post-collegiates led by high school legend, Drew Hunter. Drew who opted to go straight to the professional ranks, under his high school coach Tom "Tinman" Schwartz, was the only member of this squad with any pedigree. After their growth as a grass roots running team, not part of some bigger corporate entity, we came to know so many of these athletes and rooted for their success. After a promising start, inner team drama soon arose and brought the world crashing down. After making an official deal with Adidas to sponsor the team, Tinman Elite fell of the face of the Earth. Multiple team injuries and setbacks left the Tinmen feeling like shells of their former selves. Drew Hunter, defacto team captian not having raced since 2018, remained silent on the teams issues speaking volumes about team culture and systemic issues. After a cryptic post on Instagram the news arose that the team had voted out the titualr coach Tom Schwartz. Amid thier lack of team success this seemed like the nail in the coffin. The team that had seemed like the future of running came and went right in front of our eyes, not with a bang but with a whimper. The hiring of Drew Hunter's mother as coach seemed like damage control and a PR move at best. We heard nothing from the Tinmen for months. The experiment had failed.

 

Drew Hunter breaks the tape at the USATF Road 5k Championships. Impossible. After real Discussion of disbanding the team, Drew Hunter defeats the best the United States has to offer. It's not just Drew either. Drew was joined by his teammates Brian Barraza and Joey Berriatua, Brian taking 6th and Joey finding 8th. This is unprecidented, no team, especially a mid professional team like the Tinmen has ever come out and dominated at this level after such a terrible time away from racing. After jokingly being dubbed "Tinmom Elite" because of Joan Hunter's hiring as coach, they are back and ready to play. It's too early to tell if this was a fluke, a flash in the pan, one in a million, but as it stands Tinman Elite is the most dangerous team in professional running. Don't sleep on these guys any longer, it seems like they've had their rest and are ready to let their times do the talking.

-Tinman Elite elected not to comment on their recent 5k success, rather leaving us with the cryptic message "This is only the beginning"