BEIJING — With his own decathlon world record in reach but 1,500 meters still to run, Ashton Eaton did anything but stay in the moment.
As he made his final push at the world track and field championships, Eaton thought about his coach, Harry Marra, and flashed back to the sacrifices Marra had made to nurture Eaton’s talent and career.
“It’s really easy to let yourself down, but when I’m coming down that last 300 meters, I’m thinking about all the time he spends away from his wife, all the time we spend away from our families,” Eaton said of Marra.