Three years ago, Paul Gompers ran a 2:15 marathon.

An impressive performance to be sure, but not astounding. It was, after all, some seven minutes off the world record time.

But consider the fact that Gompers' showing set a world junior record--a record which still stands today--and the performance seems mighty impressive.

And when you throw in the fact that Gompers, now a senior on the Harvard cross country team, was running in his first marathon ever, the time was downright astounding.

But still, Gompers would much rather talk about Germany.

"I really enjoyed it over there," he said. "I learned a lot and really improved."

Last year Gompers, a biology major, decided to take a year off to do research for the Bayer corporation in West Germany. But a year off from school didn't mean a year off from running. While working, Gompers ran with the Bayer Leverkusen racing club, a group of 10-15 of the most talented runners in Germany, most of whom had been members of the West German Olympic racing team.

"It was good to be able to continue running while I worked, and the team was very talented," Gompers said. In Germany, where all competitive racing is done among club teams, Bayer Leverkusen has been the national champion for nine of the last 10 years.

But now Gompers is back at Harvard, and his presence has certainly been felt by the team.

"He's really a good example, and he relates very, very well with the young people," Harvard Coach Ed Sheehan said. "The team is really positively influenced by his dedication to the sport."

Next weekend the Crimson travels to Lehigh, Pa., to compete in the men's cross country regional meet. The top three teams and top three individuals advance to the national championships held in Tuscon, Ariz., November 24. And, "barring a major catastrophe," Gompers feels he will be among the individual qualifiers.

"I'm confident of my abilities, but I'll have to run a smart race," he said.

Gompers qualified for nationals two years ago as a junior, but did not place among the top finishers. This year, however, he is one of the leading contenders for the title.

"Certainly he's going to be quite competitive," said Sheehan, "and he has to be considered a serious threat."

But when Gompers first came to Harvard, he was still only "a good high school runner, not a national talent," according to Sheehan.

And when he first joined the cross country team as a freshman in high school, he was, by his own admission, "not very good at all."

But since his first race, Gompers has steadily improved.

His secret? Hard work.

"After my freshman year [of high school] I decided to get serious and train a lot harder," he explained.

And when he says "get serious," he means it. His weekly mileage jumped from approximately 20 miles to an incredible 120.

"I steadily improved," he said, "and I didn't encounter a lot of setbacks. That really encouraged me."

During his four years of collegiate competition, Gompers has consistently run in the number one spot for the Crimson, and continually improves on his own school-record times in the 5000 and 10,000-meter runs.

This season marks Gompers' last chance for a national collegiate title. But after college, Gompers plans to continue running, concentrating on the marathon, a distance he has competed in only twice.

"I don't know where I'll be next year, but I hope to work something out that will allow me to train seriously," Gompers said. "I'm still building, and I'm going to continue to race competitively. Right now I'm aiming for the '88 [Olympic] trials in the marathon."

Gompers sees cross country and track training as "a necessity to run well in marathons," but he doesn't plan to compete in road races.

"You can make a lot of money running road races," he said, "but it can be a detriment to your development as a runner. I don't want to run road races, because I'm not in the sport to make money. I'm in it for the love of running, and I hope to achieve at the highest level."