After college, he began to take part in road running competitions. He was third at the 2005 USA 20K championships which earned him a place for the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, where he came twentieth in a personal best of 1:03:32 hours. He began 2006 with a personal record of 63:07 minutes for the half marathon, taking second place in the national championship race in Houston, Texas. A fifth-place finish at the USA Cross Country Championships led to an appearance at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, although he managed only 76th place in the long race. He set a 5000 meters best of 13:36.33 minutes shortly afterwards, and placed seventh in the 10,000 m at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. His marathon debut came at the 2006 Chicago Marathon and he finished the event in a time of 2:15:50 hours for twentieth place.