Running is a unique sport. Many people do it as a workout but would never consider doing it competitively. And while there are those who do run competitively, not a lot of people recognize it as a team sport. Those people think, “With so many other options of sports to play, why choose running?” Yet running is actually a beneficial sport to play. Coach Nicholas Widener, the coach of cross country and distance track, feels deeply connected to running.

A view of the field at Marietta Distance Carnival, the Woodward distance track team’s first regular season meet. Photo courtesy of Sed Agbemabiese ’27.

“What do I not like?” Coach Widener said. “I love running because it combines everything that I love about living life and… just about being a human being, I love how it’s a connection to nature, I love that it has a spiritual element, I love how mentally and physically challenging it is and how it combines those two, and I love how it develops your fortitude for every other area of your life. You can accomplish really tough runs and… you can tell yourself that you can do really hard things, then that transcends, and relates to every other level of your life and every other goal that’s worth pursuing in life.”

Stephen Marcet ‘26, a runner on the cross country team at Woodward, thinks running helps him relax.

“I like running because after school, after I’ve had, like, a long day at school, I usually think that running helps me unwind… maybe gain more energy too before I go home and start doing homework,” Stephen said.

Chris Alexander ‘26, who is also on the cross country team as well as the track team, similarly thinks of running as relaxing.

“It’s just really…relaxing [and] de-stressing and… it’s just… calming,” Chris said.

That is not the only thing people like about running. Although running is an individual sport, people who have run cross country or track at school seem to believe it is more of a team sport than people realize.  Adelaide Hanna ‘25 feels that way regarding the cross country and track teams.

“It’s a team sport as well as an individual sport, and there’s a lot of communication involved in… practice and such, which… I enjoy…,” Adelaide said. “We all get to run together, and… running community is very different than any other sports really because everybody is… super supportive of each other and… everyone is there for a common goal…  that’s why I like running.”

Jane Breslin ‘28 also likes the team aspect of the sport. 

“I really like the people on the team and they are a great support system,” Jane said.

Running helps bring people together, and there are a lot of teamwork skills that can be learned through it. Some runners’ favorite running memories are the team-bonding experiences. Adelaide believes that a trip to Norway she went on with the cross country team was great for team building and helped improve her running.

“I’ve got to really get to know my whole team better and… learn better running skills as well,” Adelaide said.

Collin McCullough ‘25 also has fond memories of team-building events, especially the  cross country team lock-in at school this past season.

“It was… a really great bonding event for me and the rest of the team,” Collin said. “I really got to know a lot of my team better and… we get to…  spend some quality time [and] have some time with each other while we’re at school ‘cause it’s something that’s very hard to do nowadays.”

Despite the highs of running, like most things in life, it can get hard at times. People often quit due to not feeling they are good enough, but, in order to be good at running, you need to be able to push through those hardships. Collin shares his approach when a run isn’t going his way. 

“I just tell myself, like ‘Keep going and finish the job’ because… that’s like the only thing that gets me motivated,” Collin said.

Stephen has a different strategy for how to deal with running when it gets tough. 

“I usually just think that it’s going to be over soon and that… it’s gonna end eventually, and that I might as well just power through and give the best…  because if I don’t, I’m gonna regret it later on,” Stephen said.

In order to be a good runner, you have to be patient. You aren’t going to win a race or break a record the first time you run. Widener understands this through his many years running and coaching running.

“I really call on my patience… to help me with that, but also, you know, our mantra for cross country and distance is to ‘run the mile you’re in’, so you really just have to focus… on that mile and that moment, and work through the task at hand.” Coach Widener said. “The best miles are up ahead, so, continue… to be positive and focus… on the mile you’re in, and you’re gonna get through it, and there’s gonna be some great things that are up ahead.”

Collin felt nervous before his first race, but he has learned to overcome his nerves.

“I became used to running with other people, in front of a crowd… that used to get me very nervous,” Collin said. “That used to be a very nervous thing. I really got used to it. Track helped a lot.

Collin also mentioned that lots of people aren’t able to get past the hurdle that is the hardships of running.

“At the start of it, it becomes very exhausting, and you always feel tired when you’re running for… the first few minutes, and you always have this like ‘Just quit running. Never do it again,’” Collin said. “… You have to overcome that in order to, like, actually become a runner.” 

Stephen brought up a possible reason why running is a sport people roll their eyes at. Lots of sports use running as a punishment. Stephen plays soccer, and the punishment for messing up or doing something the coach doesn’t like is to run a lap. 

“Usually it’s the punishment for your sport and… for… soccer, if you mess up… coach makes you… take a lap or something on the field, and then that probably builds… a negative connotation about running that it should be a punishment… when it can actually be kinda fun,” Stephen said.

Running is commonly viewed as not a real sport. This is not how running should be thought of. Instead, it should be thought of as a sport where you can feel good after completing it. The feeling of when you finish a hard run is like no other. Running is a hard sport, but just like anything hard in life, you just have to get through it, and the reward for getting it done is surreal.

“Whenever you feel like you need to quit, just keep going,” Collin said. “Quitting will only make you feel worse, so just keep going when you’re at your lowest.”