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Even when he’s out of breath and out of energy, senior Ben Hathaway knows he’s not done. As the top cross country runner at NS, Hathaway persists through pain to strengthen his team.
Last week, Sept. 24, Hathaway ran a 17:17 5k, taking first overall out of the 150 students running in Moab. Despite the challenges of cross country, Hathaway appreciates the benefits of running.
“I’ve loved staying in shape,” Hathaway said. “That’s why I did it.”
Hathaway has been a great leader for his team with his dedication to the sport, but he’s helped them in more ways than just his dedication.
Hathaway has always been an optimistic person. His view on life has had an uplifting effect on others.
“He’s a very positive and happy person to be around,” said senior Tyce Walker.
Hathaway’s influence on people doesn’t spread to just his friends, but to his coaches as well.
“He’s always been an optimist and able to see the good experiences and everybody else,” said cross country coach Bill Bedford. “That’s kind of what defines him as a person.”
The optimism and dedication are evident in his schedule. He wakes up at around 6 A.M. every day to run at least three miles every day except Sundays. Even though it may be hard, he still keeps a positive attitude.
This mental stamina helps him go from season to season, improving each year. The development from year to year is noticeable. Even during the summer, he trained.
“I think how much he improved last spring during track season got him kind of fired up to have a really memorable senior year in cross country,” Bedford said.
Putting in the effort has always been important to Hathaway, perhaps because of his family’s example. Even at a young age he enjoyed watching his family run.
“My uncle running a marathon was really cool,” Hathaway said, “because all my family was there congratulating him.”
Running is something he grew up with. His mom ran in high school, and his sister sometimes runs with him now. They practice as a team every other morning during the summer. Their goal is to go all over Sanpete County.
All this dedication has paid off both in his current competitive running and his potential future as a collegiate runner. Hathaway has already been approached by Snow College Richfield and plans to run for them after serving a mission.
“He’s really excited about running for college,” Bedford said. “He’s blazed a trail through high school.”
