It’s A Marathon, Not A Sprint

GC Athlete: Leah Stephens

The saying “it’s a marathon, not a sprint!” is quite common and can be applied to many different situations. It is seen as the perfect example of learning to be content with where you are in the present moment. You don’t want to sprint and run out of energy early on to have people pass you in the end. You instead want to take things in life as a marathon, completing each mile at a good pace for you until you reach the end. 

This saying is also appropriate for the highly demanding sport, cross country. Cross country is a sport that requires a lot of time and dedication to be great. While our very own Leah Stephens certainly is very speedy, she also put in a lot of work to begin the marathon of her Good Counsel Cross Country career. 

Leah is a sophomore this year and is a standout runner for the Falcons. She is already a natural but has also put in countless hours on the track and put many miles on her running shoes to achieve what she has achieved in her very own marathon, building a path to be the best runner she can be. 

Credit: OLGCHS

Leah Stephens recently broke Good Counsel’s 5k Cross Country Record by more than 12 seconds. Recording a time of 18:35 at the Pole Green Championships in Mechanicsville, Va. Leah posted an incredible time in some tough conditions with wind gusts routinely registering over 20mph. Coach Hiegel stated that “Leah did an outstanding job against some of the best High School Distance runners in the Mid-Atlantic Region. I’m very impressed with her new record under such demanding circumstances.” Leah has been a great asset to this program, which is highlighted by her outstanding personal record and by Coach Hiegel’s glowing words.

Leah is rounding out her sophomore year on a high note and is starting her running career “marathon” with a record-breaking time. She is another solid example of what it means to be a Falcon and what it means to take things at your own pace, albeit hers is a swift one!