From Farmville to Boston
Published 1:45 pm Thursday, June 20, 2019
- Former Longwood University cross country standout Nick Reed holds up a medal he earned for recently finishing the prestigious Boston Marathon. He finished 141st overall, which was better than more than 99 percent of the field. (Photo courtesy of Nick Reed)
BY CHRIS COOK
LongwoodLancers.com
Nick Reed’s passion for running has taken him places.
At Robinson Secondary High School in Fairfax, it took him to the front of the pack where he was named all-region and was recruited by former Longwood University Head Coach Catherine Hanson to run cross country at Longwood.
As a Lancer, his passion for running took him to the top of the program’s leaderboards where he broke Longwood’s 10K record and still remains in the top five on nearly every one of the school’s all-time lists.
After graduation, his passion for running took him back to his high school alma mater where he turned that passion into a career, coaching Robinson’s cross country and track programs while also putting his Longwood degree to use as a substitute teacher.
And most recently, the passion for running took the 2016 Longwood graduate to the finish line of one of the largest and most prestigious races in the world — the Boston Marathon.
In the latest leg of what has become an enduring pursuit of personal-bests, racing bibs and podium finishes, Reed added the title of Boston Marathon Finisher to his growing list of racing accolades. On Monday, April 15, he took part in the historic 26.2-mile race through Boston, which is now in its 122nd year of existence and annually draws more than 30,000 runners from around the world.
“Once you get out on the course, it’s one of the most surreal experiences,” he said. “There are crowds the whole way cheering you on. It’s one of the greatest atmospheres. It was just amazing overall. The crowds, no matter where you were — in the beginning, middle and towards the end — they’re just amazing. There’s nothing I’ve ever run that’s anything close to that.”
Reed was one of two former Lancer cross country runners to participate in this year’s Boston Marathon, joining all-time women’s great Alisha Royal — now Alisha Royal Ebert — who placed 3,987th overall and 378th among all female runners in her second time in the race.
For Reed, qualifying for “The Boston” and enjoying the experience in itself would have been rewarding enough, but he made sure he got a lot more out of the trip than simply another bib to decorate his wall.
The Boston Marathon was only the third marathon of his life, but the Fairfax native ran it like a veteran. He finished 141st overall, placing ahead of more than 99 percent of the field. He was the fourth-fastest of the 493 runners hailing from Virginia, and he clocked a per-mile pace of 5 minutes, 49 seconds.
Reed’s final time was 2 hours, 32 minutes and 13 seconds, a personal best for a still-green marathoner who in just three years since graduating from Longwood has evolved from a “road racer” specializing in 5K and 10K distances to a full-fledged marathoner.
In his never-ending pursuit of those ever-extending finish lines, Reed has excelled every step of the way. He was a fixture at the front of the pack in the local 5K and 10Ks he ran near his hometown. Still just 26 years old with plenty more miles in his legs, he advanced to his first half-marathon and placed second at the Fredericksburg Historic Half.
It was that finish that got his wheels turning — or rather, kept his legs churning.
“I just started thinking, ‘Hey, I like longer stuff,’” he said. “‘So let’s just try a marathon.’”
Now Reed has three marathons under his belt, and he’s still hitting his stride. His times have improved each race, and he’s already racked up a collection of top-10 finishes and age division victories.
So what’s next? Another Boston? A 50-mile ultra-marathon? A 100-miler?
“A 100-miler may be off in the distance right now,” he said, half-joking. “Let me get a little bit older and start to lose some of that speed. Maybe then.”
At this rate, that may be a ways off. He’s not slowing down any time soon.