Wearing a headlamp in the darkness of the night, a young Lawrence runner trekked through 31.1 miles of rocky terrain.
Moses Minor, 15, recently accomplished his first ultramarathon at the Clinton Lake North Shore Trails. Any race extended past a marathon is considered an ultramarathon, and Moses chose the longest option offered in the annual Night Hawk race.
Finishing in seven hours, 14 minutes and three seconds, Moses placed eighth out of 26 finishers ranging in age from 15 to 49. He was one of just two runners younger than 24.
The race, set at nighttime, requires participants to travel through grass, dirt and uneven surfaces. But perseverance is nonnegotiable for Moses.
“I always know that I’m going to finish,” he said. “I’ve committed and told people that I’m going to do that and I don’t want to see them a couple weeks later and tell them I didn’t finish or I didn’t do it as fast as I wanted.”
Moses said he wasn’t a particularly active kid until he began running two years ago. He became acclimated to the sport by setting a mile-a-day goal and introducing himself to races.
When he was 14, Moses completed a marathon — 26.2 miles — in Salina. Six months before that event, he completed a half marathon at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.
A Free State High School sophomore, he competes on his school’s cross country and track and field teams, invariably chasing the longest distances available.
“I think I’d like to go a lot farther, and I definitely want to get a lot faster before I leave high school,” Moses said. “I like all those 100-mile races out in the western states and everything.”
But experiencing the sport is better with friends, Moses said, vowing “that’s one thing I’ll never stop doing.” He encourages his community to join him and stay active to their abilities because of the benefits, he said.
In addition to physical health, research shows exercise can support mental health by reducing depression and mental blocks and improving moods.
“I’m always much happier after I move my body in any kind of way,” he said. “Just always know why you challenge yourself — that your body’s the best investment you can make in your life.”
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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