News-Letter

Media Credit: Conor Kevit

When sophomore distance runner Graham Belton wakes up on the morning of a meet, his schedule seems to be not much different than that of someone with an 8 a.m. class. Roll out of bed pretty early in the morning, take the longest shower that is humanly possible and then grab a bite to eat. This may sound like an ordinary day to most people, but Graham insists that it is definitely anything but ordinary. How he mentally prepares for his races that day all starts with the shower. "I don't care where I am, or what time I get up, I am going to take as long as I want," he said. "Sometimes I have angry roommates that bang on the door of the bathroom, but I need that long shower."

Once Graham is overly squeaky-clean and at the track meet, it's relaxation time until about an hour before the race. At this point, he gathers a few things (including his lucky socks that he has worn every race since the ninth grade), takes a walk somewhat far away from the hustle and bustle and takes some time to be alone. "Don't put that in the article!" he said with a laugh. "People might get the wrong idea!"

On the outside, Graham is a regular sophomore at Hopkins. As an Atlanta, Ga. native, he's majoring in chemical engineering. Graham is clearly a bright student, motivated and hard-working. But on the inside, he's a tough competitor. On Feb. 8, during the Valentine Invitational held at Boston University, Graham ran a 4:20.94 in the mile and finished 65th. He qualified for ECAC's and broke the Hopkins record in the process, an accomplishment that has earned him the News-Letter Athlete of the Week spotlight.

Graham was very gracious and excited for the recognition. I caught up with him during a phone interview, where he gave me an extensive insider's look into his competitive life as well as his more personal side. He's a hockey fan when watching sports on television, and he takes inspiration from Ethiopian long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie, who has broken 25 world records and is widely known as one of the best distance runners of all time. But what does he find so great about running long distances?

"The best thing about long-distance running is being able to just take off in any direction with a couple friends, enjoying each other's company and catching up," he said. "It's an awesome way to spend your time."

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools