Records Are Made To Be Broken

As the historian of Thurston County's running records, I compile and publish numerous stories about our area's rich running traditions. They say that records are meant to be broken, and in the 2022 track and field season, two out of three all-time middle-distance area records were broken.

Thurston County High School Boys All-Time Middle Distance and Distance Records

These are the all-time middle-distance records for boys in Thurston County.

The 800 meters is the longest-standing middle-distance running record for boys in Thurston County. This record was set in 1975 by someone writing this text, which is a bit personal. At the National Junior Olympics, the record was set in Ithaca, New York. The writer ran 1:51.7 for 800 meters (1:52.3 for 880 yards conversion) and finished second in the United States National Junior Olympics. The writer's dream has always been to coach an athlete to break this record. The 800-meter high school area record has stood for 49 years.

I ran for the Thurston County Striders  in Lacey, Washington, when I set the record in Ithaca, New York.

The 1600 meters

Dave Smith held the 1600-meter area record for 34 years before becoming a well-known cross country and track coach at Oklahoma State University. Under his guidance, Dave's teams have been crowned NCAA Division 1 national cross-country champions multiple times, earning him the title of NCAA Division 1 National Cross Country Coach of the Year several times. It is without a doubt that Dave is one of the top collegiate coaches in the United States.

Ethan Coleman, a high school athlete from Olympia, recently broke a long-standing record in track and field. At the 2022 Washington State High School Track and Field Championships, Ethan ran the 1600 meters in an impressive 4:06.28, beating Dave Smith's record of 4:09.28, which had been set back in 1988 when he was a student at Tumwater High School.

The 1600-meter record stood for 34 years.

The 3200 meters

Ethan Coleman of Notre Dame broke the area's 3,200-meter record, running 8:49.00, and now holds two of three all-time middle-distance records.

Blessings.

Coach Weber

Philippians 4:13

The all-time Thurston County High School Track and Field records are on my record pages below.

Thurston County All-Time Boy's Track and Field Records

Thurston County All-Time Track and Field Records (coachweber.org)

Thurston County All-Time Girl's Track and Field Records

All-Time Thurston County High School Track and Field Records (coachweber.org)

Note: Thurston County is in the State of Washington, about 60 miles south of Seattle, for readers outside our area. 

Copyright Larry Weber 2024