Stories And Inspiration

From GO FAR to Cross Country: Running Well Takes Time

Submitted by Anonymous on Sep 17th 2015 - 8:00AM. | Perma Link

GO_FAR_Melville

Above: David Melville runs a local race in 2010.

When David Melville started GO FAR, he enjoyed running and afterschool practices. Running well, he found, would take some time.

His first race was a GO FAR event in fourth grade. Speed and struggle on the course taught him valuable lessons.

“I had no idea what to expect competition wise,” David said. He started out fast and felt sick just before the finish line. The runner he had stuck with the whole time finished before him.

“I didn’t really respect the distance,” he said. “By the second mile, I was really trying to push it.”

Now a sophomore on the cross-country team at Northern Guilford High School, David has learned a lot about running, racing, and himself.

David stopped GO FAR after two seasons and went on to wrestling and rugby. He never stopped running for fun, and training for wrestling included six-mile runs. GO FAR had sparked that interest. It also encouraged family support.

David ran with his father and brother during the week for fun.

“The school actively encouraged parents to support the training and participate in the races,” said Doug Melville, David’s father. “It was a great way to get families out taking exercise together.”

In middle school, David got more serious about running. He joined the track team where he broke the middle school mile record (4:53).Melville_middle_school

Then in high school, David surprised himself. He won the Freshman/Sophomore State Cross-Country 5K (15:51 PR). He qualified for indoor nationals in New York City—the indoor mile (4:36 PR). He also qualified for the outdoor New Balance Nationals freshman two-mile race in Greensboro, for which he placed third (9:48).

David wasn’t expecting third place. “I just didn’t feel like I had the same speed as the bigger guys,” he said. “It’s really about keeping a good pace.”

David thinks some people are more natural at running, but he said success is still attainable. “I think anybody can be a good runner if they work for it.”

David still has a lot of hard work ahead of him. He’d like to win at least one state championship and qualify for national competition. Future goals include a scholarship and running in college and maybe international competition.

For young kids just starting running or training for their first 5K, David said it’s important to have fun, get a good base, and use proper running form.

“I was at that point one time,” he said. “I never thought I could be as fast as [some] people. It’s all hard work. You’ve got it in you somewhere.”

Above right: Melville at a Northern Guilford Middle School track meet in 2013. Below: Melville places 3rd in the New Balance Nationals freshman two-mile race. Photos courtesy of the Melville family.

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