James Donahue is February 2022 Athlete of the Month

James Donahue (Belmont Hill School / Reading MA) is the 2022 USATF-New England Athlete of the Month (AOM) for February 2022. He was also recognized in 2013 when he won the USATF Junior Olympic National Cross Country Championship in the age 9-10 division.  

A senior at Belmont Hill School in Belmont, Massachusetts, he has been one of the dominant scholastic middle-distance runners in the region this indoor season.  The school has no indoor team so he races and trains on his own.  

James set two New England and one additional Massachusetts high school records indoors, most recently the Massachusetts state mile record of 4:02.25 on February 27 at the Boston University Last Chance meet. Two weeks earlier at the BU Valentine meet, he broke the New England 800 meter mark running 1:50.34, and in January, he established the New England record at 3000 meters in 8:13.75.  Showing his range, his name topped the state 600 meter performance list until February 20. 

He capped off his indoor season at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in New York City March 12-14 with All American 3rd place finishes in both the one mile (4:02.66).and two mile (8:51.87).
We recently caught up with James to hear about his successes.

USATF-NE:  You have had success in running for several years at this point. What got you interested in running, and how have you been able to stay motivated to strive for greatness?

James Donahue: I got interested in running early because my brother began running in middle school. The sport caught my attention due to its purity and innate love to compete. Working hard has always been something within my DNA. It is my favorite thing to do because of its results and the satisfaction of winning. I was always involved in several sports such as hockey, baseball, golf, and lacrosse. Playing a wide range of sports from a young age only made me hungrier when I narrowed my focus to running. It feels good that all of my work is producing concrete results in my senior year before I head to the University of Virginia for my collegiate career.


USATF-NE:  We often see successes by youth athletes at an early age - you won the National age 9-10 cross country championship - yet those successes don't always carry forward to high school and beyond. Were your improvements steady over 10 years or did you have ups and downs that came with growing in the sport?

JD:  It certainly has been a journey of ups and downs since I was young. I have had several setbacks and injuries along the way, but most importantly, each of them taught me essential lessons and only made me tougher for the return. It was undoubtedly a long road coming out of surgery, but I never lost focus on my goals.


USATF-NE:  The past month has been quite the stretch of strong races for you over various distance events. Walk us through breaking the state 1 mile high school record, and the New England 800m and the 3000m records. How did each race feel and how did it feel to see those times pop up?

JD:  Each race felt really good. I have been feeling the best I have ever felt recently due to my consistent training and mindset. I have created my training all winter and worked hard each day. In addition to running I was the captain of the Belmont Hill Nordic Ski team and raced several skate and classic races up north in New Hampshire with my teammates. My attention to detail has increased substantially with nutrition, sleep, training, and preparation. The times were gratifying, knowing all of the work that led into each one of them. As Muhammad Ali said, "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."

USATF-NE:  Out of all the events you run, which is your favorite to race?

JD:  My favorite event to race is the Mile. It is a mixture of strength and speed with critical race tactics involved. There is something magical about the event and the energy it creates. It has always been the event I love the most because everyone knows the Mile even if they are not involved in track and field. 

USATF-NE:  Who are your biggest inspirations and role models?

JD:  My biggest inspirations are my parents, first and foremost for their sacrifices and hard work. Without them, I would not be in the position I am today. I also love that running is purely a self-driven sport for me; neither of my parents ran, but they have given me the resources to succeed.

USATF-NE:  Outside of running, what are your favorite hobbies?

JD:  My favorite hobbies outside of running are enjoying time with friends, spending time at the lake, and following sports.

USATF-NE:  What are your plans for the coming years?

JD:  I will be running at UVA under Coach Vin Lananna and Coach Dunbar for the coming years. They have coached and ran at the highest level, and I can't wait to be led by them. They believed in me from the beginning of the recruiting process, so I built a strong relationship with them, the team, the school, and the program. I hope to achieve great things as a team and individual at Virginia. I want to be an All-American and win a team national championship.