Marcus Reilly is January 2022 Co-Athlete of the Month

Marcus Reilly, a sophomore at Northbridge (MA) High School, is the USATF-NE co-Athlete of the Month for January 2022.  Representing Edge Elite Track Club, Reilly broke the Massachusetts state high school 1000m record on January 30 at Boston University, clocking 2:24.18.  The time is also a new National sophomore class record by 3 seconds and the time is the 10th-fastest 1000m ever run by a high schooler.  That performance bodes well for success as indoor track & field enters the championship portion of the season.
USATF-New England asked Marcus about his race and competition in general.

USATF-New England:  You've had quite the successful career in running at a young age. When did you initially start running competitively and how has your progress gone from your perspective? Any big struggles or accomplishments that stand out?
Marcus Reilly:  I've been around track my whole life, really. From watching my parents run to now running myself, it's been a huge part of who I am. I didn’t really begin training until about 7th grade. Up to that point I would run a race maybe once a year and do soccer and basketball the rest of the year. I played basketball for one more year before realizing I was pretty good at this running thing, and wanted to pursue running more and see how far it would take me. My progression since then has been very steady. 
Of course, when you just start running you make massive leaps in PR’s, and as you get faster the PR’s get smaller and smaller. I've been able to consistently improve every year without any real struggles. An accomplishment that comes to mind is this past outdoor season when I had the opportunity to compete at the Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field. I was able to come away with the win in the Freshman mile which was awesome. Being able to spend time with my family in a place like that was a great experience. 

USATF-NE:  A NATIONAL RECORD. WOW. Walk us through the race, and your reaction to seeing the time when you finished. How does it feel to be a National Record holder?
MR: It was honestly a feeling of relief seeing that time. I had a few “rust busters” early in the season which weren’t all that impressive and I knew that a fast time was bound to happen at some point. Now that I have that fast time, I can start to get rolling through the season and prepare for nationals. It feels amazing to be a National Record holder and it certainly gives me a confidence boost going into the future. 

USATF-NE:  You have been very consistent dropping impressive times. Who has helped you stay working so hard at your training, and what keeps you motivated?
MR:  Since I've started running, my parents have been the biggest influence on my consistency. They know who I am, not only as a runner, but as a person as well, which I see as a huge advantage. In only the last few years that I've been thoroughly involved in the sport, Ive been able to gain so much knowledge from them that has molded me to be the runner that I am today. I get motivation from knowing that everyday I run, I'm improving. Although it's not visible from day to day, the results show when the races roll around and that only makes me more motivated to keep running faster. 

USATF-NE:  Describe what it has been like running and competing and high level meets while only being a high school student. Do you ever feel stressed or under a lot of pressure, or do you find the pressure to be a privilege?
MR:  There is certainly a little bit of pressure but I feel as though I put more pressure on myself than other people put on me. When I think of it as “it's only a race” I'm able to deal with that pressure better and know that whatever the result is, it's not the end of the world and there's another race in the future 

USATF-NE:  As a kid still, what do you enjoy to do outside of running?
MR:  I really enjoy listening to music and reading. Every once in a while I'll go back to my roots and play some soccer or basketball, which is very enjoyable. Of course school takes up the majority of the day, but I try to find ways to enjoy myself in school and keep the stress levels relatively low. 

USATF-NE:  What are your future aspirations and goals with your running career?
MR:  My goal is to see how far running can take me. I'm really enjoying the process right now and I'd like to pursue the sport for as many years as I can.