Waiting for the fire of a gun, a girl prepares for a two mile run ahead of her. She’s done it before, she’ll do it again, this is a race she will win. A state record will be broken and a champion will arise. This is the world that junior Addy Bristow lives in, this is the race she runs.
On the Friday of Nov. 1, junior Addy Bristow broke the 2-mile for 4A cross-country State record with a time of 10:43.3; this record hasn’t been broken since 2022. Old Settler’s Park, located in Round Rock TX is the location for the state competition for girls and boys cross-country.
“I loved running since I was a little kid,” Bristow said. “In elementary school we would do Eagle Miles, and I would run the whole time.”
Bristow’s race started as a child and she has been running her entire life, but running is more than a game for Bristow. It’s difficult to do and a continuous mentality strain. Cross country is a sustained period of long distance running that takes place over rough terrain making mobility another difficult hill to conquer. This sport is a battle of endurance, most of which is honed outside of the race. Bristow said that the team is really what keeps her in a constant state of motion.
“As hard as you work, if you’re just doing it for yourself there’s no motivation,” Bristow said. “When you see how hard your teammates work every single day. You’re constantly making each other faster and competing against each other.”
For cross-country, interpersonal team relationships are a catalyst for how well the runners perform. By working together through the tough times, building lasting relationships and constantly encouraging one another, runners get to explore their full potential. Everyone brings something to the team.
“Addy keeps our team very light and happy. She’s always looking on the positive side, allowing our team to stay positive and want to compete well,” senior Avery Brown, the previous state champion, said. “Addy and I have become very close, she’s constantly encouraging me to do my best and believe in myself.”
Bristow wasn’t always who she was today though. An abundance of trial and error went into her running record to create the Bristow that people know today. Brown said she’s noticed Addy’s improvement over the years.
“She really started to show signs of being a superstar last year [sophomore year]. Her freshman year in cross country, she was pretty average,” Cross-country coach Raymond Baca said. “I think she believes in herself a lot more than she used to. As she started to have success, she started to see that there’s a whole other level of what she’s able to accomplish.”
After all of Bristow’s development and growth she finally crossed the finish line, running into a state record. The team knew how good she was so they were not shocked. This accomplishment, no doubt, will go down in history.
“It’s such a great feeling to work hard towards something,” Bristow said. “You get a feeling of accomplishment afterwards, and you get to push yourself to new goals all the time.”
