Our Team Philosophy

From its earliest days, the one word that's stuck with our program is Godspeed.  It forms the heart of our breakoff before every race, and it serves as a wonderful summary of our team philosophy.  The word says it all:  God comes before speed.  More than any time on the course, success for our runners means striding toward the person God calls them to be.  The ultimate finish line we race toward isn't the one at Gans Creek in Columbia.  It's Heaven.​

BELONG

Our sport has no bench.  Whether you can run the fastest 5k in the state or have never run more than a mile, there's a place on this team for anyone willing to buy into our team culture.  Everyone has a role to play in the team, and the team helps everyone grow as a runner and human being. 

​From the warmup to the pre-race prayer to the finish line, we stand together as a team.  Through Fun Wednesdays, team meals, and wacky dress-up days, we set a tone that our runners, coaches, parents, and fans form a family that lasts well beyond one's years of running.

BECOME

Successful runners are healthy runners.  For this reason, injury prevention is one of our primary goals.  This comes through daily strength and mobility training and an emphasis on sleep and nutrition.

Health also extends beyond the physical.  We develop mental skills like goal-setting, visualization, and a positive relationship with the race while also cultivating virtues like discipline, resilience, and fortitude.  In the end these help each individual move towards not only running their best but living their best. 

BELAY

In rock climbing, belaying is the process by which one climber helps another safely reach new heights using a rope that connects them.  In a similar fashion, the bonds between our runners allow them to do the same for each other.

Our veteran runners take the lead over many aspects of the team.  In doing so, they give back to our youngest team members the very formation they once received themselves.  In this way, our runners learn that the ultimate success is found in helping others--and thus the entire team--climb.