Interview with Zane Williams-Marlowe

Interview+with+Zane+Williams-Marlowe

Recently, our very own Zane Williams-Marlow, a senior, proved once again that he is a brilliant runner. He beat Seth Ruhling’s 5k record of 18 minutes and 23.2 seconds by a whopping 2 minutes and 3.2 seconds. If running around three miles in sixteen minutes isn’t a tangible enough feat for you, consider that he is a mere three and a half minutes off from the world record. 

Needless to say, his accomplishments are a source of pride for everyone; himself, family, friends, fellow students, and even colleges. His hard work paid off when Tennessee Wesleyan University reached out to offer him a full scholarship to run cross country for them, even allowing him to take Sabbaths off.

Inspired by this, I decided to get a small interview with Zane:

Me: How does it feel to win?

Zane: “Winning’s like, the ultimate goal when you’re running, you know? Something you work up to. It’s been a dream I’ve had [for] a long time . . . striving to win and just finally see[ing] the success. . . . Being able to go to state and break the school[’s] 5k record. It’s just been really fun.”

M: How do you train?

Z: “It’s really just consistency, by getting up every single day, not stopping—of course I don’t run on Saturdays— . . . and being relentless.”

M: Do you enjoy running?

Z: “Yes and no. Basketball’s my favorite sport, but obviously God gave me [the] talent [for] running, so I don’t do basketball, I do specifically running. I do like competing, but there are some days where you get up and I just don’t wanna get out of bed. But I tell myself, “You gotta do it.” ”

M: How do you get yourself to do it?

Z: “I guess just focus and commitment. It’s just getting to a routine and then you basically get used to it.”

M: Any advice for anyone who wants to be like you?

Z: “Just set goals and stick to them. You know, basically like I said, consistency, stick to your goals—first of all, set your goals—cause if you just start running, you’re like, “We’ll see how fast I get,” you know? There should be goals that you set.”

Zane’s performance is one for the books, but don’t let that discourage you. Even a task so difficult as long-distance running can be conquered by sheer determination.  You are capable of almost anything you put your mind to. And with God’s help, you can do things you never could have imagined.