Katie Keur from Oxford High School won the Calhoun County Championship in 18:26. We hear from her about her race and her running career.
Take me through some of the high points of the race.
We came through the mile pretty fast which gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the race. I started to get a little bit of a lead a little before the 2 mile and made a point to surge up the hill into the woods and was able to maintain it for the rest of the race. I had a negative split for the last mile which I'm super proud of!
With 6 straight sub-19 runs, how have you been so consistent since September?
I think definitely from being confident in myself and my ability. I trust my coach's training and that he knows what's best for us. Also just having a good mindset before a race and making sure to prioritize the fun of racing!
What got you into running?
My parents have always been runners and put me in a couple local 5k's when I was younger. I decided to try cross country with a couple friends just for fun in 7th grade and have loved it ever since!
Are you running in college next year?
I am. I just verbally committed to UAB last week!
Why did you choose to commit to UAB?
Academically, it's the best fit for me and what I want to pursue career-wise. Their running program is definitely growing and I wanted to be part of something like that! Coach Lowry is also incredible and always emphasized my potential as an athlete and really showed she cared about me not only as a runner, but also just as a person. Not to mention the girls on the team are all so close and supportive of each other which was definitely a huge factor for me.
What is the best workout you've ever done?
Definitely 8x800 repeats with roughly 90 second rest. It's been a staple workout for us especially the beginning of this season and was always a big confidence booster for races.
Track or XC?
I love them both but XC has my heart just a little more!
What's your favorite xc course you've raced?
Definitely Scottsboro.
What's your pre-race routine?
Nothing too specific but I do always put on my race day playlist to kind of ease the nerves while eating my bowl of oatmeal!
Give me a few songs on that playlist.
I have basically almost every song on Reputation by Taylor Swift on there. I have DNA and Humble by Kendrick Lamar and some random Doja Cat on there too.
What's the longest run you've ever done?
13 miles!
If you could eat at one restaurant for the rest of your life what would it be?
Heirloom Taco in Jacksonville! They have the best chicken tacos and vanilla lattes!
Who is your celebrity crush?
Harry Styles & Timothée Chalamet!
What's your favorite running memory?
I think definitely my 7th grade year when my whole girls team made it to state. It was my first year and I didn't know a whole bunch about running but I remember being so happy and proud in that moment for my team! I was just so excited to get to spend another week with the "big girls" before they all graduated and it became track season.
How do you want to be remembered at Oxford?
I want to be remembered as someone who was confident in herself and is someone people could look up to, at school or practice. I want to be someone who was supportive of everyone no matter what and also as someone who had fun in whatever they did. Hard work, whether in school or athletics, is important, but it only pays off if you really mean it and are having fun while doing it, and I hope I can be an example of that!
