On your marks, get set…go! On Mar. 18, Arcadia High School’s Track team hosted its annual Distance Running Challenge on a long-anticipated warm day. Initially beginning at 2 p.m. in the afternoon, many distance events were hosted up until 10 p.m. at night. 

Arcadia’s distance runners faced hefty competition, pushing them to strive towards competing for their best. With the ideal weather conditions, warm and sunny, many runners demolished personal records.

Exceptionally notable, two AHS distance boys ran remarkably well in the Boys Varsity 1600m. senior Brandon Chang ran a 4:16:36, and just a few milliseconds behind, senior Weber Lin ran a 4:16:87– both outstanding times! 

“Weber and Brandon are truly outstanding in what they do. The amount of training they do to perform at an exceptional level defines their hard work and raw talent. To achieve such milestones, I can’t help but feel proud of them,” said sophomore Allen Itthichaichan.

“I think a lot of people don’t appreciate just how much of an accomplishment running a 4:16 is. It landed the two of them on Arcadia’s all-time top 10 list for the mile—arguably THE most competitive track and field event there is,” added senior Carolyn Sun. 

“I’m so proud of them. Not often will high schoolers, let alone anyone, break the 4:20 mile barrier. [Their achievements] are definitely a product of the relentless hard work and effort that everyone [has] seen Brandon and Weber put in day in and day out over the past couple of years,” finalized Sun. 

Both athletes beat their original personal records by a whopping eight seconds! Chang and Lin made Arcadia’s Top Ten list for Boys Varsity 1600m and placed high overall in the meet. To put into perspective how significant their accomplishments are, the last runner to make the Boy’s Varsity 1600m Top Ten list was from eight years ago, in 2014. 

“Prior to the race, I was definitely nervous and a little hesitant to step on the line, as I had a pretty bad sore throat the day of the race. However, after talking to my teammates and close friends, I decided to step on the line either way and just have fun. Throughout the race, I just focused on relaxing my stride and [following] my coach’s race plan. Despite my sore throat, my body felt amazing going into the last lap. I sprinted it as hard as I could and was rewarded with a 4:16. I’m extremely ecstatic about this time and I’m looking forward to running a faster 2 mile at the Arcadia Invitational,” said Chang. 

Despite not feeling his best, Chang persevered and his outstanding result reflects his dedication; truly inspiring! 

“I have to thank Coach Harji for this PR, as he believed in me, putting me in a race full of sub 4:20 milers and convincing me that I could not only keep up, but score well within the heat,” mentioned Lin. 

“I really do believe that most of racing is purely mental, as you’re placed with runners of similar speed—anything can happen. While I ran that race, all I thought about was hanging on to my teammate, Brandon Chang. We started off slow, but when we hit the third lap, we started to pick things up and catch the other runners. Surprisingly, I felt great with 300 [meters] left to go. I gave it my all in the final 100 [meters] and was gasping on the track for air once I passed the finish line. I actually didn’t know that I was approaching the records on the top 10 list; It was another teammate who pulled up the list and announced that I’d made it!,” added Lin. 

“I can’t believe I’m now 9th all-time Arcadia. It just seemed so far out of the realm of possibility that I didn’t even consider it. My hard work is finally paying off, and I can’t wait to see what I can pull off with the rest of the season!,” concluded Lin. 

Regardless of facing a runner’s mental wall, Lin’s determination and perseverance absolutely wrecked that wall. 

Prior to the meet beginning, the AHS Track team arrived two hours early to help set up and partake in student-run jobs, staying until after 10 p.m.  

Without the help and dedication of AHS’ track members, hosting this meet wouldn’t have been possible! Students partook in a variety of jobs such as guarding the perimeter, wristband check-ins, working the concession stand, and giving away medals. 

“The meet went very well, the races were all on time,” said sophomore Vivien Lee. 

“Everyone did a good job and I was happy seeing all the athletes excited after getting their medals. I am very proud of my [medal] crew for staying until almost 11 p.m. to help out,” continued Lee. 

“For being only the second annual Arcadia Distance Challenge, I think it was a fantastic meet by all standards,” remarked junior Emma Samvelian.

“The level of competition amongst athletes was, from what I heard and saw, very high, and I was very happy to be able to congratulate several Arcadia medalists! This meet gave the distance runners of the team a great opportunity to run against high-level competitors without having to pay an entry fee and travel to another meet, and they all did amazing,” concluded Samvelian. 

Congratulations to all Arcadia distance runners who competed in an event. Running against tough competition is no easy task, mentally and physically. Once again, a huge round of applause to Chang and Lin for their elite times! Lastly, a special thank you to all Arcadia volunteers, both students and parents, who helped make this meet possible. Be sure to continue to support the AHS Track team!

Photo courtesy of Arcadia DCI Interns Alaina Lee and Rianna Marquez