Lexington High School sophomore Trevor Stevens set a new record on Lexington’s 5K course. Stevens, a cross country athlete since elementary school, was the first person to run the course in under 16 minutes. With this record-breaking performance, Stevens is emerging as one of the top young athletes on the team, pushing himself and his teammates with him.

Stevens started his running career in elementary school with his mom serving as an inspiration and running with him.

“ I did 5Ks with my mom, but she would always beat me. She’s definitely one of my biggest supporters…[and] she’s who got me into [running] originally,” Stevens said.

Training for Stevens is no easy feat. In his preparations for the race, he follows a strict training program, consisting of running long distances every week in addition to cross-training.  

“I run 55 miles a week, and I’d say eight miles a day in a long run. And then we have two workouts a week, two hard efforts,” Stevens said.

In addition to Stevens’ training, he wakes up early in the morning to cross-train on his bike for 45 minutes, four times a week.

Race day brought confidence and focus. With a specific plan in mind, Stevens wanted to push hardest in the middle.

“I was very confident and ready to start strong…I wanted to go out really hard in the second mile in the middle of the race and then not have anything left at the end for a kick,” Stevens said.

Steven’s coach warned him about the most difficult stretch of the race — two-thirds of a mile from the finish — telling him that he would have to push past his limits at that point.

“When I got to that point, I was like, alright, I’m going to learn my limits here. And I think that helped me get through it a lot,” Stevens said.

Although breaking the record is a personal triumph, Stevens is more focused on the team’s success. He emphasizes the importance of teamwork to achieve their goal of winning the All-State Championship.

“I want the team to win at the All-State Championship … I want to get everyone on the team up to that level so that we can all work together…and defeat our enemies, Boston College High School,” Steven said.

In hopes of a bright future for the team, Stevens also encourages younger and upcoming cross-country athletes to embrace the fun and challenge of the sport. 

“It’s a great opportunity to learn what your limits are and see how far you can push your mind and body. And … if you go into it with that attitude, then you can learn a lot about yourself and make big things happen,” Stevens said.