Erin McGinnis, now a sophomore on the cross country team, was thrilled when she made varsity cross country and track her freshman year. 

She fell in love with running after being encouraged by her mother to run a half marathon. At only thirteen, she ended up placing second in her age group during the 15K (9.32 mile) 2018 Shamrock Run.

“Both of my parents are great supporters,” McGinnis said. “They were the ones who started running with me and showed me the potential I have.” 

While McGinnis was already running as one of the seven varsity competitors last year, she wants to bring forth even more leadership this year in place of Brigid Hanley, who graduated in June. “I’m looking forward to encouraging my teammates, and building a really strong team,” she said.

She has achieved a 20:16 personal record for the 5K (3 mile) race, but is hopeful about improving her time after placing fourth in just the second race of the season.

In the springtime, McGinnis competes in several different events with the track team, including the 3000, 1500 and 800 meter dashes, along with the 4 x 400 relay race.

Last track season, she achieved a personal record in the 1500 meter race with a time of 5:14.

Despite McGinnis’ success, running can still be a challenge. She was recently diagnosed with lung inflammation, which requires her to use an inhaler or take a break during her runs. When she gets tired, McGinnis tells herself that “the pain doesn’t last forever.”

She said her favorite post-race meal is “anything with carbs, so pasta and bread.” 

As a multi-sport athlete, McGinnis said that balancing academics and running is something she’s accustomed to. “I’ve always done sports, so it’s a normal thing to balance [both],” she said. 

Alongside running and school McGinnis loves to bake, ski, wakesurf, and spend time with her three cats.

For anyone considering cross country or track, McGinnis said that running isn’t easy; however, it’s worth giving it a shot. 

“There are going to be really hard moments” she said, admitting that there are times “you might ask yourself why do you run… [but in the end] it’s totally worth it.”