Clay Shively, Elite Runner, Elite Human Being with Coach Randy Mijares

"We are running for something bigger than ourselves." -Clay Shively "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence, talent will not…" It's also important to be coachable. Clay Shively discovered running as a freshman in high school. Most elite athletes begin working on their sport early in their life. That is why they excel-- they have thousands of hours of training. Clay Shively had a hidden talent to be an elite runner, and it took coaching and being coachable to reach his elite status.  This is an extremely demanding sport.  Clay does the work. In 2023, as a Junior, Shively broke a 58-year-old Kansas indoor mile record held by Jim Ryun.  Clay has competed and won races against elite national and college talent while still in high school. And he hasn't even begun to reach his potential. Clay will be running for the Lumberjacks at Northern Arizona University (one of the top programs in the country) in the fall of 2024.  His principled belief, his discipline, his heart and his joyful attitude make this elite athlete so much fun to know and to cheer for. Coach Randy Mijares is "judicious with athletes" and his leadership paired with Clay's remarkable ability, gives this elite runner the chance to race to the top. And he is improving every day.