Many athletes in the Houston running community and beyond are familiar with elite runner Calum Neff, Trail Racing Over Texas Australian Sprinter, 16, Runs Record-Breaking 200m. Last week he found himself in the spotlight again, this time in the middle of leading rescue efforts to save fellow Houstonians from their flooding homes after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in the area.
Trail Racing Over Texas The Top Celebrity Marathon Times of 2024 racing organization, Neff, 33, learned of a fellow runner who had water rapidly flowing into her home in the late-night hours of Sunday, August 27. She was already stuck dealing with a broken leg and two children to care for, and since Neff had a raft and a high truck, he rushed over to help the family evacuate.
“Once I had them out, I couldn't sleep until I knew everyone (in the area) was safe,” he said.
The next morning, Neff began receiving addresses for other necessary evacuations via Facebook, some of them critical medical emergencies and many with children and elderly residents needing help. Sensing that the community simply needed help, Neff stepped up to lead efforts in Katy, the Houston suburb where he and his family live. Working with other civilians to gather more boats, the group worked to pull people out throughout the day and into the night.
Neff set up his own command post early last week, as his team continued running operations evacuating and relocating families from their flooding homes. When local officials were able to make it to them, Neff’s team repeated similar missions in the days that followed, going back for final evacuations, medications, pets, and other pertinent items, this time with county sheriffs, customs and border patrol, fire and army agencies, and civilians in tow.
As of Friday, September 1, Neff’s team had helped to rescue an estimated 600 families from their homes.
As it turns out, it wasn’t just human instinct or his abilities as an endurance athlete that allowed Neff to act quickly and efficiently in leading his rescue mission. Neff actually has extensive emergency training and experience under his belt, having also led rescue efforts during a major flooding event in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta, in 2013, just before his family relocated to Houston.
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“(After that first rescue on Sunday), we realized we were the only ones back here and that nobody else was going to help, ” Neff said. “I knew we had the resources but saw this missing connection of critical incident management. I quickly realized that I would be more efficient managing the influx of volunteers, boats, and various agencies that did not know the area or how to respond.”
And while there is no doubt such stories of a community rallying together will help the city gain strength in the storm’s aftermath, this experience will likely only benefit Neff’s personal athletic endeavors as well.
“Physically and mentally, this mission has been one of the toughest endurance events of my life,” Neff said. “Because of running we had our own army within the community. People wanted to help but didn't know how, so we gave them a task and purpose.”
Emilia Benton is a Houston-based freelance writer and editor. In addition to Runner's World, she has contributed health, fitness and wellness content to Women's Health, SELF, Prevention, Healthline, and the Houston Chronicle, among other publications. She is also an 11-time marathoner, a USATF Level 1-certified running coach, and an avid traveler.
