- High school junior Jenna Hutchins has broken the national cross-country record, becoming the first girl to run a sub-16:00 on a cross-country course.
- The 16-year-old beat 268 competitors from all over the country at the RunningLane National Cross Country Championships on November 21.
- The previous record was held by Katelyn Tuohy who dropped a 16:06.87 in 2018.
The girls’ high school cross-country record has been broken once again.
Jenna Hutchins, a junior from Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee, ran 15:58.42 at the RunningLane National Cross-Country Championships on November 21 in Huntsville, Alabama, topping her 268 competitors from across the country. Heading into the race, the 16-year-old wanted to win—entering the record books was a bonus.
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“My closest time before this race was 16:25, and I ran that at my first race of this season,” Hutchins told Runner’s World. “We’ve been fortunate to have a pretty normal season considering the circumstances [with the pandemic]. It’s gone pretty well. I’ve made a lot of improvements in time and feeling stronger, so my main focus was just securing the win.”
Race day brought ideal conditions—slightly warmer than most prefer in the high 50s and low 60s, but perfect for Hutchins. Her first mile went off smoothly, with Hutchins coming through in 5:01. She conquered a hill at the start of mile two, opening her stride once she reached the top. As she neared the start of the third mile, 10:16 into the race, she started to hear murmurs from the crowd.
“The spectators cheering was a big help and kept me motivated, and people started telling me I was on record pace,” Hutchins said. “If I could hold on that last mile, I knew I had a shot.”
In order to get the record—16:06.87, set by former high school standout Katelyn Tuohy in 2018—she’d need a fast final mile and change in at least 5:42.
Hutchins climbed another big hill at the start of the third mile, and once at the top, she had a little downhill and then a relatively flat route to the finish. With the crowd hoping to see history, Hutchins fed off of them all the way to end where spectators erupted.
As Hutchins rounded into the home stretch, the clock read sub-16, with about 100 meters to go. Hutchins turned on the jets and kept that 15 on the board, finishing with the new girls’ high school record of 15:58.42.
She beat the second place runner by 58 seconds.
“It was amazing,” Hutchins said. “Having fun was the first priority for me, and to achieve a mark like this that means so much. I’ve loved running from such a young age and to see my dreams come true and being able to reap the benefits of the work I’ve put in, especially during COVID when races aren’t always a guarantee, makes me excited for the future.”
Her parents and her uncle greeted Hutchins at the finish and they celebrated with a big breakfast at a nearby brunch place. Hutchins got the waffles.
With this race finished, Hutchins’s cross-country season is complete. She‘s hoping for a indoor season to happen as well as outdoor in the spring semester when she competes in the mile and two-mile events.
Before that, she is scheduled to compete at an invitational 5K track race in Nashville. She’s never done a 5K on the track, but she’s excited to race under the lights to get ready for the track season and whatever comes next.
Health - Injuries Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
