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Hastings resident Kyle Merber, a professional runner with the NJ-NY HOKA club, gives Hastings High School cross-country runners advice at Reynolds Field Aug. 22, 2019 in Hastings. Tania Savayan, tsavayan@lohud.com

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HASTINGS – Twenty Hastings cross-country kids had finished Thursday’s practice run. No one, though, seemed anxious to leave Reynolds Field to savor one of their last semi-free days of summer before school begins.

The reason was professional runner Kyle Merber, a Hastings resident often spotted on area trails. He detoured from his normal routine to provide the high school runners with a little inspiration and to discuss their sport’s do’s and don’ts.

Merber was peppered with questions about running as a young kid, running for Columbia University (where, in 2012, he set the NCAA American outdoor 1,500-meter record of 3:35.49), and about running professionally (where he posted a 2:53.56 1,200 leg on the 9:15.50 U.S. World-record-setting distance medley relay team in 2015 and also anchored a then-world record 16:12.81 indoor 4xmile in 2017).

Merber, who runs for the locally-based HOKA NJ-NY Track Club, which set that 4xmile mark, has twice competed in the Olympic Trials at 1,500 meters and will do so again next year, hoping to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

His route to becoming an elite runner began in kindergarten on Long Island, hearing fellow Long Islander Derrick Adkins talk about winning the 400 hurdles gold medal at the 2016 Atlanta Olympics.

“I immediately went home and told my mom,” the 28-year-old said, noting she then signed him up for track.

“Often times, running finds us,” he said with a laugh.

Despite his recent success Merber wasn’t considered a particularly talented runner early on.

He ran a 5:40 mile in middle school and a “good-but-not-setting-the-world-on-fire” 4:57 mile as a freshman at Half Hollow Hills West High School.

But after clocking 4:31 as a sophomore, he increased his training and slashed that to 4:15 as a junior before cutting to 4:11 as a senior. That same year, he won the boys Millrose Games mile.  

“It’s just a few seconds every year,” said Merber, whose personal-best mile is 3:52.22.

“Training is three variables: How far? How fast? And how much rest?” he said.

The key, he told the Hastings runners, is not just training hard two hours a day but taking care of themselves the other 22 hours.

“The fun part of training is pushing yourself. The hardest part is stretching out, rolling (using a muscle-massage roller), eating salads and fruits and sleeping,” he said.

MERBER RETURNS TO MILLROSE:Former Millrose high school boys mile champ Merber of Hastings looking for men’s title

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Pointing to all the training involved in addition to running – planks, weightlifting, push-ups, etc., – Merber added, “The idea that this is not a real sport, just exercise, is not true.”

And it’s a sport that, while not getting as much attention of many others, can open a lot of doors.

“There’s a huge opportunity if you want to run in college. Schools that you otherwise wouldn’t get into are suddenly asking you to go to their school,” said Merber, who, with a year of eligibility left, ran for the University of Texas after graduating from Columbia.

Hastings cross-country coach Molly Guilfoyle, a former Fordham University runner who recruited Merber, said of his impact on her kids, “When it comes from someone who has lived it, it makes an impression.”

“I’m definitely going to get more sleep,” remarked senior Felix Brock, who said Merber had also answered many of his questions about running in college.

Guilfoyle’s daughter, Caitlin, who also plans to run in college, said she would focus more on diet, stretching and using the roller.

“It’s really inspiring hearing from a pro who has gone through everything and lives in town,” added junior Aidan Gemme. “I also play baseball. It’s not like we get professional baseball players living in Hastings and walking to the field. It’s very unique.”

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

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