He Wasn't Even Competing in Middle School — Now He's Chasing All-State | Thor Springman

Thor Springman wasn’t always a distance runner. In seventh grade, he started with high jump and hurdles, but wasn’t getting opportunities to compete. Then his coach asked him to try the mile, and everything started to change. Now a senior at Southwestern High School in Illinois, Thor is chasing All-State honors in 1A cross country and hoping to break 15 minutes at state. In this episode of Ándale Run, Thor talks about his journey from discovering distance running to becoming one of the top runners in his area. We get into what it’s like competing for a smaller school, the challenges of getting noticed, and how social media has helped him connect with runners and training partners outside his own program. We also talk about: How Thor went from struggling in middle-school track to chasing All-State The pressure of competing against expectations and the clock Why the second mile is the toughest part of a three-mile race mentally Learning from disappointing races His ability to finish strong in the final kilometer The influence of other Illinois 1A runners Helping younger Southwestern athletes believe in themselves His goals for his final high-school cross-country season And we get to know Thor beyond running, including his love for J. Cole, basketball, and his claim that he might be the best cross-country pickleball player in Illinois. One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation is how much running has changed Thor’s life—not just through his performances, but through the friendships, confidence, and sense of purpose he’s found along the way. 🎙️ Subscribe to Ándale Run for conversations with high-school runners, coaches, and the people behind the sport. Ándale! #AndaleRun #ThorSpringman #IllinoisXC #CrossCountry #HighSchoolRunning