Aidan Lothian said that he has always loved running. From being the fastest 4th grader in elementary school to now placing first in 600 meters in Westchester County, track and running has been a big part of his journey. This season, Lothian broke personal records in 600 meters and one mile, and set a school new record 600 meters when he placed first in Westchester, ending his indoor track time at Masters on a high note. 

Lothian started track at Masters his freshmen year, and has participated in 11 total seasons across indoor track, outdoor track, and cross country. However, Masters is not the starting line of his track career. Lothian gained his passions for running at a young age when he realized that he had talent in the sport. He said, “As a little kid, you love being better than other people at things. But, as time went on, I learned to appreciate the beauty behind the track. Seeing the practice results come out in physical times and seeing myself improve over the years is something I have become obsessed with.”

The obsession he mentions has led him to push himself to do the best that he could during practices. He said “I think track is such a good parallel to what life is. It has given me an understanding that in order to succeed in something, you really have to put in the work.” For Lothian, track is not an unpredictable sport. “Your results are only going to be based on how much work you’re willing to put in,” he said. 

Because of the time he has spent running on and off the track, the sport is now not only a challenge for him to push himself beyond his limits but also a place for reflection. He said, “Running has provided for me a place to really think about things. It’s peaceful to be able to go for a run through the streets, just kind of mindlessly running, and be able to break down any drama and stress that’s going on in my head.” Running has also become a thread that has strung together his different life experiences as he moved from Seattle, to Dallas and finally New York. “It’s given me so many of my best friends throughout life, whether it’s been through school, through camps, though moving…” he said.

Lothian said the team’s last meet at the Armory, a track in NYC, left an impression on him. “I’ve been running there [Armory Track] since seventh grade even before I came to Masters so it’s been almost like a second home for me.” He continued, “So many generational runners have been there that I’ve looked up to my whole life and so having my last meet there with all our friends and teammates was emotional but a very, very good experience.”

This season was not Lothian’s final track season at Masters. He will continue to pursue his passion for running in a final season of outdoor track, his favorite of the three seasons. He said, “you get those first few days where it finally starts breaking 60°F, the sun’s out, we have our music playing, it’s just a really great experience all around.”