ABOVE: Fairmont’s Macy Hanson, pictured center (407), is returning for her senior year of cross-country. Submitted photo.

FAIRMONT – Fairmont High School senior Macy Hanson has the school cross-country record in her sights for her final season as a Cardinal runner.

Hanson has always had a passion for the sport as she began running at a young age.

“I ran a couple of 5Ks here and there when I was in elementary school,” said Hanson. “Then I guess I joined the team in seventh grade and that’s when it really got serious. And I had a good team then.”

Hanson only ran a couple of junior high races before joining the varsity team for Fairmont as a seventh-grader. According to Fairmont co-head coach Stew Murfield, Hanson’s drive and offseason work ethic has been a major factor in her success.

“She’s had a lot of success, is a very hard worker, and a very good student,” Murfield said. “She works very hard in the offseason. She’s got a training schedule and she follows it, and in the winter time she does very well, so offseason training is nothing. Once the season starts, she just kind of fine-tunes the speed part of it.”

The current school record is 18:10 held by Laura Thompson, who ran with Hanson for the past several years according to Murfield, with the field opening up courtesy of graduations and roster changes.

“I’m doing like 36 miles a week,” Hanson said. “So, it’s been like up there. I kind of keep increasing it until the season starts and then I’ll probably take it back down. I work with a coach. He’s not related to the school at all. He helps me kind of put a program together so I can perform at my best when the season comes around.”

Hanson intends to either attend The University of Michigan or The University of Minnesota next year continuing to pursue her running career and education.