Running is more than just a sport for Pilots cross country and track and field freshman Hugh Kent. For him, it’s a way to connect with people and give back to the community that pushes him to compete at the highest level.
The runner recently broke Guam's national records for the 10k and 1,500-meter short track events on March 1 and March 29. He broke his personal and national records with times of 30:44.04 and 4:07.37, respectively.
Hugh Kent is from the western shore village of Tamuning on the island of Guam. His passion for running started when he was in elementary school, when his brother Ryan Kent, who ran cross country, encouraged Hugh Kent to run alongside him at the local 5ks hosted by the Guam Running Club.
As he got older, Hugh Kent got faster and eventually decided to challenge himself and test his speed by competing for John F. Kennedy High School's cross-country team. Hugh Kent says that his brother was one of the main reasons that he started running competitively in high school.
“I saw my brother doing good in high school, so I thought I could try it and at least do better than him when I got to that age,” Hugh Kent said. “It clicked. It’s just like a little snowball just getting bigger and bigger… by the time I got into high school, I was already the fastest on the island.”
Ryan Kent also put a lot of effort into training his younger brother to improve his running. His work ethic and Ryan Kent’s coaching helped him become the fastest distance runner in Guam. Hugh Kent said that his brother taught him racing strategies and ways to get inside the heads of his opponents.
“He [told] me strategies for mental games and stuff…” Hugh Kent said. “He’d do as much as he [could] to train me.”
Kent and his brother Ryan Kent pose for a photo following a training session on Guam. Photo courtesy of Hugh Kent.
Hugh Kent’s training and hard work paid off as he went undefeated throughout high school in cross country and never placed below third in all of his track and field events.
“He really blossomed up,” Ryan Kent said. “He started beating more records and he started getting better and better. Next thing you know, he’s attaining times that I would only dream to touch and he’s destroying the competition.”
“I just stayed consistent,” Hugh Kent said. “I didn’t get [many] breaks because I didn’t think of it as working. It was just something that I kind of did, so I got better and better.”
In high school, Hugh Kent pushed himself to be the best runner he could be and had a lot of support from his family, but he mostly ran by himself or with his brother. He says that since he arrived in Portland, he’s found a community of supportive runners who are always there for him.
“When I was back on Guam, I was mostly by myself,” Hugh Kent said. “The workouts that I [had] to do just ended up being all alone. Because of that, I appreciate the community that [we] have here in Portland. I just love how [we’re] all so close. That community is something that I’ve never felt before.”
Hugh Kent found his way to Portland through connections and relationships he made through running in Guam. After representing Guam at the Pacific Games in the men’s 10k, Hugh Kent got the opportunity to connect with Pilot cross country alum and Guam native Derek Mandell.
It was theGuam running circle that encouraged Hugh Kent to push his limits and keep running to see how far he could go. Now, running has taken him all across the world. He’s been able to compete in tournaments, meet new people and learn from a multitude of experienced runners.
“I really feel that the community back home raised me into becoming [a runner,]” Hugh Kent said. “I never had anyone say something bad about my running. It's always been something positive like you’re gonna do great [or] you need to do better. I just couldn’t turn that down, so I just kept going.”
“The 5k community on Guam is very, very small,” Ryan Kent said. “It’s just a good community. Everyone’s super friendly [and] everyone’s really nice. [There’s] a lot of support and it’s really nice to see that.”
Ryan Kent also says that the running community in Guam has helped Hugh Kent become not just the runner he is today but also the person he is.
“People love Hugh,” Ryan Kent said. “Hugh’s a really gentle heart and very respectful… I’m super proud of him [and] I’m so happy that he’s willing to take [his accomplishments] and run as far as he can with it.”
Hugh Kent says that his record-breaking times have helped improve the standard for the Guam running community. Although he says the running community in Guam is good, he believes that he can be a pioneer for competitive running in Guam.
“Guam has a good running community, but I can’t really say that it’s competitive,” Hugh Kent said. “It wasn’t necessarily difficult, but still, to be the one from Guam to do that and raise the bar [gives me] pride for myself to show what Guam can do.”
Hugh Kent says that his teammates and coaches at Portland have been an integral part of his running experience outside of Guam.
Kent runs in a race at John F. Kennedy High School. Photo courtesy of Hugh Kent.
Pilots' Head Coach Robert Conner is excited about what’s to come from Hugh Kent and says that he can’t wait to continue to see him perform.
“He’s ready to work hard every day and try to fulfill his potential,” Conner said. “He’s already surprised me with what he’s accomplished just this year… he’s run much faster than I anticipated… That’s impressive, you know, when you surprise the coach.”
While Hugh Kent is extremely proud of his achievements for Guam, he wants to keep pushing himself and his teammates at Portland to new heights. He says that while the records he holds for Guam are important to him, he continues to run for the people who have supported his career.
“I continue to run not just because I want to break the records, but I feel like so many people have put effort into me to run faster, and I don’t want that to go to waste,” Hugh Kent said. “I’m not running just for myself, but for all those people that have believed in me.”
Hugh Kent says that running has given him many amazing opportunities and that he wants to give back to the communities that have mentored him by succeeding on the track.
“Running has done so much for me, so I’m gonna do as much as I can to give back and succeed,” Hugh Kent said. “The greatest ‘thank you’ that you can say — is to succeed.”
Aidan Hyde is a sports reporter at The Beacon. He can be reached at hyde25@up.edu.
