In his very first season running for Detroit Mercy, freshman cross-country runner Colin Murray has already made history. Competing in the 8k, Murray crossed the finish line with a time that beat the school’s freshman record, an achievement that marks him as one of the Titans’ most promising young runners.
“I knew I was in better shape than what I performed at in a previous meet, so at the Horizon Leagues I tried to worry less about time and more just about being and competing in the race,” Murray said. “When I heard my time during the race, I knew I was in a good position so at that point it pushed me more.”
Murray’s running career started years ago when he was in middle school. His parents would put him into races here and there, but when Covid-19 hit, that cut off his seasons in middle school. Colin also tried different sports, but something about running clicked with him. His freshman year of high school was when he decided to pick it back up, and that is when everything changed. Murray qualified for the Freshman Nationals.
“That is when I actually realized, ‘Wow, I can do something with this,’” he said.
At that moment Colin knew exactly what he wanted to pursue.
One of Murrays old teammates, Mike Hegarty, really encouraged him to keep on pushing and to really stick with running.
“He was really an older brother to me, always challenging me and keeping me in check,” Murray said.
He would work out with him every day, and Colin just knew he would get better that way. Alongside some others who kept him motivated were his parents and his sister Kaitlin Murray, who also ran here at the University. Colin’s passion for this sport just continues to grow.
“It so easy to talk yourself out of it and tell yourself you won’t be able to do it, but it’s the moments where you push yourself and get those negative thoughts out of your head and not just for myself, but also for my teammates,” he said.
When it came time to choose a college, Murray said Detroit Mercy felt like the perfect fit both academically and athletically.
“Nowhere else really just felt right,” he said.
With Colin’s dad already being the coach here and with a ton of experience, he knew that he believed in the program. On the academics side, he is an engineering major.
“The engineering school is very good here, and I wanted to be a part of that, and my whole life my dad has coached me, so it feels like I just win either way,” Murray said.
Adjusting college life for Colin is both challenging and rewarding. Balancing classes, workouts and travel just requires careful time management.
“It’s definitely a step up from high school,” Murray said “I have more time to do things here. It’s easier getting my workouts and extra training in, but it’s also challenging on the academic side. It honestly pushed me harder and has made me a better student. Just knowing that I have to manage my time wisely has really helped me grow.”
Despite the early success, Murray remains grounded and focused on the future.
“This is just the beginning,” he said. “I’m proud of what I’ve done so far, but I know there’s still a lot more work ahead.”
He already has goals on helping the Titans move up within the conference, and he will continue to lower his personal times.
“The goal is always to get better,” Murray said. “With this much competition in the league you really just have to focus on the race and winning. The shorter times will come. Just focus on competing.”
The future is very bright for Colin Murray. He is a very eager young athlete and just wants to be an overall winner with his teammates at Detroit Mercy.