Antheney Herre has wasted little time making his mark on the 2026 cross country season.
The Loveland Classical senior has already secured a win, broken the Class 2A Colorado state record twice, and established himself as one of the fastest runners in the state, regardless of classification.
Remember: it's only September!
Herre opened his season with a standout victory at the John Martin XC Invitational, racing to a then Class 2A state record of 14:49.50.
Just a few weeks later, he would go even faster.
At the Liberty Bell Cross Country Invitational, Herre torched the course with a 14:43.78, lowering his own 2A record by nearly six seconds.
The performance was good enough for seventh in an incredibly deep field that saw 10 boys break 14:50.
For Herre, it's been a very exciting start to a senior season that he has been building toward for quite a while.
"I'm feeling great because it's always an awesome feeling seeing all the hard work pay off in such a big way," Herre said. "I think consistency and momentum is such a huge point in running and I've been blessed to have that for a while now between this year and last year."
That consistency has shown across the board.
Herre boasts personal bests of 4:12.35 in the full mile and 9:00.66 for 3,200 meters, and now has a 14:43.78 cross country personal best to add to an already impressive resume.
But despite the fast times and records, Herre is not necessarily chasing the clock.
"My coach always says to not chase records but to chase wins and times will follow, and that's definitely been the case thus far," Herre said. "I'm really happy with how my race IQ has increased over this year and last track season."
That last part stands out.
Herre is not just running fast. He's thinking about how he races, mentally preparing.
That increased race IQ, paired with the fitness he has already displayed, could make him a dangerous runner when the championship portion of the season arrives.
Because for all Herre has already accomplished this fall, his biggest goals remain in front of him.
"My goals are the same now as they were at the start of the season, win a state title and be a serious threat at NXR," Herre said. "Last year I had an awful race there and I never want to have that feeling again, so I'm definitely going in with a chip on my shoulder."
There is certainly some unfinished business there.
Herre also has his eyes on continuing to push his limits of what he can accomplish this fall.
"I would love to keep dropping my PR and the state record," Herre said. "I would love to see my team make it to state, those guys work super hard and I'd love to see it pay off!"
It is that combination of individual and team goals that Herre will carry with him through the remainder of his senior season.
Perhaps the most influential shift for Herre has not come from anything that you will see on a results page.
It is simply been the way he approaches running.
"Easily the biggest thing that's changed is just my mentality when it comes to training and just being all in and truly loving running," Herre said. "I think also just making it fun and being intentional about everything I do but at the same time not taking things too seriously."
All in, having fun and enjoying the process.
Intentional, but not allowing the sport to become bigger than it needs to be.
So far, that approach appears to be paying off.
And when asked what he enjoys most about running, Herre's answer went well beyond races, records or championships.
"I'd say the thing that I enjoy the most is all the things it's brought into my life like my friends and a true sense of purpose and most of all to honor the gift God has given me!"
There is still plenty of racing left this fall.
Herre wants a state title. He seeks redemption at NXR. He aims to see his Loveland Classical teammates make it to the state championships.
If the first few weeks of the season are any indication, that 14:43.78 Class 2A record may continue to be lowered.
For Herre, the times are following.
But he is chasing something bigger beyond the clock.
