Growing up, Brayden Curnutt ’25 considered a long run a trip around the bases on the baseball diamond. But in middle school, he nervously traded in his cleats for running shoes.
“I went out on a whim one night and ran a mile,” says Curnutt. “I ran pretty fast, so my dad suggested I try cross country.”
Now, the current Wabash record holder in multiple distance events averages roughly 60 miles a week—the distance from his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana, to Wabash College. In the summer off-season, he averaged 75 miles.
While Curnutt still considers himself a “young runner,” having only been running competitively for nine years, he knows records are not broken by accident.
“It’s a process for sure. Four years of hard work led me to this,” he says. “The hardest part of running is getting out the door and taking the first couple steps. Even if it’s just for a mile or two, just get out the door. Be consistent, even if you don’t want to run.”
Tyler McCreary, head cross country coach and associate head track and field coach, saw the effort that took Curnutt from the 32nd-place finisher at cross country regionals in 2023 to first place in 2024.
“Brayden is extremely talented, and he’s a hard worker, very coachable,” says McCreary. “But there are some things you can’t really coach, and that’s someone who has that grit, determination, and competitiveness to always put it out there every time out.
“Brayden’s competitiveness is the most impressive thing about him,” he continues. “He’s a quiet leader. I always tell the other runners to watch him specifically—how he conducts himself, how he trains, and how he competes.”
It’s an assignment Curnutt understands. His motivation to succeed goes beyond his own wins and records.
“I have lofty goals for myself,” he says. “Writing down my goals and knowing what it takes to complete those goals keeps me rolling, but also helping the other guys reach their goals. The team is a huge part of what we do at Wabash. I want to see the success of those guys too.”
Early season wins can breed anxiety to perform and let self-doubt creep in.
“I tried to keep it pretty low key, not get overly hyped up, or put too much pressure on myself,” Curnutt says. “A couple minutes before race time, I take a second and pray and get all the jitters out. Then it’s go time. Coach put a lot of trust in me to go out there and be able to execute.”
McCreary’s trust came from knowing Curnutt had done the work and could compete with the best.
“Distance running is very difficult and psychologically challenging,” McCreary says. “I reminded him, ‘Now you’re one of the best in the country. You know you belong here, right?’”
The new graduate looks forward to using his rhetoric major and business minor to build a career in sports administration. But he hasn’t put his running shoes away just yet.
“I want to do one marathon in my life,” Curnutt says. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop running completely, but I doubt I’ll ever get up to 75 miles a week again. It’s going to be nice waking up in the summer at 6 or 7 a.m., and if I don’t feel like running, not having to go.”
To the kid he was in middle school—apprehensive to tuck his first “running” shoes in the closet with his glove and bat—he’d say, “Don’t be afraid to give up baseball. Don’t be afraid to take that leap. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Never in my life did I think I would come to an all-male school in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and achieve what I did. Just don’t be afraid of change.”