GUILFORD, CT — Twelve-year-old Guilford resident and Adams Middle School student Malakai Inahuazo has always shown athletic ability and has competed in wrestling, soccer and swimming, and trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
But he's also developed a passion for running, and that passion was on full display at the Oct. 10 Eversource half-marathon event in Hartford, where Inahuazo notched an impressive time of 1:36:57.
The time ranked first in the 12-14 age group, 252nd among all males, and 315th overall out of 4,276 race participants. The top time was 1:04:01 by Christopher Collet, a 25-year-old from Cranston, RI.
"It was exhilarating," Inahuazo told Patch this week. The event was his first official half marathon. "It was amazing."
When he was younger, Inahuazo played soccer but was frequently on the sidelines after a coach mistook wheezing caused by severe seasonal allergies for asthma and a lack of stamina, according to Inahuazo's father, Robert.
After taking up swimming, Inahuazo discovered running and the book (the clean version) "Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds," by David Goggins, a retired Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and ultra-endurance athlete.
The book inspired Inahuazo to be resilient and to push himself to become a strong runner, all while receiving weekly allergy shots and logging his miles.
"I like running a lot because it disciplines the mind," said Inahuazo, who participated in the Race for Chase youth triathlon program with Soundview Family YMCA, supported by Guilford Parks & Rec., this past summer.
In total, between the program held at Guilford High School and solo training on runs near his home, Inahuazo logged 364 miles to prepare for last week's half marathon.
Inahuazo also competes on the Adams Middle School cross country team, and hopes to compete in longer distance races as he gets older.
"My ultimate goal is to do one of those 100-mile races," he said.
Inahuazo is aiming to run in the CLA Blue Back Mitten 5K in West Hartford on Dec. 6, and he's setting his sights on another half marathon in Vermont next April.
Out of all the sports Inahuazo has participated in, he feels running gives him the most satisfaction.
"I feel like the payoff is the best part of running," he noted. "Once you finish the race, the dopamine hits, and you're like, 'I did that.'"
Full results from the Eversource half marathon can be found here.
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