Cooper Cortinas has always had a need for speed. It began when he was a kid, competing against his brothers. It continued in High School when he began to find success as a distance runner. It is present both in his races at Washington State University and when he hikes for fun in the mountains of Oregon. It will continue after he leaves WSU, as he trains to run in the Chicago Marathon. For one reason or another, Cooper Cortinas just wants to go fast.
Cortinas runs the 1500-meter race for WSU’s track team. He is a unique athlete who competes both on the track and in cross-country. However, as a kid, Cortinas wanted to play a different sport.
“I played basketball, and in the offseason I wanted to get into shape for basketball, so I started running,” Cortinas said. “Then I figured out I was better at running than basketball, so I kind of just stuck with the running.”
He said that his success in high school led him to Washington State, where he met his team, which he describes to be his “second family.”
“What’s kept me coming back and kept me going here has just been the people,” Cortinas said. “Even if I didn’t enjoy running at all, I’d still enjoy my experience because of how awesome everyone else has been.”
He said Ethan Martin, his teammate and long-time roommate, was a big reason why he had such a good experience running for WSU. Another teammate who has inspired him is Kenyan-born freshman Evans Kurui.
“Getting to watch Evans Kurui every week … every single time he goes out there, there’s the highest expectations possible for him, and he still breaks those expectations,” Cortinas said. “It’s just incredible to watch.”
Cortinas was also inspired by his family, who helped push him to go faster and faster. He said that being the third of four children, competition for his parents’ attention was fierce among his siblings. Perhaps that was the beginning of his need for speed, a need that also exists off the racetrack. When he is not preparing for his next race, Cortinas can be found hiking around the Pacific Northwest.
“When I go hiking, I’ll be passing people the entire way up,” Cortinas said.
He said hiking in the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon has been his favorite spot so far.
“I get up early in the morning, beat everyone out to the trails,” Cortinas said. “I usually run up, honestly, because it’s faster. If I could run, why wouldn’t I?”
He said cross-country running and hiking go hand-in-hand, especially when practicing in Pullman, a city known for its many hills. He recently competed in Pullman two weeks ago in the Cougar Classic, the last home meet of his career.
Cortinas said he was excited to run in front of friends of family who do not always have the opportunity to watch him race, but that he is also feeling some bittersweet emotions about the end of his collegiate career.
“I’ve been trying to avoid the emotions for as long as possible,” Cortinas said. “It’s definitely gonna be extremely sad for me when I’m done here.”
After he graduates, Cortinas said he plans to keep running, but will be shifting his focus towards a longer event. He said he is training to run in marathons.
“Gonna be running a marathon in June up in North Bend, then going to the Chicago Marathon in November,” Cortinas said. “Then maybe Boston next year too … I have the qualifying time already.”
He said marathon training is harder than his track and field practices, but said he felt like a runner; it was something he had to do. He has completed one marathon so far, and although it took a lot of energy, he is excited to run in more marathons soon.
“It’s a completely different beast,” Cortinas said. “The best part about it is being able to tell people you ran a marathon. No one can take that away from you.”
Cortinas might never be able to satisfy his need for speed, but that has not stopped him from trying both on and off the racetrack. Cortinas said at the end of the day, winning does not matter; he just wants to run fast.
