The Le Roux parents passed down their love of running to their sons Aiden and Erik. While they encouraged them to participate in multiple sports, both boys pursued running at a young age.It’s not just an expression, but a statement of how his parents’ running background inspired him to pursue the sport and helped the […]
The Le Roux parents passed down their love of running to their sons Aiden and Erik. While they encouraged them to participate in multiple sports, both boys pursued running at a young age.It’s not just an expression, but a statement of how his parents’ running background inspired him to pursue the sport and helped the Cheyenne Mountain junior become one of the best high school runners in the nation.“I made mistakes and tried to teach that to the boys,” Seef said.Just getting to Nationals with Collins was the highlight of Le Roux’s season, a testament to their friendship and relationship as training partners the past three years. Despite their different race styles — Le Roux forces discomfort on his competitors while Collins is more strategic — they have made each other better.“I think he knew he was capable, but it changes when you actually accomplish the things you want to accomplish,” Cheyenne Mountain coach Sean O’Day said.“Running isn’t always easy,” he said. “There are hard things like bad races and hard workouts, but I love it more than I ever have. Continuing to grow and be part of the running community has made me fall in love with it more.”By “pretty high place,” O’ Day is referring to Aiden’s fifth-place finish at state cross country his sophomore year, but he’s really had high expectations most of his career. As a middle schooler, he ran an exceptional 4:41 mile.Despite challenges that come with running, such as a hamstring injury that sidelined him his freshman year, Aiden continues to find enjoyment in the sport like his father still does. As he looks towards track season, finding a college program to run for and his senior year, he couldn’t be happier.At Nationals, Le Roux’s ninth-place finish and Collins’ 16th-place finish made Cheyenne Mountain the only school in the country with two All-Americans (top 21). It was a thrilling performance, according to O’Day, made even sweeter by the surprise appearance beforehand by Le Roux’s’brother, Erik.Erik now runs for Northern Arizona University, one of the best NCAA cross country programs, while Aiden is coming off a 4A state championship and a 15-minute, 2.1-second course record along with a ninth-place finish at Nike Cross Nationals.For top programs like Cheyenne Mountain, state is no longer the finale. Nike Regionals and Nationals are on the calendar and make it easier to adapt to their long season.“Aiden vastly outperformed where he was supposed to at the biggest meets,” O’Day said. “I almost felt guilty because (Aiden and Collins) made me look like I knew what I was doing. It was thrilling to see what I thought they were capable of coming to fruition.”“Aiden has a good perspective on what he wants to get out of (running),” O’Day said. “He is not driven by extrinsic factors like results, places or scholarships … he has a level head as far as respecting the process.”After moving to Colorado from South Africa to run in college, and Colorado Springs after graduation, Seef never went back. Colorado Springs is a haven for runners, and despite not keeping up with them anymore, Seef has enjoyed sharing his passion for running with his boys.Aiden is continually learning from his family members. He regularly gets running advice from them and runs with his brother during winter break and in the summer, with Seef often following on a bike. Erik is still faster, at least for now.
Carrying a quiet confidence, Aiden is accustomed to defying expectations. Top running outlets didn’t have him predicted in the top 30 at Nationals. According to his father, Aiden had been in his brother’s shadow for much of his career and wanted to be his own person.That respect for the process created a successful season for the Cheyenne Mountain boys’ program. At the 4A state meet at Norris Penrose Event Center, Le Roux and senior teammate Brogan Collins notched the first two spots and led their team to a third-place finish.Running is in Aiden Le Roux’s blood.Seef has tried to guide his sons as best he can throughout his career, such as emphasizing not to overtrain, something he wishes he knew during his running career.“Progression is the name of his game,” O’Day said, “That’s the biggest story. He came into the season in a pretty high place and progressed from there, which is hard to do. Aiden is one of the few who have continued to progress every year.”Running next to his dad on a 1-mile loop in the park as a child, feeling like he was just as fast, Aiden wouldn’t have thought he would be at this point in his running career. When he runs in the same place now, he thinks about those times with his dad and reflects on his improvements.This year, Aiden earned first in each regular-season race except once, when he placed fifth at Nike Cross Regionals to qualify for Nationals and surprised himself and others by placing in the top 10.“I still love running, it’s a passion,” Seef said. “My boys are much better than I was in high school, but I get nervous when they run as much as when I ran competitively. I think that’s what makes it fun … to see them run makes me happy.”“(My father) did and still does push me to be the best I can,” Aiden said of Seef. “He pushed me to do some things I wouldn’t be able to do on my own. He has been my biggest help to push myself to be better.”His parents, Seef and Andrea, ran for Western Colorado University and Seef had a decade-long career as a professional runner.“They embrace each other’s differences well,” O’Day said. “To have them have that experience of going to the national meet and execute at a stage that large … It was a fun day to be more of a fan than a coach. They both knew the moment was large but had the toolboxes to make it feel like just another moment.”Aiden’s continued progression and ability to handle the pressure of a competitive running state comes from consistency and staying healthy, but also learned patience from his father and brother.Aiden has earned his title as Boys Cross Country Peak Performer of the Year, but the junior is far from finished.“I was shocked and so happy to see (Erik) there supporting me,” Aiden said. “I always looked up to my brother. He and my dad were the main reasons I got into running. He still inspires me to become a better runner and person.”
