Rheinhardt Harrison is the ITG Next 2022 Northeast Florida Male Cross Country Runner of the Year, presented by Wolfson Children’s Hospital, Baptist Health, and the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute.
Harrison, a senior cross country runner at Nease High School, has been running since hewas just three-years-old. He names his parents as his inspiration, stating that he was “naturally brought into it” by them.
Harrison’s parents would take him to local races, as they were runners themselves. One day when they were running a 3k race, young Harrison jumped out of his stroller and began running as well. This day ignited a spark within him that is still present to this day.
“I was hooked ever since,” says Harrison, who won the FHSAA Class 4A state meet by running a 15:03.60.
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Harrison ran Florida’s fastest 5k cross country time with a 14:45, surpassing the Florida high school record in October 2021. Holding the title as the fifth fastest runner in the nation, Harrison is self-motivated. He does not allow outside influences to take him off of his game. He focuses on his own goals and aims to have fun with his genuine love for the sport.
“At the end of the day, I don’t really focus on what others do. It’s really more about myself. I could care less if I am first or last in the nation. At the end of the day, I just want to have fun with the sport,” says Harrison. “That’s what it’s all about.”
No stranger to accolades, Harrison was named Gatorade Florida Boys Cross Country Player of the Year for the second time earlier this month. He won the state championship this year, making it his third year in the row to earn the title. Harrison is also a three-time All-News4Jax cross country runner of the year.
Harrison has committed to the University of Oregon to continue his athletic and college career. He will miss his teammates most, along with his head coach, Ted Devos.
“Oregon is the holy grail of track and field schools,” says Harrison, whose accomplishments make this school a perfect match. “I have always wanted to go there. When I committed—it just felt right.”
As Florida’s fastest runner, Harrison manages to stay humble and focused.“Being brought up, my mom taught me that [humbleness],” says Harrison.
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He is able to balance school and sports by not getting “too drained out” by either aspect of his life.
“I would like to become a professional runner,” says Harrison, who wants to major in Sports Marketing and stay within the sport as a career.
He advises young runners who want to reach success to always remember to have fun with the sport saying, “If you’re not having fun, you’re just going to get drained and burned out mentally from the sport. It is a very mentally tough sport. Trust your coach and have fun with your teammates.”
Rheinhardt Harrison will be running again this Friday at the Arkansas Qualifier meet.
