Running is an unusual sport. It’s what most other sports do out of necessity or punishment. Yet true runners, the ones who genuinely love the sport and put in big miles, run out of enjoyment. No sport is more solitary than running. There are few (if any) fans. There are no teammates upon which to depend to assist your performance. There is little equipment involved. It’s not a sport for everyone but for those who thrive on the solitude and suffering, it is a sport rife with opportunity.
Shaw High School graduate Hakeem Mustafaa is one of those who revels in running. A former football player, Mustafaa discovered running when he was 11 years old. At the time, he wanted to be a boxer. He saw Rocky and noticed that Rocky Balboa spent a lot of time running as a part of his fight training. So Mustafaa started running as well. The boxing thing never took off but running stayed with him. In middle school, even as he was exploring a football career, he continued to run track. “I guess I realized I was good at it when I was in the seventh grade. I ran a 1600 meter race and won it. That was a surprise to me. I had been running just to stay in shape,” he says.
When Mustafaa entered high school, he joined the cross country team, kept running track (primarily the 1600 and 3200, with occasional stints on the 4×400 relay team), and dropped football. “It’s a sport where I can be myself. It calms me down and I’m comfortable doing it. It keeps me level,” he says.
It doesn’t hurt that Mustafaa is one of the best high school runners in the state. He logs lots of miles, 55-60 per week. He has a five-kilometer personal best of 15:19, a 9:17 3200, and a 4:21 1600. Mustafaa has won region the last three years in the 3200 and the last two years in cross country. At state, he was runner-up in the 3200 in 2014. This year, he was runner-up in cross country as well. At the time of this interview, the 2015 state track meet was still 10 days away.
To Mustafaa, running is more than just a sport. It’s become a lifestyle, something that has in many ways altered the course of his life. He credits the sport with teaching him most of what he knows, from what it means to make sacrifices, set goals and then work toward those goals, to applying himself in the classroom. For Mustafaa, it all comes back to running. “It’s been a huge part of who I am. It’s changed the way I’ve lived my life,” he says.
Running has given Mustafaa opportunities he never thought he would have. In addition to running for Shaw, he has also run on the AAU circuit. In 2012, when he was 16 years old, he won a gold medal at the AAU Junior Olympic Championships in Houston, Texas, in the 3000 meters. He has also attracted the attention of college programs all over the place. Ultimately, Mustafaa decided to attend North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. He will run both cross country and track at NC A&T, and he’s looking forward to the opportunity. “I had a few schools looking at me. But I liked the program, both running and academics. It’s a great school,” he says.
Through his high school years, Mustafaa has had to balance a year ‘round running schedule with a difficult academic load. How has he done it? Through the hard work and sacrifice he learned while running. “It all comes down to time management. You have to know when you can play around and when you have to get to work. Sometimes you have to sacrifice time in front of the TV or with your friends to do your homework. You may even have to skip a run or two to get your schoolwork done. One hour of play is not worth a semester of bad grades,” he says.
Sidebar:
Hakeem Mustafaa is meticulous about his workouts. He follows his track and cross country programs to a T. But that’s not enough. He also spends a lot of time running on his own. When he’s stressed and needs to get away, he finds refuge in 15 mile long runs. Despite the relatively high mileage, Mustafaa has never raced anything longer than a 5K. “I’ve been thinking about doing some longer races. I probably need to do that before I go to college,” he says.
Favorites:
- •Sport you wish you could play: Boxing
- •Runners: Usain Bolt or Mo Farah
- •Movie: The Sergio Leone classic Duck, You Sucker!
- •Last book: The Godfather
- •Person you wish you could meet: Muhammed Ali
- •Superpower besides super speed: “I think I’d like to be a Jedi.”
Player Spotlight/Columbus Valley/June 2015
Hakeem Mustafaa
Shaw High School
Columbus, Georgia
by Robert Preston Jr.
