Run for Fun and Personal Bests: A Recipe for Long-Term Growth and Success

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Learn 'The Story' of the legendary North Central College Cross Country and Track & Field teams!
Learn what Carius regards as the basic responsibility of a coach!
Learn how Carius wanted his athletes' journey in school to be about important goals and lasting rewards that had nothing to do with championships and trophies!

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Al Carius

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Learn 'The Story' of the legendary North Central College Cross Country and Track & Field teams!
Learn what Carius regards as the basic responsibility of a coach!
Learn how Carius wanted his athletes' journey in school to be about important goals and lasting rewards that had nothing to do with championships and trophies!

by Al Carius,

North Central College

Head Cross Country Coach from 1966 to 2020

Head Track & Field Coach from 1966 to 2010

Assistant Track Coach from 2010 to 2022

Assistant Cross Country Coach from 2020 to 2022

The architect of one of the most successful programs in collegiate athletics, Al Carius completed 54 years as the Cardinals' head men's cross country coach before handing the reins to longtime assistant coach Frank Gramarosso prior to the 2020 season and stayed on as an assistant until Gramarosso retired.

His coaching accolades as a head coach are astonishing.

Cross Country:

19 NCAA Division III team national championships (national record, all divisions)
16x national runner-up

Track & Field:

7x Division III team national championships

United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Coach of the Century, 2000

12x USTFCCCA National Cross Country Coach of the Year
2x USTFCCCA National Track & Field Coach of the Year
2x USTFCCCA National Track & Field Assistant Coach of the Year
14x USTFCCCA Midwest Region Cross Country Coach of the Year
3x USTFCCCA Midwest Region Track & Field Head Coach of the Year
4x USTFCCCA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year
Hall of Fame Inductee

North Central College Athletic Hall of Fame
Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame
USTFCCCA Hall of Fame
Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame
Drake Relays Hall of Fame
Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame

Named honorary alumnus of North Central College, 2006
Received honorary doctorate degree from North Central College, 2016
Namesake of USTFCCCA ‘Al Carius Program of the Year Award’

Awarded annually since 2008-2009 to Division III men's program with highest average finish at cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field championships

A native of Morton, Illinois, Carius came to North Central in 1966 after two years as a graduate assistant at the University of Illinois. As an undergraduate at Illinois, he was a two-time Big Ten Conference champion in cross country, and he added three Big Ten two-mile titles in track. He continued to run competitively until 1968, and at the end of the 1966 season, had the fifth-best time in the United States in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:48-plus, run at the Kentucky Relays).

This book by Coach Carius is 'The Story' of The North Central College Cross Country and Track & Field teams. Run for Fun and Personal Bests is not about trophies and championships. It’s ultimately about much more important goals and lasting rewards for the student athletes who built and benefit from our North Central program.The basic responsibility of a coach should never veer from the goal of stressing core internal values that guide athletes to personal growth.

Says Carius: "I train cross country and track athletes, but this recipe, this process, should work for any athlete in any sport. I also believe it can guide other young people pursuing a personal goal in school, at work, or in their personal lives, who are asking themselves -- I know where I want to go, but how do I get there?"

At times, we are all so busy working toward material outcomes for our youths that we don’t have time for the most important needs they require to succeed.

In a world that’s becoming more materialistic, more professional, more outcome-oriented, we believe, to the contrary, that the ultimate competition is you against you.

“Al Carius went on to become one of the greatest mentors and coaches in America as he empowered the youth with the wisdom to follow their dreams and to see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.”—Billy Mills, Oglala Lakota, Olympic Gold Medal, 10,000 meters, Tokyo 1964

Al Carius

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