By Christopher Tremblay, Staff Sports Writer

Dylan Reilly grew up in a family of runners. His father (Paul) was a runner who helped train his mother (Stephanie) to compete in the 3000m steeplechase in the 2012 Olympics; so, it was inevitable that their sons would eventually find solace in running themselves. Dylan’s older brother Marcus is a cross-country runner at the University of Michigan.

Reilly loved participating in soccer but found that it was too much of a team sport and would much rather take part in running because everything was based on your individual performance.

“Soccer is a team thing and you have to rely on everyone on the team,” he said. “Running is just you and only you; times are straight forward higher or lower.”

Up until recently his father was not only a runner, but the Northbridge high school cross country coach. Reilly took up cross country when he entered the high school, but noted that it was not just because his father was the coach.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t have still run for the cross-country team,” Reilly said. “But it made it that much easier knowing that he was the coach. There are not many people who are knowledgeable regarding training.”

Reilly continued to say that with his father coaching the cross-country team he not only felt comfortable, but he knew what he was getting in the training.

“With my father coaching the team I didn’t have to go looking for a coach to help me with my running, he was right there,” he said. “Obviously, he would coach me and my brother differently because he knew that we were on a different level and more developed so he gave us harder workouts and expected us to finish, but he treated everyone the same.”

For the first three years of high school, he ran cross-country, but this past fall he decided to play soccer before graduating. Last spring, Riley took up running the 800m, mile and 4x4 relay with the outdoor track team. In the 800 he was one of the best runners in the league and placed at the State tournament.

“He’s an amazing athlete, one of those kids who if he tells you he’s not feeling right, he’s definitely hurt,” Northbridge Track coach Candice Colon-Kwedor said. “He’ll do whatever we need him to do and is always willing to take on more. He gives it his all and you can always count on him, there’s never any second guessing.”

The Rams coach was interested to see what the senior could do with the 600m this winter for the track team. She noted that he had the speed and has done the 400, but the race is a little bit different. However, with Reilly being a well-rounded athlete she believes that he could do well in the event.

While the coach is hoping that Reilly will be contributing to the winter track team, the senior is most likely going to continue to run unattached.

“I feel that running independently is a lot easier than taking part in the dual meets. Those meets take their toll on your body,” he said. “Running on my own allows me to run when I want to run. I don’t have to run every week; I can take a few weeks off and give my body the time to heal before I take up another event.”

Although he got involved in running because of his family dynamic, at first he was just going through the paces. It wasn’t until the last few years when he started to get serious about his running. Once he started taking things seriously, his times started to drop and he believed that he could do more. Currently his personal best time in the 800m is 4:58.

“It’s all about mentality and I was not taking my training that seriously, but once I started to plan and put goals in my in perspective I began to improve,” Reilly said. “I am prone to injuries in my lower calves if I do too much so as long as I am not putting too much mileage on my legs I’ll be fine.”

Running this year, he is hoping to get his 800m time down into the low 4:20’s and make a run to go below the 4-minute mark. Following high school, he is interested in running on the collegiate level, but nothing past that.

In addition to his running, Reilly was one of four Northbridge athletes who volunteered their time this past summer to help younger kids (ages 3-12) at the summer track program coordinated through the Tri-Valley Front Runners (TVFR). The program is to help future runners.