For Reed, competing in East Africa at World XC was personal

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Prior to competing for the U.S. Under-20 men’s cross country team Sunday in Uganda, the last time Aidan Reed was in Uganda he was a baby.

Reed, who was born in Ethiopia, was adopted when he was six months old and raised by parents in Helena, Mont.

Now a freshman at Southern Utah University, Reed was able to see aspects of East African culture and running that have always been with him.

“They were really stoked (for me), about the experience in general, but also to go back to my home continent,” Reed said of his family.

Reed won a high school state cross country title in Montana, but never quite cracked into elite status. He just missed qualifying for nationals on more than one occasion.

But he was always paying attention.

“This has been on my radar a long time,” Reed said. “I’ve always been envious of guys who made those national teams in high school. I fan-boyed them. I wanted to experience it myself.”

Reed got his chance when he plotted with his SUU coach to try and prepare to make the trip to Uganda last summer. He went to Bend, Ore. for the USATF Cross Country Championships and placed fifth in the junior men’s race.

In Uganda, he was the top U.S. runner in the U-20 race for much of the race. Paul Roberts eventually caught him and went on to take 34th at the Kololo Independence Grounds. Reed was the second U.S. finisher in 47th.

“It was an extraordinary chance,” Reed said. “I had a chance to see a local craft market and some of the food, but for the most part we were there to do a job.”

Reed wrote about his experience for Citius Mag.