Performance: Gladstone's Adam Bruce
October 19, 2018
Adam Bruce
Gladstone senior – Cross Country
In only his second season running cross country, the Braves standout has assumed the lead position as fastest in the Upper Peninsula. Bruce won two league championships last week, at the Mid-Peninsula Conference meet (16:50) and three days later at the Great Northern Conference final (16:53) to earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week.”
Bruce arguably is a more accomplished wrestler – he started in that sport in first grade and is a three-time MHSAA Finals qualifier and two-time placer, taking third at 130 pounds in Division 3 last winter. He decided to try track & field as a freshman, but as a pole vaulter – he wanted nothing to do with running. But his coach convinced him to run a 1,600 time trail, and Bruce broke 5 minutes – and as a sophomore he won the U.P. Division 1 championship in the 3,200. Bruce holds the track team’s records in the 1,600 (4:31.7, breaking a record from 2005) and 3,200 (9:52.8, breaking a record from 1988) and ran the cross country program’s record 5K this fall, a 16:05 at the El Harger Invitational at Pictured Rocks Golf Course, the site of this Saturday’s U.P. Finals.
In his first season last fall, Bruce finished fourth at the U.P. Division 1 Final behind a cast of senior standouts – Houghton’s Clayton Sayen and Marquette’s Garrett Rudden and Luke Rambo – and he chased Negaunee’s 2016 champion Colton Yesney in regular-season competition. This season, Bruce took advantage of a rare opportunity to make his mark downstate Sept. 5, when he finished second in the Division 3 race at the Holly Invitational with a time that also would’ve placed him first in the event’s Division 2 race. Bruce also carries a 4.0 grade-point average and is ranked third in his graduating class. He’s undecided where he’ll attend school after graduation but intends to run; he plans to study either education or physical therapy, depending on which of his finalists he selects.
Coach Gary Whitmer said: “This is my 18th season of coaching at Gladstone High School, and I never have had a dedicated and driven athlete like Adam; he loves to run. He is such a team leader, always encouraging all athletes – boys and girls) – on our team to do their best. He likes to ask me what the workout for the day is, and than he will get the attention of the rest of the team to make sure they know what is going on. … This year the U.P. state Finals will be in Munising – we ran the course on September 25, and Adam broke the course record, running 16:05 on a cool rainy day. We are hoping that Lake Superior doesn't bring in its nasty October weather and that we have a beautiful day this October 20, and Adam will have a chance to break 16 and bring home a U.P. state cross country title.
Performance Point: “For me personally, it was amazing, because not just individually did I have the success, but our team really stepped it up – especially at the second conference meet, the GNC,” Bruce said of the league title double. “We finished just behind Marquette, with our closest finish ever in our program history to them, so we’re super proud of that. Individually, it was something that I’ll never forget. It’s something that makes me proud, and I can say that it was for my school and the hard work paid off a little bit there. Hopefully it will help me have a better performance at the Finals – it gives me some confidence, and it gives our team a lot of confidence, so we’re excited about this weekend.”
Next U.P. star: “All four years of my high school – I started out in track & field and I came into cross country as just a junior – watching those guys succeed when I was a freshman, it was always my goal to be like them. And the best part about it, I don’t know if it’s to say ‘filling the shoes,’ but being able to step up and show the young runners all of this hard work and just keeping your team motivated and keeping yourself motivated, that you can get there too. Because to be honest, at the beginning I never thought I’d be running some of those times that I ran this year. I’m proud of myself for that, but I think that comes with having a great coach and having good community involvement. At all of our meets, having everyone there to support me, that really helps a lot. Those guys, Yesney from Negaunee and Rambo from Marquette and all those guys, they were a big part of it to because they pushed me all four years of high school so far. They’ve made me want to be better. They’ve made me strive to be like them. I think it’s cool to say that I can fill in the footsteps of those guys, like I’ve been trying my best to do this year.”
Late starter, fast learner: “I had run only one 5K before I came in as a junior, but what really helped me was having a little bit of work my first summer in cross country. I ran a lot that summer and got some mileage under me, and my coach helped me a lot. Coach Whitmer and Coach (Jim) Murtha up here are very knowledgeable about the sport, so them just teaching me that it’s going to come with time and you need to be a little bit patient, because my first few races I struggled a lot. I didn’t have the best times, and I was kinda bummed about that. But then I started to realize that it takes more than overnight to be successful in a sport. So I think I took it patiently, but at the same time I think I picked up on things really quickly. I learned to adapt to the 5K, and to me I fell in love with more of the longer distance because the longer the distance, the more fun I have doing it. … And I think obviously running against the stiff competition I had last year up here really helped. The guys from Negaunee and the guys from Houghton – they treat you like family, we’re all a big family up here – so it was awesome having those guys because I really learned from them.”
It’s the experience: “The thing is in athletics, I think the competition part of it is awesome, but at the same time these experiences that you get are ones that you’ll never forget for the rest of your life. For us to head down to Holly, it was something I can really say that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. One, the competition was awesome and I enjoyed it a lot, and I had a fun time. … (And) what I thought was cool about that was the downstate kids, they got to experience a little bit of something that they never see – they never see schools come down from the U.P. for those meets like that. It was neat for us as well, because the majority of the kids on our team – we have a young girls team and really a young guys team – it was the first time they’d really ever experienced anything like that. So I think Holly was huge for us. It was a big building point for our season and a big building point for me. Taking second there gave me some confidence, and then I went in two weeks after that and ran my (best time) of the season so far. “
Wrestling with running: “I think a lot of my running success came from wrestling, because what I learned in wrestling is you’re only as good as you’re willing to train yourself to be. That relates a lot to cross country, because my mental toughness is something that helps me as opposed to others. I think I have that mental edge that comes with wrestling. I feel like I’m really able to push myself. Even when I’m struggling and having a bad day, I’m still able to finish because I know mentally I’m strong enough to finish. … (Wrestling) was also a downfall for me at first, because at first it took me a while to realize that running you can’t go 100 percent every day. You want to get in there and go 100 percent and give it your all, but you’ve got to take your easy days in running, and I think that’s one thing that took me a while to understand. But now that I’ve started to get it under control, it can only go up from here.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2018-19 school year, Second Half and the Michigan Army National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Past 2018-19 honorees
October 11: Ericka VanderLende, Rockford cross country - Read
October 4: Kobe Clark, Schoolcraft football - Read
September 27: Jonathan Kliewer, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern soccer - Read
September 20: Kiera Lasky, Bronson volleyball - Read
September 13: Judy Rector, Hanover-Horton cross country - Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Gladstone’s Adam Bruce powers up a hill during Marquette’s Dale Phillips Invitational on Aug. 30. (Middle) Bruce prepares to make his move during the Mid-Peninsula Conference championship race Oct. 8 at Wawonowin Country Club in Ishpeming. (Photos by Cara Kamps.)
Martin Brings LA Marathon Championship Experience Home as Jackson High Coach
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
April 23, 2026
Nathan Martin has the best possible example a coach can give when it comes to the old phrase, “It’s never over, until it’s over.”
Last month, the Jackson cross country head coach and track assistant captured national attention when he miraculously came from behind to win the Los Angeles Marathon.
The winning margin was one hundredth (0.01) of a second.
“I didn’t really know if I won,” said Martin. “I tried not to get too emotional or celebrate too much. Then people around me started confirming it.”
Martin, 36, was running his race when, with about five miles to go, he had a surge and passed the pack he was with to get comfortably into second place.
“There was only one guy to catch at that point; he was so far ahead,” Martin said. “I couldn’t even see him. At that point, it was like, ‘Okay, let’s push, let’s finish, be strong, and all that kind of stuff.”
Slowly, the leader came into focus.
“Within the last mile, I’d say, he came into view,” Martin said. “By 800 meters to go I thought I had a serious shot to try and win.
“I made one final surge. That last 800 was super painful. I was thinking to myself maybe I’ll catch him, maybe I won’t, but I definitely wanted to make sure I crossed that finish line with no regrets, knowing I left everything out there.”
As he and the leader, Michael Kimani Kamau of Kenya, approached the finish, the crowed braced for the finish.
“It was the last 50 to 80 meters where the true opportunity to win presented itself and I took full advantage of it,” Martin said. “When I crossed the line, it was so close. I was trying to hold back the excitement and emotions and all of that kind of stuff. People started confirming it, and it was surreal. I just started absorbing the moment and everything going on.”
He credits his own coach, James McCurdy, with preparing him with everything from the right nutrition to handling the Los Angeles heat to the running strategy.”
“It was painful, but I still had something left in the tank,” he said. “If the race would have been a couple miles longer, I would have been okay (to finish).”
Martin finished with a personal best time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 16.5 seconds. It was the closest finish in LA Marathon history.
“It was pretty special,” Martin said.
Martin was born in Chicago Heights, Ill., and moved with his family to Three Rivers before he started school. He began running in middle school and competed throughout high school. He ran the mile in high school and the 5K in college.
“I had a lot of success in my running journey,” he said. “Eventually, my coach thought I had what it takes to run a marathon.”
It wanted until late in his college career at Spring Arbor University that Martin ran his first marathon. He was 23.
“I won the 10K, then 36 hours later I won the marathon,” he said. “My coach was like, ‘Okay, you need to do this.’”
Martin is now a professional runner and has sponsors. He was at the Boston Marathon on Monday making appearances and connecting with people in the running community.
After college he began substitute teaching while trying to advance his running career. That’s when he launched his coaching career.
“There was a year where I was substitute teaching and going to races to try and place well,” he said. “By year two or three, I was coaching and I’ve continued that on.”
Martin said coaching is rewarding, “Especially seeing a kid overcome some kind of challenge.
“It’s being able to use my experiences to give back,” he added. “I want to help kids along their running journey. Even if they don’t become a big-time runner, I hope the types of lessons they learn, they can apply in life.
“Just see them be able to fight through something makes me feel like I am making a positive impact in the world.”
Martin has run fewer than 20 marathons in his life. “If you are training at an insanely high level, you usually look at doing one, maybe two or three a year,” he said.
He has taken some time away from marathon training recently as he’s made several national appearances.
And an assistant at Jackson this year, he said he’s noticed a buzz around the distance runners.
“There’s way more interest in distance running,” he said. “Normally they give me my two minutes of fame, then they are back to being high school students. This has been different. They’ve made me feel like definitely I’ve done something.”
He will begin ramping up his training and plans on competing in a half marathon soon, then has set his sights on either the New York or Chicago Marathon.
“It’s been pretty cool,” he said of the running community in Jackson. “They’ve been showing me a lot of love, and they are super proud. If I did Chicago, I imagine I would get a chunk of people down to watch. I’ve had so many people supporting me. It’s a really good feeling.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a news and sports reporter at the Adrian Daily Telegram and the Monroe News for 30 years, including 10 years as city editor in Monroe. He's written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. He is now publisher and editor of The Blissfield Advance, a weekly newspaper. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Nathan Martin, middle with clipboard, coaches his Jackson distance runners. (Middle) Martin poses for a photo with a community award he received from the school. (Photos courtesy of Nathan Martin.)