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On the run
Gottlied runs
Photo provided Aaron Gottlied, 13, placed first overall in his age group at the Nashville St. Paddys Day 5K race on March 17. Covering the hilly course with an outstanding time of 19:54, Aaron earned a fourth-place spot in a field of 466 runners. He is the son of Ed and Carrie Gottlied and a member of DeKalb Middle Schools Cross Country team.

One local teen is running ahead of all others, his fleet feet carrying him to victory in Nashville against some of the top runners in the state.
Aaron Gottlied, 13, placed first overall in his age group at the Nashville St. Paddy’s Day 5K race on March 17, covering the hilly course with an outstanding time of 19:54. He earned a fourth-place spot overall out of a field of 466 runners. 

The son of Ed and Carrie Gottlied and a member of DeKalb Middle School’s Cross Country team, Aaron is currently in seventh grade at DMS.  
He began running cross country as a sixth grader for the middle school cross country team; however, according to his mom he has always had a passion for running even before sixth grade. His coach, Kristen VanVranken, says it was sixth grade when he raced his way on the running scene.

“He immediately became a huge asset for the boys team his sixth-grade year, and began finishing as our top runner for the majority of our meets/races,” she said. “On average we compete in about 10-12 races during the season, but Aaron always has the desire to enter in 5K races during the off season to challenge himself as an athlete.” 

Middle school races a total distance of two miles at meets; however, high school races are 3.1 miles or 5K. “The extra 5K races that Aaron enters are going to help prepare him for the longer race in high school,” his coach said.  “Aaron is extremely self-motivated and a fierce competitor. He has the most gracious sportsmanship that a coach could ever want in an athlete and he is always looking out for his teammates and encouraging them.”  

As a sixth grader he earned third place in the regional meet where he led the boys team to qualify for the state championship meet in Knoxville. This past seventh-grade year he earned a second-place finish at regionals and was in the top 50 at the state meet out of a field of over 350 runners which is a huge accomplishment. 

“He has an effortless stride, but make no mistake he gives 110% in every race he runs,” his coach revealed. “I am truly looking forward to his eighth-grade cross country season that will begin in August. The sky’s the limit with this athlete.”