Running is in the family
Casey, Thibodeau have local legacy in cross country
PROVIDENCE — It’s a sunsplashed October afternoon. The running conditions are ideal – neither too hot nor too cold.
Sitting on a bench are two of the best male athletes to ever walk the hallways of Cumberland High School. Both achieved first-team all-state status in cross-country and also excelled in other sports during their Clipper days. Both have been inducted into the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Both were scholarship athletes in college.
As Brian Thibodeau (Cumberland Class of 1984) and John Casey (CHS Class of 1991) reminisced and reflected about their athletic careers, two teenage boys came running up to them. The warmup leg of that day’s training session had been completed. The youngsters had a few minutes to catch their breath and regroup before resuming their workout.
This is a story about fathers and sons where running, specifically cross-country, is the common thread. This is about Thibodeau and Casey and their children’s current quest to make names for themselves. This is about two individuals who didn’t attend high school at the same time but still ended up becoming very good friends – so good that they make it a habit of standing next to each other during meets.
“It’s like two compadres,” said John Casey with a laugh.
“We’ve known each other for years.”
“We know all the key vantagepoints on the courses,” said Brian Thibodeau.
More than anything, this is about one generation passing on the pure enjoyment and satisfaction of competitive running to the next wave, as if it was some family heirloom that should continue to shine brightly.
Jack Casey – John’s son – and Adam Thibodeau – Brian’s son – are both sophomore runners at La Salle Academy and represent the perfect gateway for their dads to rekindle the past.
“It’s almost like we’re still running,” said Brian Thibodeau. “They get on the starting line and the excitement is still there.”
The two 10th graders know they’ve been blessed with tremendous athletic genes and know the perfect way to repay their fathers.
“Seeing how well our dads did, it’s definitely something we want to live up to,” said Jack Casey. “The motivation is definitely there.”
“I’ve always strived to be better than my dad,” said Adam Thibodeau, his words drawing a hearty reaction from everyone who’s part of this four-person interview session. “I always joke that I want to have faster times than him.
“Our dads, they went to Cumberland and set records there,” added Thibodeau. “We have a chance to make a mark through our school.”
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Brian Thibodeau was a high school runner for all seasons (cross country, indoor track, outdoor track). Once cross country was complete, John Casey during his Clipper days handled basketballs in the winter and swung a tennis racquet come springtime.
“I had a cousin in high school telling me that there was a cross country race scheduled the next afternoon. If I signed up for it, that meant I would get out of school early,” said Thibodeau, a two-time first-team allstate cross-country performer in consecutive years. “After that, I was hooked.”
In college, Thibodeau ran while attending Syracuse. Casey briefly contemplated the prospect of competing in two sports at Boston College. Ultimately, he settled on tennis, though distance running continued to remain a central activity in Casey’s life. These days, he runs with the goal of staying in shape and likes to get out there six days per week.
Upon graduating from Syracuse, Thibodeau hung up his running shoes for roughly 10 years. The fire to pound the pavement and comb wooded-covered trails returned around 2000 when something that started out as a New Year’s resolution grew and morphed into entering and competing in the Boston Marathon.
In 2003, along came Jack and Adam. As they grew older, they would see their dads head out for jogs. Naturally, they became inquisitive. Where are you going? Can I join you?
Like his dad, Jack also participated in basketball and tennis. When he wasn’t running, Adam could be found in the ice rink playing hockey.
“Playing different sports when we were younger definitely broadened our horizons in terms of getting to know the sports we might like best,” said Jack Casey.
Even though they went to different middle schools – Adam attended North Cumberland while Jack was enrolled at De La Salle, which is located on the La Salle campus – the pair joined the same grassroots running club called NC Surge, the “NC” standing for North Cumberland. In 2017, then-eighth graders Adam and Jack were part of the NC Surge cross country team that captured the USATF National Championship.
“Knowing Adam for as long as I have, it’s great to be able to run with such a good friend,” said Jack Casey, who believes he’s been a running teammate of Adam’s for the past half-dozen years.
“When we raced against each other in middle school, we would always be near each other and just talk,” said Adam Thibodeau. “We motivate each other.”
For Jack and Adam, running ultimately won out as the sport that resonated the most. Jack had every intention of continuing to hustle his way over great distances upon reaching high school. For Adam, the true running epiphany came at last year’s R.I. State Cross Country Championship. He became the first freshman to complete the Ponaganset High course, placing 24th overall with a time of 16:51.
Adam had signed up to play hockey at La Salle. Following pleas of encouragement from his cross country teammates, he continued to further his running career. The younger Thibodeau was recently cleared to resume running after suffering an injury in the summer, one that had nothing to do with a runner’s typical training regimen. He will make his season debut at next week’s JV state meet.
“My individual goal is to go to college for running just like my dad,” said Adam Thibodeau.
Jack’s freshman cross country season with the Rams was short-circuited after he also fell victim to a fluky injury. This fall, he’s fighting for a spot to join La Salle’s top-seven, a coveted designation that would automatically signal an appearance at the Nov. 2 state meet.
“I just want to do the best I can to help the team,” said Jack.
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Before resuming their workout, Jack Casey and Adam Thibodeau were asked about the advice they’ve received from their dads.
“Probably that hard work pays off and to always make sure to give 100 percent,” said Jack.
“My dad always says how important it is to listen to my coaches,” said Adam. “On my long runs if I go too fast, my dad reminds me to take it a step slow. You don’t want to burn out.”
You could tell the sons were a source of thers.
“It’s fun to have the opportunity to relive responses from their pride for the two fawhat John and I once did. Not many athletes have that chance,” said Brian Thibodeau. “It’s really unique and I’m having a ball with it.”
“We look forward to going to all the races and cheering them on and the team and just seeing how good they can be,” said John Casey.
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