KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A Kalamazoo father and his son made history as the first father-son duo to win USA Track & Field titles in the same year.
For some athletes, winning trophies and medals is everything. However, Josh and Noah Sanders say they're just happy to be doing something together.
Josh Sanders told FOX 17 that running with his son is how they spend quality time— a tradition he picked up from his own father.
“My dad would go out for runs to keep in shape, and I'd started out riding my bike with him," Josh recalled. "As I got older, I started running with him."
At just two years old and with his own water bottle, Noah started running. Then at four years old, he started competing.
“I got really competitive into running a few years ago, and he just decided he was going to do that, too,” Josh said.
That spirit and drive are what carried them both to victories.
On July 1, Noah won his first youth 1500-meter national championship in Geneva, Ohio. He says the other runners were “slow pokes.”
Three weeks later on July 21, Josh won the Masters Championship for the 3,000-meter steeplechase in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“Winning this was probably the most fulfilling race of my career, but definitely not as good as watching Noah win his 1500,” Josh said.
While the success feels great, the Sanders family says the fun is in the memories.
