On November 8, 2025, Sade Bumpus ran the 3 mile race for varsity girls in Newhall Park, Concord, CA and ended the race with a time of 17:44.2, placing her first overall. To discuss this achievement, Bumpus was asked some questions about the competition.
To begin, Sade Bumpus explained how she was able to prepare for her strong finish in the race.
“I mentally prepared for the race by warming up with my teammates and stretching, so I was confident that I was prepared to run,” she said.
However, during the race, Bumpus faced some challenges, specifically in the final mile.
“The last mile was hard because we started running faster,” she said. “I overcame that by focusing on the girl in front of me and trying to catch her.”
Even with the competitive pressure, Bumpus’ definition of success stays centered on effort rather than placement.
“Success to me personally means knowing I tried my best during a race even if I don’t PR or win,” she explained.
Throughout the season as a whole, this mindset plays a major role.
“I handle pressure and expectations by reminding myself that as long as I try my best, I’ll race well,” Bumpus said.
To further these ideas, Bumpus leans on perseverance and her teammates when it comes to tough workouts.
“I stay tough during difficult practices by telling myself that I can do it and listening to my teammate’s motivation,” she said.
Balancing running with school and a social life can be demanding, but she has found a routine that works.
“I balance my social and academic life with my training by running in the morning and in the afternoon so I have time to do my homework after practice,” she said. “I don’t have a race every weekend, but on the weekends that I do, I can hang out with my friends after my race.”
Looking ahead, she has set goals to continue improving each year.
“My long-term goals in cross country are to PR at least once every season and stay positive as much as possible,” Bumpus said.
Reflecting on how far she has come, Bumpus also shared what she wishes she had known earlier in her running journey.
“Advice I will give my younger self to run like I do now is not to be afraid to lead a race and practice every day,” she said.
Most of all, she emphasized that cross country has taught her a lesson that reaches beyond the sport.
“The most important lesson I’ve learned from cross country is being disciplined because sometimes you don’t want to have to do things but after you do you feel accomplished,” she said.
With her first-place finish and continued commitment, Bumpus hopes to carry these lessons into the rest of the season and beyond.
