The idea of McAllen Memorial’s Ayden Granados ever running in any form, let alone competitively, was highly unlikely as a child.
Born with a virus which affected his lungs, Granados spent countless hours in a hospital as a kid. He eventually overcame the virus. Still, running seemed like nothing more than a thought.
“I don’t know too much about it because I try not to use it as a crutch,” Granados said. “But I was supposedly born with a virus that attacked my lungs and everything. I was hospitalized until I was 3 or 4. They ended up taking out my tonsils and adenoids because they were very inflamed. After that, I got better. But something my mom said is I wasn’t supposed to be able to run.”
Granados hasn’t let his medical history define him, emerging as one of the Valley’s top distance runners over the past two seasons. This year he ranks No. 1 and 2 in Region IV-5A in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs, respectively, according to Athletic.net.
He solidified his position as one of the Valley’s best last week, taking the gold in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs during the Area 31/32-5A track meet to the Region IV-5A track and field championships, his second consecutive appearance.
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“The past has pushed me to not be afraid,” Granados said. “A lot of these kids are healthier, or you don’t know what they have. So, I just go through with it as a motivator. If I can do it, then let’s push the limit and see what I can do. I’ve really changed the way I see it, not as a disease or as a crutch.”
The regional meet is Friday and Saturdy at Heroes Stadium in San Antonio. The top two finishers from each event advance to the state meet two weeks from Friday. Runners are seeded for the regional meet based off their time during their respective area meets.
Granados secured the No. 1 seed in the 3,200-meter run with a personal best time of 9 minutes, 16.96 seconds during the area meet, the fastest of any other qualifer during the area round. The mark ranks No. 2 overall in the region this season according to Athletic.net, sitting behind Leander’s Jace Pool’s time of 9:14.33 set March 19.
In the mile, Granados is seeded No. 5, clocking in at 4:25.26, also during the area meet. He holds the top-ranked time this season in the region, clocking in at 4:11.03 during the SL Carroll Texas Distance Festival on March 19 in Southlake.
“I’ll be honest: this year our goal was to go sub-4:20 and for the school record in the 2-mile run,” McAllen Memorial distance coach Jesse Trejo said. “He’s exceeded those expectations.
“It’s just his hard work. Coach (Juan) Gonzalez and I, he’s the girls coach at Memorial, we both said this kid was special. He does the little things right. Whatever extra things he can do to get better, he’s going to do it. … I can’t say anything about it. He puts in the time and effort and it’s showing.”
The thought of running was a mere dream for Granados long ago. Now, he’s thankful for every race, looking up to the sky and pointing after each event.
Granados’ end-of-race celebration, which has become his signature, has come from the front of the pack during 13 of his 16 races this season, including five straight wins during the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.
The junior finished fifth during the Region IV-5A meet last year, missing out on a spot at the state meet. This year, the pressure to advance has increased, Granados said. Still, his confidence and goals remain the same.
“I know what I need to do,” Granados said. “I just have to run it like it’s a regular race, just a lot faster. Last year it was more about getting a feel for it, trying to push to the front and going from there. It’s a very different mindset now.
“I just want to get some more titles there. I want to win. But I also want to get my teammates to state too. That’d be the dream for all of us.”
One thing remains certain, regardless of where he finishes during the meet Granados will look up to the sky and give thanks for being able to run another race.
“I always got to thank the man upstairs because it all comes down to Him,” he said. “Without Him, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am.”
