Ross Millington could go down as the greatest runner in the history of UNM.
The 5-foot-7-inch, 125-pound Brit moved to Albuquerque right out of high school from Stockport, England, in January of 2009.
Living alone, meeting new people and a being in a different part of the world surprised Millington.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” he said. “It was completely different, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
Since then, he has been quietly running up a record.
He is one of two runners in UNM history to finish the mile in under four minutes, with a time of 3:59. Lee Emanuel holds the record at UNM with 3:57.
Millington is second all-time, only to Emanuel, in the 3,000-meter and fourth in the 5,000-meter, and he still has two seasons to improve.
“He’s probably the least well-known sub-four minute mile runner in the country,” cross country head coach Joe Franklin said. “He’s on the verge of being the best distance runner all-around in the University of New Mexico’s history.”
Over the summer Millington took part in the European Athletics U23 Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic where he won the silver medal in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 14:22.78.
Millington said that day was the happiest of his life.
“It was incredible just to be able to stand on the podium for the medal ceremony,” Millington said. “It’s not very often in the sport that we get the feeling that it’s paid off. That was definitely one of the very few moments where I actually felt like it was worth it.”
Millington’s rise to notoriety had been postponed for the last couple of seasons due to the success of his fellow English teammates Lee Emanuel and Rory Fraser. Both runners were awarded Athlete of the Year by the Alumni Lettermen’s Association, Emanuel in 2009 and Fraser in 2010.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Now the spotlight is on Millington, and with the recent injury to Nicholas Kipruto, he is undoubtedly the one who will need to carry the Lobos; something Franklin said he has been ready for.
“Now it’s his turn to take the leadership role and, quite honestly, he’s done a very good job with that,” Franklin said.
At the Wisconsin Invitational last weekend, Millington led the Lobos, finishing in 20th place and helping the team earn a 28th place finish.
Millington said his passion for running is not normal.
“I honestly have to say there must be something wrong with us,” Millington said. “I certainly don’t classify myself as a normal human being.”
In a sport that requires a strict diet, consistent sleep schedule and countless miles of running with little in return, Millington said the NCAA championships and the opportunity to represent England in the 2012 Olympics is what keeps him motivated.
Millington will compete in the 5,000-meter race at the UK trials next year in hopes of competing in London.
“I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work that I’m going to have to put in,” he said. “But I can honestly see it happening.”
