AFNORTH senior Logan Conrad raises his hands in triumph after winning the 2025 DODEA European cross country championships at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Baumholder, Germany, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)

Days after winning the DODEA European cross country championship, Logan Conrad received a message on Instagram from AFNORTH teammate Patrick Stevens asking if he wanted to run a marathon.

Just for fun.

Conrad wasted no time with an immediate yes.

So, the Lions met up with Brussels’ Joshua Isaacson and ran 26.2 miles on their own. They completed the run in 4 hours, 20 minutes, but it wasn’t about getting a good time. The three just wanted to enjoy the sport they love.

“We all really like running, so it was a nice way to hang out and spend our time doing something we all enjoy,” Conrad said.

Conrad’s love for long-distance running is evident not just through this example but from his dominance of the DODEA European cross country scene.

The AFNORTH senior won every race he entered, posting the top two times of the season at 16:20 and 16:34.35. Conrad was one of just two DODEA-Europe runners to break the 17-minute barrier.

He capped off a perfect season with victory at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Baumholder, Germany, on Nov. 1. Conrad completed the 5-kilometer course in a time of 17:27.03.

For his exploits on the courses across Europe this fall, Stars and Stripes named Conrad the 2025 European boys cross country Athlete of the Year.

“That’s been my goal for a while now,” Conrad said of winning the individual European crown. “So, it was great to finally get to the finish line and realize that goal.”

Conrad’s cross country journey began when joined his school’s program in Texas in eighth grade.

A soccer player for most of his youth, Conrad played midfielder because they ran a lot on the field. When he discovered that a sport exists where all the competitors run, he jumped ship immediately.

Conrad moved to England with his parents Nichole and Scott ahead of his freshman year and hit the trails immediately as a member of the Lakenheath squad.

In 2022, Conrad placed 29th at Euros with a time of 19:26.15, and he followed that up with a 24th-place finish in 18:57.76 as a sophomore.

His breakthrough came the following year. Conrad shocked the field by taking runner-up honors. He obliterated his previous best time in Baumholder by more than a minute and a half (17:14.05).

“I had good genetics from the beginning, but I realized pretty quick that won’t let me win,” Conrad said. “Hard work is required at the high school level.”

His effort differs slightly from most long-distance runners.

Conrad’s max mileage per week doesn’t surpass 25-30 at its peak and lowers to 15 at the end of the season, lower than many of his contemporaries.

He focuses on long runs on Mondays, speed work on Tuesdays and Wednesday, intervals on Thursday and an easy jog on Fridays, the day before races.

Conrad said he did all that speed and interval work to improve his weakness – his kick. While not as bad as when he first started running, he admitted he still couldn’t outsprint his fellow competitors.

That influenced his plan for every race, which was to get out to a quick start and stay in front until the finish line.

It worked in the championship meet, even though it was a little too close for comfort. Stuttgart’s Ethan Cohen was hot on his heels in second place, crossing the line at 17:31.70.

“A lot of the reason people can’t say that is oftentimes it’s not smart to lead the whole way through,” Conrad said. “It plays to my strengths, but a lot of people have a better finish than I do. So, it might not have been as advantageous for them to lead the whole race.

“I still think it’s impressive for me to have done that, but I don’t think it’s a good thing necessarily.”

But even more important to him was the Division III team title. The AFNORTH boys program won their first crown in decades, beating two-time defending champion Brussels 14-16.

“It was just a really nice thing to have to show we are a good running school and we have the talent and the hard work to win the championship,” Conrad said. “It meant a lot to us.”

Now, Conrad turns his attention to the wrestling mats in winter before track and field in the spring. He said he will focus on the 3,200-meter race, as he does better in longer races.

He also expressed a desire to complete collegiately. He mentioned a few smaller schools have contacted him, but he wants to challenge himself.

“I think it’s more likely that I’ll walk on to a bigger school where I’m not that great compared to their roster,” Conrad said. “I would like to have someone out in front of me to help push me to get better.”