Beauty in the Ordinary
The discipline that alumnus Brian Carroll learned at Angelo State brought him to the moment of crossing the finish line at the 2024 Boston Marathon.
Originally from Irving, Carroll was unfamiliar with Angelo State. Then, in his senior year of high school, his cross country coach connected him with James Reid, then ASU’s head track and field/cross country coach.
From the moment Carroll joined the ASU cross country/track and field teams as a walk-on, the coaches, Reid, Gary Gabriel and Tom Dibbern, invested in his life.
“Coach Reid built such a good culture of helping us think beyond the track and consider who we are as people,” Carroll said. “And Coach Gabe, our distance coach, he cared about you as an individual. You weren’t just seen as an athlete, but as a person. That made the difference.”
In his final college meet, the 2010 ASU David Noble Relays, Carroll set a new school record for the 10K with a time of 32:18.
“Running in college was an opportunity to grow and to be involved in something that challenged me,” Carroll said. “In a lot of ways, running still serves that purpose for me. It is a space where I feel challenged, but even beyond the athletic part, running has provided the environment for me to process and pray.”
“Running is a space where I feel challenged, but even beyond the athletic part, running has provided the environment for me to process and pray.”
“When I was in college I was always thinking, ‘How can I improve my time? How can I get better?’” he added. “Now it’s, ‘How close can I get to the times I ran in college?’ There is a part of me that wants to chase that.”
“Going into the race, I had a goal, but what ended up happening was that goal was smashed,” Carroll said. “Towards the last six miles, I knew that the top three was within striking distance.”
“Knowing I crossed the line with a huge PR and got third was just a sweet moment,” he continued. “Next to running the school record at my last ASU home meet, that was the best running moment I have had. I remember crossing the finish line feeling so grateful.”
On Monday, April 15, Carroll ran in one of the world’s most prestigious races, the 128th Boston Marathon. Preparing to run in the world’s oldest annual marathon for the first time, he reflected on his support system.
“No one does anything alone,” Carroll said. “Training to run the Boston Marathon has been a sacrifice for my wife, Kirstie, who is pregnant with our second child. I am very grateful for her and for my son, Judah. It will be fun and really special to share that moment at the end with my family.”
Photo Credit: Boston Marathon
Not only did he have that special moment with his family, but he completed the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:34:29, placing him 214th out of 25,546 runners.
“No one becomes a great runner or athlete in one fell swoop,” Carroll said. “It is the daily grind of showing up, the easy runs, the workouts, and just doing the best you can. The growth and progression happens over time, and that transfers to life.”
“There is beauty in the ordinary,” he added. “It’s the ordinary moments that can lead to the extraordinary things, and the extraordinary things typically happen over a span of time and not just instantaneously.”
A 2011 ASU graduate with a degree in English, Carroll continues to apply what he learned at Angelo State when teaching and building relationships in his role as one of the pastors of a local church, Redeemer San Angelo.
“People aren’t projects. You want to serve them well, and being disciplined actually shows a measure of care for people.”
“When dealing with people’s lives, that’s not something you can procrastinate on,” Carroll said. “People aren’t projects. You want to serve them well, and being disciplined actually shows a measure of care for people. Looking back on ASU, that has been invaluable to me.”
“We want them to be a part of and experience the spaces where mom and dad met and grew a lot,” Carroll said. “These are the rhythms we want to build in our family.”
Reflecting on his achievements, Carroll is simply grateful for the ability to run.
“I see running as a grace,” he said. “I’m gifted at it. I enjoy it, but it’s not who I am. It’s not my identity, but rather, it’s just a part of how I am wired. I see it as this gift that I get to participate in.”
“I don’t want to be known as ‘That dude ran the Boston Marathon’ or ‘That dude got third in Dallas,’” Carroll continued. “At the end of the day, I want to be known for serving and loving people well. For being a good dad to my kids and loving my wife well. Those are the things I want to be known for, and that comes through day-to-day, ordinary things.”
“There is beauty in the ordinary. It’s the ordinary moments that can lead to the extraordinary things.”
Ultimately, Carroll hopes to pass on the lessons he has learned to whoever he crosses paths with in life.
“Be patient with the moment you are in,” he said. “Don’t disdain the ordinary. Don’t disdain the monotony of the day-to-day. But rather, see those opportunities as little steps to keep growing and being better at whatever you are pursuing.”