Nathan Kelba

The Long Run: How Nate Kelba Learned to Race Himself

He doesn’t chase medals — he chases the feeling of getting better, one stride at a time.

There’s something philosophical about Nate Kelba. The kind of athlete who sees a starting line and thinks about possibility as much as performance.

“I started out playing a bunch of different sports,” he says. “My parents wanted me to try everything — basketball, soccer, you name it. They taught me that you’ve got to give things a shot before you decide who you are.” One of those things was running. And somewhere between the side stitches and finish lines, Nate realized he wasn’t just good at it — he was hooked.

“Running became my thing,” he says. “It gave me space to think, to compete, to push myself.”

Now representing St. Mary’s University Lightning in Cross Country and Indoor Track, Nate’s built a reputation for two things: composure and consistency. His career highlight? That one’s easy. “Getting my personal best in the 8K — and doing it on our home course,” he says. “It felt like everything clicked. The training, the pacing, the crowd — it was perfect symmetry. That race was pure.”

If there’s a word that defines him, it’s progress. “I want to keep setting personal bests,” he says. “That’s how I measure growth. Every time I lace up, I want to see improvement — even if it’s just a few seconds.”

He’s competitive — not in a trash-talking, chest-pounding way, but in that runner’s way where every mile is a test of your own patience. “I’ve learned how to erase the bad races,” he says. “You can’t dwell. You just look forward, fix what you can, and go again.”

Ask him about the future, and his answer is as steady as his stride: “A marathon. That’s the big one. Running a full marathon would mean everything to me.”

His role models track back to his roots — his parents. “They’ve taught me most of what I bring to running — discipline, humility, work ethic,” he says. “But I also look up to Olympians. Watching them compete, their mindset, the way they prepare — there’s a ton of wisdom there.”

Before a race, Nate’s ritual is equal parts visualization and adrenaline. “I do my strides at the start-finish line and picture myself closing strong,” he says. “And yeah — Enter Sandman by Metallica is my warm-up song. The energy’s perfect. It’s like the calm before a storm.”

That’s the duality of Nate Kelba — calm and chaos. Logic and emotion. A student of the sport who still races with the fire of a rookie.

Because for him, it’s not about beating people — it’s about beating yesterday.