When Kai Marcos first saw the size of the other runners in his age group, it was a bit intimidating.
The youngster from Beverly, who had just turned 11 years old, was competing in a class where almost all the other participants were older. In fact, some of the boys in his events looked more like Olympic gold medal winning sprinter Michael Johnson than your typical 11 or 12-year-olds.
But Marcos didn't get the nickname "Bullet" from his friends for nothing.
Marcos turned in two outstanding performances in the 400 and 100 meter events at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Track and Field Nationals in Sacramento recently, despite being one of the youngest runners there.
He finished 21th in the 400 in a personal best time of 1:03.6. He was also 29th in the 100 in 14.11 seconds.
"Just experiencing the atmosphere there and talking to some of the other athletes from all over the United States was the best part of the trip," said Marcos. "Some of them told me they drove 24 hours to get there.
"Even though I qualified for the nationals, I wasn't sure at first if I would be able to go because it was in California. But my parents supported me through all my training and let me know they wanted me to go. I'm really lucky to have them; they're the best."
Marcos had won gold in the 400 meter at both the New Englands and Region 1 qualifying. He also captured the bronze in the 100 meter at both competitions.
"My favorite is the 400 because it's longer, which gives me more time to run and there's a lot more room for strategy," said Marcos, who also plays baseball, basketball and tennis. "I broke my own record in California."
Marcos had only a short time after running the 100 before doing the 400. He said he had trained so hard that waiting was the hardest part, but he ate chicken rings (chicken shaped like onion rings) and watched the other races.
"I kept saying to myself 'I want my race to start soon'," said Marcos, who is entering the fifth grade in Beverly. This is his second school year in the United States after the first three elementary grades in Japan.
He will be able to run in the same age category next year at Nationals when he'll be 12 years old, having another year to get bigger and stronger — not to mention quicker.
"I definitely plan on going back next year," said Marcos. "I have another year to train and get faster. The kids (this year) were so tall and muscular and extremely fast. Most of them were 12 and some were almost 6 feet tall. One 13-year-old there ran the 400 just a few seconds slower than the (adult) world record."
Marcos is already looking forward to qualifying again and thinking about trying some different events, like the javelin and pentathlon. He appreciates the support he got from all of his teammates and coaches who inspired him to do his best. . But it wasn't all work on the trip. He had time to go to the movies, swim in the pool at his hotel and go out to eat. But the highlight, said Marcos, was going to AT&T Park where the San Francisco Giants play baseball.
It's a good bet Marcos will be back next year ready to do it all over again. This time he'll be an old pro, knowing the ropes and ready to give it his best shot.
