Max Armstrong

Vestavia Hills HS, Vestavia Hills, AL, c/o 2024
AthleticNET Bio

Max Armstrong is lanky. At 6-03, you think basketball player. And that is what he was. His father played basketball in college and he chose to play basketball as well. 

He ran for his middle school after a friend convinced him to go out. He didn’t take it seriously and his eighth grade year, COVID limited his participation to just one meet. 

When he enrolled at Vestavia Hills for his freshman year, he continued to play basketball. He ran the 800m in track(2:02.85 was his best) and his team finished third in the 4 x 800m(8:04.65). That year his team won the 7A State title.

His sophomore year, he split his time between basketball and running. His friend Henry Strand, the son of former Auburn track and cross country star Scott Strand, decided he would run indoor track and field instead of playing basketball. Though he missed running the indoor season, Armstrong made a major breakthrough in outdoor track. He finished second in the state 7A 800m final in 1:54.88 and sixth in the 400m in 49.08. In the postseason, he ran 1:54.17 and then cranked out a huge personal best of 1:52.71 the following week at the Music City Track Festival on June 5.

“I thought I had a 1:53 in me, but not a 1:52. I wanted to break 1:54 at RunningLane, but I didn’t. When I saw the clock at Music City after the race, I was in complete shock. I had no idea what to even think and but it definitely was a huge eye opener and I thought I could hopefully break 1:50 next year.”

Armstrong is close with the Strand family and is very good friends with Henry. There is always talk about running and the encouragement and advice he has gotten has helped him realize how good he could be.

“I’m definitely super close to that family. I'm always with Henry. Running is always a topic. They helped me understand how good I could be. I really started prioritizing my training.”

With those performances and advice he was getting from his coaches and the Strands, he decided to turn all his efforts to running and not play basketball anymore. His training was different from his other teammates. He leaned more towards the speed side of running than the mileage side. He logged 30 miles or so compared to the 50 miles his teammates would log.

In workouts, he’d do less reps and run them quicker. 1k workouts would be run in 3:07 when his teammates would run 3:15. 

“My coaches [Richard Anderson and Katherine Terino]  know that I don't have crazy endurance like my teammates do. I can't run a great 5k so I just train based off of what kind of runner I am and just don't do quite as much volume. I do a good bit of speed. I do a super quick workout every two or three weeks.”

This past season the aim was to get under 1:50. He started off with a good cross country season. In the state final, his team won in a tiebreaker over Huntsville who had won four consecutive titles. Armstrong was seventh man in 16:54.43 which was a personal best.

Indoors, he sped to a personal best of 1:52.68 and finished third in the 800m(1:55.64) and third in the 400m(49.58) at the 7A Indoor State meet. His team was a lock for the 4 x 800m so they cruised to a 7:57.02 which set a new 7A state record.

Outdoors, he scared the 1:50 barrier all season, getting down to 1:51.68 on April 15 at the Mountain Brook Invitational. He finished second in the 800m(1:56.22) and third in the 400m(49.28) at state, but could never quite get under that 1:50. He had a few more chances and at RunningLane on May 27, he got close with his 1:50.91 for fourth place. It was a bit frustrating for him as he felt he was in shape to go under 1:50.

“I was definitely under 1:50 shape if I raced smart. Usually I race smart, but I didn't race very smart. I just didn't go out hard enough. I raced a little scared so I'm almost going to just act like I ran 1:49. I know that I was in that kind of  shape so next year when I start training, I know I can be in 1:48 or 1:47 shape. I just have to actually go run it. And I have to actually race hard and go out hard.”

Vestavia Hills 4 x 800 team were the stars this past season as they sped to historically fast times.  In preparation for the Nike Outdoor Nationals, they ran 7:38.25 at the Hewitt-Trussville Invitational on April 21.  

On paper, The Rebels’ personal bests added to 7:26.94. Heading into Nike Outdoor Nationals they and Hinsdale Central (IL) were both tabbed to go go fast. How fast was anyone’s guess? The final lived up to its billing and then some

Hinsdale Central (IL) won the 4 x 800m in the second fastest time in US High School history, 7:29.20 for their second consecutive Nike Outdoor National win. Vestavia Hills finished second in the fifth fastest time in US High School history, 7:30.68 and US#2 this season. Hinsdale’s winning time was also a Hayward Field record.

Hinsdale  junior Aden Bandukwala led off with a 1:51.48 to give them a 1.22 second lead over Vestavia Hill’s Henry Strand. Second leg Michael Skora held the lead with a 1:54.21 split. Third leg Grant Miller (1:55.22) was caught by Armstrong(1:52.06) on the homestretch of the third leg and gave them a 0.31 second lead. Alex Leath (1:50.08) took the baton for Vestavia Hills as Hinsdale’s Dan Watcke shadowed him on his outside shoulder. In the final straight away, Watcke (1:48.29) accelerated to pull away for the final margin. Watcke negative  split his leg with a sizzling 54.85, 53.44.

“We definitely like wanting to win,” says Armstrong of the race. “We were a little upset, but I mean 7:30 is still a great time. We didn't crap the bed, but we didn't actually do what we wanted to do. I could have done a lot better on my leg. I only split a 1:52 flat and I was hoping to split like 1:50 or so. I wasn't too upset about it after it was just kind of it is what it is.”

This upcoming season Armstrong is looking to add more races to his schedule and begin racing earlier in the indoor season.

“I use cross country as base training and I don't take it seriously. I know it's not my thing. My eyes are always on track,” he says. “ I usually race four indoor meets. This year it will be five and I’ll probably start in January.”