By Kate Hamilton, Staff Writer

He was an outgoing and adventurous guy and she was a quiet and shy girl. Who would’ve thought after a bus ride to William & Mary, there would be a new spark among two cross country runners?

They were brought together by chance, but stay – and run – together by choice.

Seniors Emma Byard and Zach Hughes met in their sophomore year. They knew of each other because they had been running together for the Nighthawks, but didn’t know one another personally. 

“The first time I talked to him was when we were on our way to a meet at William & Mary and he sat down on the bus next to me,” Byard said.

They kept running in the same crowd, but gradually started spending more time together. Of the many memories they share, one night in particular stands out to Hughes.

“We had school that day and then had cross country. We then went out and ate and then went to the beach,” Hughes said, fondly recalling the memory. “We were laying there and that is when I asked her if she would go out with me.”

Since that time, they can be seen exercising together, chatting during the school day, winning Homecoming King and Queen honors – there’s not much this duo can’t do.

In their spare time, Byard and Hughes condition together to stay in shape. Byard rides her bike next to Hughes as he runs. They do about six miles as they go around their neighborhood but have done up to 10 miles during summer workouts.

“Biking for 10 miles straight is not very fun, but I can’t complain because I’m not running the 10 miles like Zach is,” Byard said with a laugh.

Having a sport after school gives them opportunities to spend time together.

“The bus rides and just the experiences we have with the team and individually definitely keeps us close,” Hughes said.

It can be harder for couples who don’t have sports together to spend time because of conflicting schedules. But
since both of them run indoor track and cross country, they have a similar agenda during the fall and winter.

“It’s not like I’m really busy and she’s not (busy) or she’s really busy and I’m not,” Hughes said. “We both are busy. It goes hand in hand.”

While cross country is their original pastime, they do enjoy “normal couple” things besides 10-mile workouts: gobbling ice cream, watching movies and sunsets, and going out to eat. A hot spot for these two is Viva Mexican Grill.

The goal for every runner is to reach the finish line. When it comes to this running relationship, Byard and Hughes have talked about what track they may be on after high school. For now, they’re hoping for the best.

“I think we are going to try to stay together in college,” Byard said. “It’ll be kind of tough, but we’re not going that far away from each other.”

“Talking and spending time together is the most important thing,” Byard continued. “We definitely share a lot of common interests, so that helps, and just having fun with each other.”

Sophomore Kate Hamilton can be reached at 22hamiltonka86@daretolearn.org.