Macias is the son of Miguel and Kristian Macias of Mayfield. He is both the 2014 and 2015 3A Region 1 individual cross country champion and finished 17th this year in the 3A Kentucky High School Athletics Association state finals. Macias is a four-year member of the school's team. He completes his high school career as the most decorated runner in the history of male cross country at Graves County High School, according to Graves County athletic director Khristain Elliott.
"Marcos dominated his competition the last two years at the regional meets at Owensboro and Marshall County," Elliott said. "Marcos won both regional championships by over 10 seconds, but beyond his accomplishments on the cross country course, Marcos has been a great representative of our school and a leader for our younger runners."
"He's probably won meets about 30 percent of the time and been in the top three, probably 80 percent of the time," Graves County coach Ken Harrison explained. "He's won Region 1, Class 3A, the past two years in a row. He was fourth his freshman and sophomore years."
Macias has attended Graves County Schools throughout his life, starting at Graves County Central Elementary and progressing through Graves County Middle and High schools. He started running cross country as a freshman, but says it wasn't until his second year that he realized his talent for the sport might be special. "I don't think it really clicked until about sophomore year," he said, despite the fact that he finished 15th at the state meet his first year.
"At state, I finished 15th," Macias explained, "then 50th the next year – it was bad; 35th last year, and 17th this year."
Harrison says Macias is the best runner he's ever coached because of his success in competition, but also because of his work ethic, strong character, and humility. "I've had lots of coaches contact me, with great compliments for Marcos from across the state," Harrison noted. "You can tell he's just a good person and I know there are other coaches who pull for him in races because of that."
Macias and his parents all like the fact that the University of Tennessee at Martin is nearby, providing his parents the opportunity to see their son run in college, while getting a quality education.
"He's a good kid. He listens pretty well," Miguel Macias said of his son. "I'm happy for him. It makes me feel good."
So, what drives a teenager who shuns the spotlight to pursue cross country running? Again, his answer is unconventional for virtually anybody, especially for a teenager: "I think it's the hard work, because you can see how much you progress over time," Marcos Macias concluded. "Cross country has been the highlight of high school for me!"
"He's a good boy and he's definitely a hard worker," said his mother, Kristian Macias, adding with a laugh, "I don't know... he's crazy! They (cross country runners) are all crazy, if you ask me!"
