Running Royalty

Perhaps it was in their genes or maybe it was the environment they were raised in, but it was pretty much a given that Rogers High School twins Courtney and Cameron Efurd would some day become competitive runners.

A former Razorback distance runner, their father Carlton is starting his 21st season as the Mounties cross country coach. Their mother, Becky, competed in the 2004 Boston Marathon and still runs every day.

"I was running when I was pregnant with them," Becky said. "And after they were born I would run with them in the stroller. Bless their hearts, they have been around this (running) all their lives."

Trying other sports and activities, neither twin was forced in to running. However after much experimenting, they both ended up cross country and distance runners.

"We just grew up around it," Courtney said. "My parents were runners, and we didn't know anything different."

For Cameron, it was a realization that running was something at which he was good. Having an interest in basketball, Cameron was disappointed during his eighth grade year when he worked so hard but didn't get to play. His ninth grade year was when he turned to running.

"I did it because I was good at it," he said. "You are supposed to do it if you are good. I like it now."

While Becky had the kids run around the block at an early age to keep them active, Cameron and Courtney's competitive running began at Grimes Elementary school under coach Steve Bowman. To get more kids involved in and familiar with cross county and running, he would have an extra class before school and the kids would run a course around the school. They would also get to participate in three elementary races in the fall, and in 1992, Carlton started having a mini-Mountie meet with his annual Mountie Cross Country meet.

"They grew up going to cross country meets with us and had an awareness," Carlton said. "But, at Grimes was when they began to take an interest in cross country."

Courtney remembers the mile challenge in elementary school, and that she wanted to get her time down. Pretty soon, she was running up to two miles. Challenging herself may come from her mother. When Becky was young, she always loved running although no one else in her family did. She remembers running up and down the street with an old-fashioned stopwatch her father gave her. Since then, she runs every day. Formerly at Elmwood Junior High, Becky moved to the high school this year and runs the same workouts as the Mountie runners.

After competing for the Razorbacks from 1982-1987 on five national championship teams and being named All-Southwest Conference in 1984, Carlton runs 2-3 days a week but has also started riding a bike. Daughter Emily, 8, hasn't picked up the running bug yet. However, she does bike and of course is at cross country meets on weekends.

Perhaps some day, Emily will get to experience having her dad as a coach. Both Courtney and Cameron have enjoyed their father coaching them but each has a different perspective.

"All my teammates expect me to know everything," she said. "They want to know what the workout is going to be. I go to him and ask him what I need to do to get to the next level."

For Cameron, as he points out, it is interesting.

"Sometimes, I see him as my dad coaching us, but I do get motivated when he's telling us stuff and yelling at us during the runs," he said. "But, sometimes, he gets on my nerves. I'm glad we have other coaches."

For Carlton, coaching his kids has been his most enjoyable years. Because they have been successful, the years have also been more rewarding. However, he sees another benefit with the twins running and Becky now coaching at the high school.

"We spend our weekends together at the meets," he said, "We are having fun all doing the same thing, and we have something to talk about."