Hoffman Makes A Run For Southington History

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ETHAN HOFFMAN

For most high schoolers, summer is seen as a time to take a break and relax. Not Southington senior Ethan Hoffman. He spent his summer running 520 miles, 60 a week at times, to ensure his final season with the Blue Knight would be unforgettable

“Now that I’ve done this sport for so long, it’s something I wake up and enjoy doing,” Hoffman said. “It’s something that suits me well, running more. For me, that’s my thing.”

While clearly dedicated now, Hoffman’s journey into running started more as a curiosity. He joined the Joseph A. DePaolo cross country team to hang out with friends – and because there were no cuts. Once eighth grade hit, Hoffman’s interest was further piqued.

He began to see the competitive side of running. Hoffman would watch Lex and Leo Young on YouTube, visualizing himself running at a high level. Always a competitor, Hoffman saw his jump to high school as an opportunity to show what he can do.

“My view of the sport was pretty narrow in middle school,” Hoffman said. “I went online and saw across the country there’s these other kids running these really fast times. It broadened my view of the sport. People train really hard. I was like, ‘Wow, I really want to be like that.’”

Ambition is one thing, action another. Hoffman came with both, and a training plan for the summer after his eighth grade cross country season. He had never trained outside of in-season practices and meets. But now, Hoffman was running every single day, for fun and in road races.

He managed to run 200 miles that summer, anticipating what was to come. Hoffman was gaining a greater understanding of what it meant to compete as a runner. At the same time, he learned one of the sport’s biggest challenges.

“Consistency was the hardest thing for me at first,” Hoffman said. “There’s a lot of days you wake up and you just don’t want to go for a run. Once I got that part of it, it has been a huge aspect.”

Hoffman Joins The Blue Knights

When Hoffman joined the Southington boys cross country team, he was one of only three freshmen in that year’s class. With his newfound passion for the sport, Hoffman’s biggest goal was to be the best freshman on the Blue Knights.

He was put into a time trial and placed into a testing group with some of Southington’s top runners. Hoffman’s offseason work paid off, as he accomplished his goal of being the Blue Knights top freshman. His first year opened Hoffman’s eyes to what he could accomplish.

“I was the top freshman early on,” Hoffman said. “A lot of that is a credit to me putting in the time over the summer. That showed me that this sport is input, output. As long as you put in that work, then you’re going to see the results and it doesn’t really matter who you are.”

Alongside cross country, Hoffman joined Southington’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams as a freshman. After buying new spikes, he was encouraged to give the sport a try by head coach Nick Migani. Hoffman had never considered track & field before. But being taken under the Blue Knights’ wing, he was hooked.

Still, there are plenty of crucial differences between cross country and track. Hoffman knows them well. Whenever he prepares to run, he must consider exactly what type of race he is in.

“Track is more consistent, every track is pretty much the same,” Hoffman said. “Every lap there’s a timer, so I can be consistently on pace. Cross country, there’s a bit more unknown. One part might have hills, another part might be downhill. It's a mixing of speeds.”

Hoffman earned his varsity letter as a freshman in both cross country and indoor track. However, his path towards running success was about to meet some devastating speed bumps.

Hoffman’s Setbacks Set Up Major Comeback

During his freshman outdoor track season, Hoffman suffered a hip injury. It took him off course, as he didn’t earn his varsity letter. His competitive juices still flowing, Hoffman’s biggest concern was simply not being able to run.

“It just took me out,” Hoffman said. “I had to learn patience and taking time off. I tried to stay consistent even when I had the injury of coming to practice, hoping there’s a light on the other side. Eventually I just took enough time off.”

Hoffman was able to return to running in the summer heading into his sophomore year of cross country. But then came another roadblock.

He had qualified to compete at that year’s Central Connecticut Conference Championships. Now, however, Hoffman was running with some of the best runners in the state. He didn’t get the time he wanted and was removed from Southington’s Class LL State Tournament team.

It was an eye-opening experience for Hoffman, but it only pushed him to work harder. He managed to compete at the Class LL State Tournament and State Open for the first time as a junior. He admits his times stagnated a bit. But Hoffman was excited to see some consistency and growth in his cross country abilities.

When it came time for junior year’s outdoor track season, he managed to accomplish one of his biggest feats with the Blue Knights. Hoffman qualified for the Class LL State Tournament 800-meter run. It would be his final race of the season.

One of Hoffman’s biggest goals was to break two minutes in the 800. In the previous meet, he missed it by less than a second. Hoffman was determined and dedicated himself to setting a new best time. With an 11th place finish and a mark of 1:59.98, Hoffman accomplished his goal.

“I was praying that I got it,” Hoffman said. “I saw the results pop up on the board, so close to not breaking it. For the first time I felt like, in that race, everything went to plan.”

With one year of high school running remaining, Hoffman didn’t want to let it go to waste. He may have accomplished his 800-meter goal, but 520 miles and his senior season were quickly approaching.

Senior Year Brings New Heights

When he decided on his 520 mile trek, Hoffman had cross country in mind. He didn’t reach the times he had wanted in his previous three seasons. Now, as a senior, it was time to go out with a bang.

“My last couple of years of cross country, I didn’t hit the goals I wanted to,” Hoffman said. “Going into this, I thought about it a lot. What can I improve this season versus other seasons? I really wanted to put work in. This season is my last shot to get something I can be really proud of.”

At 2025’s CCCs, Hoffman finished 16th overall with a time of 17:25 as Southington placed third overall. The Blue Knights earned another third place finish at the Class LL State Championship, and Hoffman finished 16th again with a time of 17:15. The senior will compete in the State Open on October 31. He has been named CCC All-Conference.

Coach Migani is well aware of what Hoffman brings as a runner. He noted that, as a senior, Hoffman dropped 47 seconds off of his best time at Wickham Park. But to Migani, Hoffman’s contributions go beyond what he can do with his legs.

A four-year member of the program, Hoffman has witnessed the Blue Knights’ rise first-hand. Migani called him a key part of that success and an example of what he wants Southington cross country to be. “He doesn’t know how to do anything halfway,” said the head coach.

“Ethan Hoffman is the first athlete I’ve coached for all twelve of my twelve seasons, and in many ways, he represents everything Southington Cross Country strives to be,” Migani said. “He’s been the bedrock of our program’s rise over the past four years — the constant presence through every step of our growth.”

“Ethan is the standard of what it means to be a Southington runner — committed, curious, and completely invested in the team,” he continued. “He’s not just part of our success; he’s the foundation it was built on.”

After serving as a junior captain of the Blue Knights, Hoffman was named a senior captain alongside Luke Wolf. He remembers joining the program and looking up to so many of the upperclassmen runners at the time. It’s surreal to him now to be in their shoes.

But Hoffman didn’t step into the captain’s role without a vision of things. When he looks at Southington’s freshmen now, he sees runners who are faster than he once was. He knows the Blue Knights can be one of the best programs in the state. As he prepares to graduate, Hoffman wants to ensure Southington is in a strong place.

“It’s important to me,” Hoffman said. “My goal is that when I leave, the team continues being just as good. I look around the state and I see how some of these programs, year after year, are so good. They’re famous in the state for having these crazy programs. I want Southington to morph into that. As captain, I wanted to instill those values into the team and create a legacy.”

Hoffman’s Last Run

Hoffman plans to major in computer science in college. He isn’t going to run for his collegiate team, however. He wants to focus on academics, although he hopes to run at the club level and keep it part of his life. Hoffman is a competitor at heart.

Still, he never expected to see the growth he did during his time as a runner. Eighth grade may be a distant memory, but it helped shape Hoffman’s perspective as an athlete. He is running with the same people – only this time he is ahead.

“When I was in eighth grade, a lot of the kids I beat now were beating me consistently,” Hoffman said. “I didn’t really think I was going to see that much growth from freshman year to now. It’s amazing.”

Hoffman’s time with the Blue Knights is far from over. He still has both indoor and outdoor seasons to compete in. The senior will be entering both with lofty goals.

Southington’s indoor track team made Nationals in 2024. He is hopeful to go that far in both indoor and outdoor. Furthermore, Hoffman wants to shave his 800-meter time down to 1:56, which would match the school record. In indoor track, Hoffman is eyeing a 2:35 in the 1k. Any milliseconds lower would give the senior another school record, one that Migani notes has stood for 17 years.

Beyond any best times, though, Hoffman just wants to be remembered. He has crafted his legacy over his four years with the Blue Knights. When he crosses his final finish line, he doesn’t want it to be the last time the name Hoffman appears in Southington sports lore.

“I definitely want to leave a lasting effect, not only on the leaderboards,” Hoffman said. “Having people remember who I am even after I’m gone.”

Ever since his first internet search for the sport, Hoffman wanted to be immersed in running. He committed himself to his craft, not letting any hurdles get in his way. Now, when you search Ethan Hoffman’s name, you see what it means to be a runner.

“I love the sport,” Hoffman said. “I follow track & field. I spend a lot of time just reading about the science behind running or what’s going on in the pro running scene. It’s a space where I really enjoy the people. I think runners are the nicest people. To be in that area, it’s really great.”