Riad Rababeh at the Michigan Speedway Track on Nov. 7, 2015.

DEARBORN — Riad Rababeh, a 17-year-old 11th grader at Dearborn High, recently broke the state record as a junior for indoor track, having completed a 5,000 meter run in just 15:16:6.

Rababeh nabbed the victory last week in New York at the New Balance Nationals. His feat placed him 13th overall in the nation and gave him the number three all time record for the state of Michigan. 

Rababeh’s milestone came on the heels of other victories last year. During the outdoor cross country season, he landed eighth in the state, completing a 5,000 meter run in 15:30:8.

With persistent practice and dedication, he was able to improve his record last week. 

“I’ve improved by doing much more training,” Rababeh said. “Last summer, I would only run a little before cross country season started. But this time around, I started training really hard for the indoor track season.”

Rababeh said he picked up the hobby in eighth grade when he was looking to dedicate time to a sport. He found that he was quickly able to adapt to running and before he knew it, it became a part of his daily routine. 

To train for his meter runs, Rababeh goes on a “carbo-load” diet several days in advance and limits his dairy product intake. 

“I eat peanut butter every day,” he said. “I don’t drink pop or eat junk food. It’s all carbs and protein and healthy stuff.” 

Rababeh said his accomplishments would not be possible without the support of his family, friends and coaches. 

“My mom and step dad help me all the time,” he said. “My step dad gives me advice and workouts to complete. My coaches from my indoor track team at the Dearborn Track Club, they really help me more than anything. They’ve supported me the whole way through.”

While he’s focused on accelerating his performance on the track, Rababeh makes sure to set time aside for his school work as well.  He’s already looking at several potential colleges across the country that would accept him on an athletic scholarship. 

He is aiming to continue running through college, but he doesn’t see himself developing into an Olympian athlete. He said he’s interested in pursuing a career in business. 

“I know it’s not easy to incorporate both, but I know that academics is a lot more important,” Rababeh said.  “And in order to go somewhere in the future, I need to have academics before running. That’s the number one priority for me.”

In offering advice to his peers, he said that once you discover a passion, dedication is all it takes to master the art. 

“Most honestly, you just have to put in the time and effort,” Rababeh said. “I make time every day. When I don’t run, I feel guilty. You just have to make time to do something and you will see the results in the end.”