The school team that trains before sunrise

Coaches say early training builds staminastaminathe ability to keep up physical effort over a long stretch of time faster than afternoon sessions, partly because the cooler morning air makes hard running feel easier.

The team meets at 5:45, three mornings a week, and most runners say the hardest part isn't the running at all — it's convincing themselves to get out of bed while it's still dark outside.

Parents take turns driving a car with hazard lights on ahead of the group on the one stretch of road without a footpath, until the sun is fully up.

Since starting the early sessions two seasons ago, the team's times have dropped enough that three runners qualified for the regional championship for the first time in the school's history.

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