Miles apart, together
Photo by Aaron Tries
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Ainara Sainz de Rozas followed the weary footsteps of the man before her as they dodged roots, rocks, and whatever else mother nature could breed. The hills of Cantabria, Spain show mercy to no one. Even so, Ainara left the safety of spectator energy behind in the last village the man traversed, joining him on his journey to Cabezon de la Sal.
“He told me that we are always in this together,” Ainara said. “That is something he always tells me.”
It’s the closing 6km of the Los 10.000 del Soplao Marathon, and while Sainz de Rozas is prepping for the NCAA D3 Outdoor Track and Field National Championship, she cherishes whatever time she can spend with her father while on brief, once-in-a blue-moon visits home to Spain. Now 4,201 miles away at Concordia University Wisconsin, Sainz de Rozas lives out the values her father instilled in her through his own athletic endeavors.
“He showed me that working with consistency, and just putting passion into things, you can accomplish great things,” Sainz de Rozas said.
While some may compare the Concordia University standout runner to her father, Sainz de Rozas first followed her mother’s footsteps by taking a year as an exchange student in high school, even staying with the same host family as her mother, just two hours from where she now attends PT school at Concordia University. While the exchange experience was only meant to last a year, Sainz de Rozas’s path took a turn with the rest of the world during the 2020 COVID pandemic.
“I was going to stay for a year, but then COVID happened,” Sainz de Rozas explained. “So then I was like, ‘Well, I might as well just finish high school here,’ and then college happened.”
Despite her father’s endeavors in distance running, Sainz de Rozas had no intentions of running in high school, let alone college, as basketball initially had her heart.
“He would always ask me, ‘Hey, you gonna come run with me?’ And I would always be like, ‘Oh, no, basketball is my thing,’” Sainz de Rozas said.
However, after joining cross country in an effort to gain fitness for basketball during her exchange year, Sainz de Rozas found her true calling. From her first 35-minute easy run in high school to her now regular 70 mile weeks in college, Sainz de Rozas has always appreciated the simple side of the sport, helping her breed the consistency preached by her father.
“I just fell in love with it I guess - the fun of it. Being outside,” Sainz de Rozas said. “[I] definitely could not talk while running though at that time!”
This love of the game left Sainz de Rozas hungry to continue running beyond high school. Knowing she wanted to stay in the States and in touch with those she likens to a second family, Concordia University served as the perfect stepping stone in her running journey.
“I just wanted to stay here and keep chasing my dreams,” Sainz de Rozas said.
Under the guidance of Coach Russ de Lap, Head Cross Country Coach at Concordia, Sainz de Rozas grew from a 19-minute high school runner to a D3 phenom with a current 5k PR of 16:32 and four NCAA D3 national qualifications under her belt. After closing out her 2025 outdoor season with PR’s in both the 5k and 10k on the national stage and opening her fall season with a cross country 5k PR at the St. Norbert College Tom Barry Invitational, Sainz de Rozas finds herself on the hunt for yet another national championship appearance. Now in her senior season, Sainz de Rozas made it clear that she doesn’t want to leave anything on the table, not only from an ability standpoint, but also on a more personal level as a teammate.
Photo by Jen Reagan
“Being a senior, I feel like every practice, every meet, it gets closer to being done,” Sainz de Rozas said. “We just cannot be taking any race or practice for granted.”
Sainz de Rozas credits her improvements to the team environment and training at Concordia. While many high school athletes run for a gym credit or at the will of their parents, Sainz de Rozas thrived in a place where other athletes shared her passion for outdoor movement.
“We were here for running,” Sainz de Rozas said. “You wanted to be there.”
The shared joy of running among the Concordia University women seems paired with another element crucial to team success: belief. Looking to continue training post-collegiately under Coach de Lap, Sainz de Rozas emphasized the importance of buying into his greater plan from her first day on campus as a freshman.
“Trust Russ,” Sainz de Rozas said. “Trust the training.”
Outside the traditional chasing of podiums, awards, and times, Coach de Lap also places a strong emphasis on the mental side of things for athletes. A fan of Courtney Dawaulter and the acclaimed “pain cave” mentality popularized by ultra-runners, this aligns with Sainz de Rozas’s personal pursuit of excellence and drive to find out just how good she can be.
“He really wants us to dig during races,” Sainz de Rozas said, regarding her coach. “The pain cave is very important. Whenever we feel like we can’t give more, there’s always more there.”
Even so, Coach de Lap manages to cultivate a team culture around balance in life and sport. As an international student-athlete pursuing rigorous academic studies in physical therapy, Sainz de Rozas has definitely experienced her share of high and lows in the sport, though her experience under de Lap has allowed her to blossom in spite of adversity.
“He understands that we have more things going on in life than training,” Sainz de Rozas said.
Many coaches hold the belief that athletics have the ability to teach and prepare athletes for the greater struggles of life on the whole, rather than just sport. While mental fortitude is incredibly important to Sainz de Rozas, she also finds solace in running during difficult times. With trips to Spain being far and few between for Sainz de Rozas, running provides a sense of home for her as a pastime shared with her father. Thanks to modern technologies like FaceTime and Aftershokz headphones, Sainz de Rozas can hold fast to this bond.
“If I have to run by myself, I just put on my Aftershokz and call - ‘Ok, Dad, let’s talk,’” Sainz de Rozas said. ”It’s very nice, but I do get homesick.”
While running and this connection with her father bring Sainz de Rozas comfort, she finds it difficult as a daughter being unable to show her parents when she is truly thriving and reaching her potential.
“It’s really hard succeeding and not having them here to see it,” Sainz de Rozas said. “I know they can see pictures, they can maybe get video or something - and that’s always been hard.”
In these moments, Sainz de Rozas reminds herself that it is a privilege to live out and chase her dreams, and wants to continue doing well as a tribute of sorts to her parents and those who have helped her find this success. In continuing to pour her heart into her passions and working to become the best version of herself, Sainz de Rozas finds herself able to thank those making this journey possible.
“I think of everything [my family] sacrificed for me to be here and my [exchange] family here that’s done so much for me,” Sainz de Rozas said. “Everyone around me has done so much for me that I feel like I need to give back somehow.”
With her true family many hours away, Sainz de Rozas celebrates her accomplishments with teammates, and finds her connection with the Concordia women stronger in turn.
“They just love me, I love them, and they’re always there for you, and I really think that makes a difference,” Sainz de Rozas said.
Following the Spanish Championships in the early summer, Sainz de Rozas found herself easing her way into cross country season, keeping her eyes fixed on November and the meets that matter most. Moving forward this fall, she plans to take everything in and nothing for granted, soaking up every last minute with her teammates before continuing PT school and pursuing running on her own.
“My dream would be to be part of a running team, like a PT, and just work with athletes,” Sainz de Rozas said. “And then just keep running, keep chasing dreams, PRs.”
Perhaps Sainz de Rozas will find herself traversing the mountainous terrain of Cantabria again one day - this time putting on a performance of her own in front of those who got her there. Is there a better way to say “thank you”?
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