Riley Hough: Trusting the Process
11/20/2025 12:45:00 PM | Cross Country
By Satvik Shubham for msuspartans.com
When Michigan State senior Riley Hough steps to the starting line of a cross country race, he shows little sign of nerves. The traits that define him now began years ago on the trails of Hartland, Michigan.
This week, Hough prepares for the NCAA Championships in Columbia, Missouri on Nov. 22.
The kinesiology major's path to MSU has been anything but dramatic. There were no sudden breakthroughs or viral moments. Instead, his career has been marked by steady, disciplined progress.
Through consistent training and belief in the process, he has become one of the most reliable runners on MSU's roster and a quiet example of leadership in a program built on accountability.
Hough has clocked collegiate bests of 13:34.19 in the outdoor 5000 meters and 4:02.36 in the mile, while recording cross country times of 22:50.8 for an 8K and 29:26.1 for 10K. Those numbers reflect not only his growth as a runner, but the steady, incremental improvement that has defined his MSU career.
"I feel like those results really proved that my training has been going very well," Hough said. "And that I am capable of doing more than I had originally thought in the years prior. My main goal was just focusing on the training. I kind of had the goal of just being like an all-American. The main thing that me and my coach focused on was mainly volume."
The foundation for that mindset was laid at Hartland High School, where Hough was a four-time All-State runner and qualified for the prestigious Foot Locker Nationals.
His longtime high school coach in Hartland, Matt Gutteridge, remembers that his talent showed early.
"Even when he was in fifth and sixth grade, we knew that he had some abilities that might have been head and shoulders above the rest," Gutteridge said. "We always knew he was elite, but it was how elite can you be?"
But it wasn't just ability that set Hough apart, it was his work ethic.
On September 26, he finished eighth at the coveted Gans Creek Classic, a meet held annually in Columbia, Missouri, that draws some of the nation's top programs and serves as a midseason benchmark for NCAA Division I runners. The performance moved him up to 24th in the FloTrack College XC Ranking.
"He didn't take days off. He didn't quit on workouts. He didn't make excuses. He did the work," Gutteridge said. "Even when he was nicked up, it wasn't like he shut down. He backed off, went to the weight room, did physical therapy. Everything was very consistent in terms of these are my goals and I'm going to do all the little things to hit those goals."
Transitioning from high school to college meant facing deeper fields, faster competitors, and longer races. Hough quickly realized that the bar had been raised.
"These races are pretty much the equivalent of high school national races," he said. "The smallest college races are like some of the biggest National High School races."
The shift forced him to adapt — both physically and mentally. At MSU, he found structure, teammates who shared his mindset and coaches who emphasized both effort and personal responsibility.
"Coach wants us to go out there and give it your all and just focus on yourself," Hough said. "He wants us to have fun. It's a matter of knowing what you need to do, but still enjoying it. We are a very hard working team, and we all have very similar goals to each other. The fact that we're all placing very well at the start of the season just kind of shows the strength that we've been gaining together."
As he matured, so did his approach to racing.
"My main strategy was just kind of, like it was more focused on what the other people were kind of going to do," Hough said. "When I saw any form of surge or movement in the top pack, I would just try and match that."
He also learned how to mentally manage the discomfort that comes with racing at a high level.
"If I'm 5K in, I only got 3K more. That's a little over eight minutes. It makes me feel better. Obviously, the pain is still going to be there," he said.
Hough's leadership style mirrors his racing approach — steady and team-oriented. While he may not be the loudest voice in the room, his teammates notice how he carries himself.
"He didn't make himself an individual on a team," Gutteridge said. "He was a team player that fit into the process. Even when he was winning races, he was more focused on how the team did that day than what his own time was. That's what made everyone respect him."
Now a senior, Hough is one of the athletes younger teammates look to, not for speeches, but for example.
The way he prepares, recovers, and stays locked into the team's long-term goals has shaped the culture around him.
"Just trust the process, because it might not seem like it right now, but every little bit that you are doing, even if it doesn't feel like progress is so," Hough said. "None of this matters until championship season. This is all just for the build up. We don't care about what we're ranked right now. It's all based on the championship season."
That mindset shows in how he approaches every training cycle. No shortcuts, no quick fixes. Just steady improvement, the kind that builds season after season.
"In high school, I was all about the races," Hough said. "In college, I'm more focused on the progress that I make in practices. You just have to learn to trust the process."
This past summer, Hough returned to Hartland for a kinesiology internship. He worked with Gutteridge's program, assisting younger runners and learning how training habits are built from the ground up.
"He was at all of our practices and kind of watching our process and how we work with kids and in the weight room with the kids." Gutteridge said.
Watching Hough's development firsthand has been rewarding for Gutteridge.
"He came out of high school with big expectations, but he's been patient with the process," he said. "He stayed consistent to the craft and has put himself in a position to realize his goals."
That consistency has translated into tangible results. Looking ahead, Hough hopes to continue running beyond college.
"My hope is to go pro," he said. "And if that doesn't exactly work out, I do kind of want to continue staying in the sport as a collegiate coach."
No matter what comes next, he knows the path forward will be the same as it has always been: consistent work, day by day.
Outside of running, Hough has found creative outlets to help him stay balanced. Photography and music give him a way to reset, step outside of training, and tap into other parts of himself.
"I do love a lot of photography, so I'm very big into that," he said. "I play a little bit of bass guitar."
On race day, though, the focus returns. His preparation is structured down to the hour.
"Four hours (before a race) I'll have my last big meal. Three hours (before) I'll have beet juice. Two hours is like the bicarb and then, like, an hour is like the rest," he said.
For Gutteridge, watching Hough evolve from a promising middle schooler to a collegiate leader has been meaningful.
"I say that Riley took me places. My wife and I flew across the country to watch him run at Foot Locker Nationals," he said. "It's fun to see him continue to improve."
Improvement has never come all at once for Hough. It's been earned the same way it started, one step at a time.
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