In the fall of 1978, middle schooler Kyle Rankin began his training regimens of running eight-plus miles on Atlantic Avenue He ran cross country for Boothbay Region Elementary School for three years and his freshmen year at Boothbay Region High School. He is now Barron Collier High School’s cross country coach and brought eight members of his boys’ team to his former hometown for a four-day training session. 

On July 26, the Barron Collier team arrived to train running on hilly courses, enjoy the scenery and participate in coastal Maine recreational activities such as kayaking and swimming. Rankin began his competitive running career as a 12-year-old in Boothbay Harbor. His father Dan Rankin brought his family from Pennsylvania to Maine. The older Rankin taught high school history and coached the cross country team.

Kyle Rankin embraced the sport which he is still active in five decades later. “It was a sport I stumbled into. I wasn’t particularly good in other sports,” he said. “But once you bring home that first medal or trophy, it really fuels your desire for the sport.” 

Rankin believes an athlete with passion, drive, discipline and a strong work commitment can succeed as a runner. This was the formula he used in earning a spot on the All-Southeastern Conference team while attending the University of Tennessee. He planned on a teaching and coaching career following graduation. But other opportunities took hold which led him into a business career. Eventually, his passion for running continued. He returned to college and earned a master’s degree in education.

This is not the first time Rankin has brought a team to Boothbay Harbor. In 2015, he brought his Pennsylvania high school boys’ cross country team. On July 26, the Barron Collier team made the 16-hour plus trip from Naples, Florida and reached their northern destination around 9 p.m. Rankin believes the trip provides an outstanding team bonding exercise. “The Maine running community played an important part in the person I am today,” Rankin said. “I wanted these kids to see where it started for me, and I thought it would be fun training exercise and promote team bonding.” 

His family moved to Boothbay Harbor from Pennsylvania in 1978, but returned to the Keystone state five years later. Rankin was living outside of Philadelphia when he started his coaching career which included both collegiate and high school teams. Rankin moved to Florida after he and his wife decided to escape the northeast winters. He is now coaching Barron Collier’s boys and girls cross country teams. Rankin described the Naples high school as a mid-sized Florida high school with a 1,600 enrollment. 

Rankin brought the runners to his former home to experience a challenge not found in the Sunshine state. His team will train on the same 8.5-mile route he trained on 44 years ago. Barrett’s Park is approximately located at the route’s mid-point and his team runs the route in less than an hour. But the runners who train year round in extreme heat and humidity wanted to experience a more challenging route.

“There are no hills in Florida,” said Barron Collier senior captain Chase Howes. “We’ve never experienced running uphill and that’s one of the things we’re looking forward to,” he said.

Like most of his teammates, senior Griffin Coots is a dedicated runner. He doesn’t compete in any other organized sports. “I love to run. You can put on the headphones and it takes you into another world.” he said. 

Coots is also excited about visiting Maine to see the scenery. “The weather here is like Florida’s winter which makes it nice. It is beautiful here,” he said. 

When Rankin proposed bringing his squad to Maine for a week-long training session eight of 19 runners made the trip. “I thought it was a pretty cool idea,” Howes said. “I love these guys and traveling with them here. It seemed like it would be a pretty cool trip.”