All or Nothing - The Story of Benji Pinckney

In 2014, Benji Pinckney was a small-town kid who never dreamed of becoming a runner. In 2023, he is now an Assistant Coach for Radford’s Men’s Cross-Country team after a four-year collegiate running career.

“I have been in their shoes, I’ve put in the work, and I know how much work it actually takes,” said Pinckney.

It has been a long journey for the 21-year-old, as he hails from Grayson County High School in southwestern Virginia, a school that averages only 100 kids per graduating class. While attending, he crossed paths with his first major inspiration, boy’s cross-country coach Lucas Austin.

“Coach Austin really believed in me from the start,” said Pinckney. “I always felt like he believed I could do something even when I didn’t believe in myself. That is definitely a feeling that I want to provide for other people.”

Pinckney excelled as a runner for Grayson County High School, as he holds the school record for consecutive state championship appearances by an athlete in any sport.

“You always could see the dedication,” said Bryson Handy, one of Pinckney’s high school teammates who ran under Coach Austin. “I used to hate running with Benji because he would make everyone around him look like they weren’t trying hard enough.”

Eventually, he received an offer to join Radford University’s program located just an hour away from his hometown.

While competing for Radford, Pinckney experienced several ups and downs. As a freshman, Pinckney competed in six meets and was able to score for Radford University at the Big South Conference championship. In his sophomore and junior seasons, however, Pinckney failed to compete in any meet due to injury and COVID-19 related issues.

“It was definitely hard seeing him on the sideline,” said Peyton Hurd, one of Pinckney’s Radford teammates. “I had a pretty serious injury going into junior year myself, so it was really inspiring watching him come back from that and then running this year.”

Pinckney did compete in his senior campaign, albeit in a limited capacity. He ran in three meets, one of which he set a personal 5k record of 15 minutes and 3 seconds. This record was set at the Duke Invitational and earned Pickney a top ten spot in the all-time 5k list for Radford University. After the 2022-2023 cross country season had concluded for the Highlanders, Pinckney decided to forgo his extra years of eligibility and joined the coaching staff.

“When they are hurting, I know what they are feeling.,” said Pinckney when asked how his running experience would translate to the coaching realm.

Pinckney is only 21 years old, yet he has carried himself like a coach from the moment he arrived on Radford’s campus.

“I went from being a contender with him to being off his radar at the end,” said Adam Downs, another one of Pinckney’s Radford teammates. “He’s definitely picked up a lot of good coaching techniques since he started, too. He’s got enough talent to coach at this level.”

Pinckney knew he wanted to be a coach when he enrolled, as he decided to pursue a degree in sports management, a program in which he graduated from in the fall of 2022 with honors. While trying to mark his own path in the sport, Pinckney also recognizes the coaches he has had throughout the years and the impact they have had on his running and his life as a whole.

“It would probably start with Coach Austin. He really got me into running and helped push me whenever I needed it,” said Pinckney. “Then it goes to the coach here at Radford, Coach Bradley. I really learned a higher level of running from him and he gave me the tools I needed to believe in myself. When I started doing running camps, I then got to meet Coach Kern in Chicago. He really taught me that it’s bigger than running. He put a lot of effort into making that camp a good experience for the kids there and had great values taught throughout the time I was there. Lastly, I got to work with Paul Spangler, a head coach at a bunch of high-level colleges. He gave me opportunities that will really help me excel in my career moving forward.”

Pinckney wants to become both a head coach and a summer camp coordinator, a nod to those who have inspired him in his young career so far. As far as the summer camp goes, he already has a few ideas.

“I’ve done five running camps in the past two years,” said Pinckney. “I think that they give kids a great opportunity to run and forget about their worries for a week or two. I want mine to have that same encouraging environment that not only teaches them how to run better, but also connects with them on a personal level. I want to get that started soon.”

Pinckney has only been a coach at Radford University for around five weeks. In that short time, he has proved to those around him that he has what it takes to truly make an impact on the cross-country world.

“If you’re really passionate about something, then you might as well give it your all,” said Pinckney. “That’s the attitude I live by."