From NCAA Lobo to the Open Roads: New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel Makes His Road Racing Debut

Brian Musau (Oklahoma State) powers through the final stretch ahead of Habtom Samuel (New Mexico) during the men’s 5,000m final at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, with a Villanova athlete closing in at the line. A snapshot of elite collegiate distance racing at its fiercest.Photo credit: Josh Grenade

From the high-altitude trails of the NCAA circuit to the fast streets of Houston, University of New Mexico standout Habtom Samuel is stepping into a new chapter. The Eritrea-born Lobo, shaped by years of cross-country grit and track precision, makes his professional road-running debut at the Chevron Houston Half Marathon, carrying with him a journey that began long before spikes, scholarships, or finish-line clocks.

When Habtom Samuel steps onto a start line, he carries far more than race-day ambition. He carries memory of long dirt paths, responsibility learned young, and miles run not for medals, but for survival.

His debut at the Chevron Houston Half Marathon is not simply a move into professional road racing. It is a quiet continuation of a life shaped by motion long before spikes, bib numbers, or finish-line clocks entered the picture.

Running Before It Was Sport

Habtom Samuel on his way to winning the NCAA XC earlier. Credit: Josh Grenade

In Debresina, a small village in Eritrea, running was not a discipline taught by coaches or structured by intervals. It was necessity. Samuel ran seven kilometres to school and seven back home each day, books in hand, racing time rather than competitors. Missing class was not an option. Neither was slowing down.

“I didn’t think of it as training,” Samuel tells Beyond the Finish Line. “It was just life.”

As the second-born in a family of eight, responsibility arrived early. Farming, chores, helping neighbours—these were daily routines that quietly shaped his endurance and mental toughness. Childhood brought joy, but it also demanded patience and discipline, qualities that now define him as an athlete.

Discovering Strength Without Knowing It

Habtom Samuel controls the pace at a past NCAA track and field competition distance race. Credit: Josh Grenade

Samuel’s running ability revealed itself gradually. Football matches with friends stretched into long chases. Late mornings turned into all-out efforts to make it to school on time. What stood out wasn’t speed, but durability.

“I noticed I could run long distances without getting tired,” he recalls. “That’s when I knew something was different.”

Those unmeasured miles became a foundation no training plan could replicate. Long before he entered a stadium, his body had learned how to endure.

Learning to Compete

Formal competition arrived later, but decisively. In 2021, Samuel stood on the podium at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, earning bronze in the 3000 metres against a field stacked with Kenya’s best young talents. It was a tactical race, defined by surges and restraint, and Samuel proved he could read the moment as well as survive it.

A month later, he tested himself again—this time against senior elites at the Absa Kip Keino Classic. Finishing fourth, he didn’t feel discouraged.

“That race showed me I belonged,” he says. “It made me hungry.”

Becoming a Lobo

Habtom Samuel with his school and training mate Ishmail Kipkurui after winning NCAA competition. Credit: Josh Grenade

The next chapter unfolded thousands of miles away at the University of New Mexico, home of the Lobos. Transitioning to life in the U.S. wasn’t seamless. Language barriers, academics, and cultural shifts tested him as much as training ever had.

But within the Lobo program, Samuel found structure, belief, and purpose. Wearing the red and silver became more than representation, it became motivation. Competing for a team with history and values pushed him to show up fully, not just as a runner, but as a student and teammate.

Academically, he explored public health and exercise science before settling into Liberal Arts and Integrative Studies—a path that allowed flexibility and personal growth.

“It lets me keep learning in different ways,” he explains. “That matters to me.”

Memory as Fuel

When training becomes heavy, Samuel doesn’t look forward—he looks back.

“I think about where I came from,” he says. “About the struggles. About the people who never get these chances.”

Gratitude, for him, isn’t passive. It’s fuel. He knows opportunity alone doesn’t carry you forward—work does. And work, he believes, is something his past prepared him for.

Testing Himself on the Roads

Houston represents Samuel’s first true step into road racing. Until now, his career has been built on cross country and track. The half marathon offers something unfamiliar: sustained rhythm, tactical patience, and mental solitude among professionals who’ve made the roads their home.

“What excites me is seeing myself on the start line with top athletes,” he says. “I want to learn. I want to see what’s possible.”

There is no pressure in his voice—only curiosity. Houston is not an end point. It’s a question he’s ready to ask of himself.

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