WHITE PLAINS — “Records are meant to be broken,” Sir Richard Branson, a noted English business tycoon once said. “It is in man’s nature to continue to strive to do just that.” 

The Furman family is no stranger to setting and breaking records. Be it Tri-Valley school records, Section IX records or State Championships, this family has cemented themselves in the Track and Field recordbooks.

Over the weekend, Van Furman was invited to compete in the Loucks Games, a nationally renowned meet held in White Plains. On Friday afternoon, Van broke the Tri-Valley school record in the 3200m with a time of 9:02.72. The previous record holder? None other than his older brother Adam Furman, who set the Tri-Valley record last year with a time of 9:10.91.

The very next day, Van competed in the 3000m Steeplechase, his second time running the event this season, breaking the Loucks Games’ record of 9:08 with his time of 9:07.94.

If standing out in a crowd of elite student-athletes was not enough, Van also shattered the Tri-Valley Steeplechase record by nearly 20 seconds, previously held by Asst. Track and Field Coach Travis Wolfe.

“Just to put this into perspective,” Wolfe explained. “He put up both of these times and set these records in the same 24 hours. What he is doing is incredible, but Van doesn’t surprise me with anything he does.”

Wolfe, who set the Tri-Valley record in 2005, defeated the previous record holder, Tri-Valley Track and Field Coach Chip Furman, Van’s father.

“Growing up, I didn’t know Chip personally,” Wolfe said. “But his name rang through the halls. He was, and is, a local legend. It took 14 years for anyone to break his record.”

It took an additional 19 years for the next runner to break the school Steeplechase record, and it’s only fitting that a Furman took the title.

“Having my own kid set the record is very special,” Chip Furman explained. “Joe Iatauro and I were pioneers of the Steeplechase at Tri-Valley. After making sure it was added to our track facility. It’s a tough event, not something that you want to run every week because of the toll it takes on your body.”

Despite only running the race twice this season so far, Van easily eclipsed the Super Standard and punched his ticket to run the event at the State Championship meet in June.

“This is the kind of race that you only want to run against the best,” Wolfe explained.

The record setter himself, Van Furman, was ecstatic about setting the record.

“It feels pretty good,” Van said. “I’m happy that I was able to accomplish it.”

In his junior year, Van is also beginning to look at colleges, and there is no doubt the options to run at the next level are flooding in.

While Van has been on a tear, breaking records left and right, there are still some that are yet within reach. Jack Jibb from Monroe Woodbury has held the Section IX Steeplechase record since 2015 with a time of 8:57.34. Van, in his junior year, currently has the second fastest time in Section IX behind Jibb. .

“It’s an honor to have my name mentioned with these two guys,” Travis Wolfe said. “Chip and I were NY State Champions in the 3000m Steeplechase, and Van is poised to win this year as he currently has the fastest time in the nation.”