KATHY YOUNGREN
RUN COACH / ROAD AND TRAIL / 5K-ULTRA DISTANCE
I have been running for over 25 years and coaching for over 10 years. I am a RRCA certified running coach, have a law degree, a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice, and a Master's Degree in Education. I did not run for a team in high school or in college, but in 1995 when I was about to graduate at Georgetown University, I decided to run my first race, the Marine Corp Marathon. With very little training, I ran a 4:05, which made me proud, since my only goal was to have fun and finish. Afterwards, I knew that running was definitely something that interest me, so for my 3rd race, I set my eyes on the Strolling Jim 41.2 miler in Tennessee in 1996. After finishing feeling food, I was hooked and have been running races from 1 mile to over 300 miles whenever possible.
I have completed over 100 ultra marathons. I ran 135 miles through Death Valley at the Badwater Ultramarathon twice; I followed in the footsteps of Pheidippides at the Spartathlon 153 mile race in Greece; I traversed the ice and snow and mud in the Antarctica Marathon, becoming the only female to break 4 hours; I tackled Western States 100 mile Endurance run twice, coming home with a silver and bronze buckle; I ran the Mountain Mist 50k in my hometown of Huntsville, AL 19 times, being the female winner over 5 times throughout the years; and in 2019, I experienced the long, lonely road at the Vol State 500km race. It was such a great feeling to get to that rock!!
I have been lucky enough to achieve many running accomplishments in my career so far, but two, that were accomplished a few months apart, stand out. The first one was setting the women's Alabama state record at the Delano 50 mile race, running 6 hours, 56 minutes. A few months later, I broke my 13 year old 5k PR by running 18:36. This confirmed that the inclusion of proper speed work in a training program has benefits for shorter distances, as well as longer distances.
I have had many experiences over the last 27 years of running—some good, and some bad, but regardless, through everything, I have learned a lot. I love to pass on my experience to others, and to help them reach their goals by training their minds and bodies. Some of the best advice I have for runners: Take it one step at a time, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Also, dream big, go big. If you can dream it, you can do it. Don't give up on your dreams. Just stay focused, and you will accomplish them.
Personal Records
I have completed over 100 ultra marathons. I ran 135 miles through Death Valley at the Badwater Ultramarathon twice; I followed in the footsteps of Pheidippides at the Spartathlon 153 mile race in Greece; I traversed the ice and snow and mud in the Antarctica Marathon, becoming the only female to break 4 hours; I tackled Western States 100 mile Endurance run twice, coming home with a silver and bronze buckle; I ran the Mountain Mist 50k in my hometown of Huntsville, AL 19 times, being the female winner over 5 times throughout the years; and in 2019, I experienced the long, lonely road at the Vol State 500km race. It was such a great feeling to get to that rock!!
I have been lucky enough to achieve many running accomplishments in my career so far, but two, that were accomplished a few months apart, stand out. The first one was setting the women's Alabama state record at the Delano 50 mile race, running 6 hours, 56 minutes. A few months later, I broke my 13 year old 5k PR by running 18:36. This confirmed that the inclusion of proper speed work in a training program has benefits for shorter distances, as well as longer distances.
I have had many experiences over the last 27 years of running—some good, and some bad, but regardless, through everything, I have learned a lot. I love to pass on my experience to others, and to help them reach their goals by training their minds and bodies. Some of the best advice I have for runners: Take it one step at a time, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Also, dream big, go big. If you can dream it, you can do it. Don't give up on your dreams. Just stay focused, and you will accomplish them.
Personal Records
- 1 Mile: 5:46
- 5km: 18:37
- 10km: 39:43
- Half Marathon: 1:28:45
- Marathon: 3:07:06
- 50km: 4:12
- 50 Mile: 6:56
- 100 Mile trail PR: 20:11:00