Meet the Elites

High School: Holland High School (Holland, MI)

College: Hillsdale College and IPFW

Occupation: Marketing and education

How I started running: I started running my sophomore year of high school after being recruited by the XC coach during my gym class. What began as an outlet for typical teenage emotions grew into my first love. After running competitively in college, I took 12 years off to raise my six children. When my oldest son started running XC in 2012, I decided to lace back up so I could share my love for running with my children.

PRs:
5,000 - 18:16
10,000 - 38:26
Half Marathon - 1:24:43
Marathon - 3:06:50

High School: DeKalb High School

College: University of Saint Francis (FW)

Occupation: Senior Sales Manager at Three Rivers Running Company

How you started running: My mom encouraged me to try the intramural for cross country in 6th grade. I tried it and liked it a lot

PRs:
800 - 2:19 (4x800 Split)
1500 - 4:46.40
Mile - 5:19
5,000 - 18:48

High School: Warsaw Community High School

College: Olivet Nazarene University

Occupation: Clinical Dietitian at Kosciusko Community Hospital

How you started running: I was actually planning on playing basketball in college and the cross country coach in high school asked me to try cross country. I told him I would give it one week. Then I found out you can win prizes and shirts if you place in the top 10. At the time, I was really motivated for free stuff, so I stuck with it. I then realized I was actually good at running, fell in love with it, and the rest is history.

PRs:
5,000 - 17:33
10,000 - 37:51
Half Marathon - 1:25:01
Marathon - 2:57:37

High School: Carmel High School

College: Indiana University - Bloomington

Occupation: Physician Assistant, Student

How you started running: All my friends were running in middle school and I wanted to do it too!

PRs:
Mile - 5:00
5,000 - 17:43
Half Marathon - 1:23
Marathon - 2:52

High school: West Noble

College: Indiana Wesleyan University

Occupation: Kindergarten Teacher at West Noble Primary

How I started running: In elementary school, we had a mileage program students could participate in by running a mile during recess. We were rewarded prizes after 50,100, & 150 miles. We were also taken to a local cross country race every fall to compete against other elementary schools!

PR's:
1500 - 5:16
3,000 - 10:50
5,000 - 17:43
10,000 - 39:12
Half Marathon - 1:26:14

High School: Northwestern

College: IU Kokomo (Undergrad), South College (PT school)

Occupation: Physical Therapist

How you started running: High School Cross-Country

PRs:
Mile - 4:56
5,000 - 17:27
8,000 - 29:02
Half Marathon - 1:19
Marathon - 2:48

High School: Ies Sefarad (Toledo, Spain)

College: Indiana Tech

Occupational: HR Admin Assistant in a manufacturing company

How you started running: it makes me feel free and forget about everything. I started running when I was 13 years old. I’m 27 now and haven’t stopped since then. I couldn’t live without running.

PRs:
800 - 2:21.12
1500 - 4:50.13
Mile - 5:17.12
3000 - 10:26.17

High School: Blackhawk Christian School

College: Purdue

Occupation: Case Coordinator for annuities at Lincoln Financial

How you started running: My mom used to run, and I always wanted to go out running with her when I was a kid.

PRs:
5000 - 17:48
Half Marathon - 1:19
Marathon - 2:42

High School: DeKalb High school

College: Trine University and Notre Dame

Occupation: Water Engineer

How you started running: Everyone in my family is a runner so it was a natural choice!

PRs:
3,000 - 8:25
5,000 - 14:44
8,000 - 24:20
10,000 - 30:18
Half Marathon - 1:10:29
Marathon - 2:23:56

High School: Huntington North High School

College: Tri-State University (Trine)

Occupation: Development Engineering Manager at Zimmer Biomet in Warsaw, IN. (I help design and test new products for hip reconstruction surgery.)

How you started running: ​I started running on my 7th grade cross country team. Running was something I always excelled at but I never had the opportunity to run in elementary school prior to 7th grade. I love pushing myself to see how fast I can go and continue chasing personal best times.

PRs:
5000 - 15:59
10000 - 34:15
Half Marathon - 1:12:24
Marathon - 2:33:35

High School: Lycée Georges Leygues, Villeneuve sur Lot (FRANCE)

College: Huntington University

Occupation: Videographer

How you started running: My mom was a runner, I was inspired by her and ran the school Cross Country Races when I was 12 and started from there.

PRs:
1500m - 3:55
Mile - 4:13
3,000m - 8:28
5,000m - 14:27
8,000m - 24:04
10,000m - 31:04

High School: Mishawaka High School

College: Tri-State University (Trine)

How you started running: I started running my paper route when I was 10. I joined the elementary track team at age 11 and had mild success and continued it through high school and college.

PRs:
5,000 - 15:28
10,000 - 32:17
Half Marathon - 1:09:17
Marathon - 2:24:51
50 Mile - 6:44:53

High School: Westview High School

College: Trine University

Occupation: Civil Engineer

How I started running: I had an uncle that ran, and I watched him race when I was growing up, so I wanted to do it too. I did my first 1 mile fun run as a first grader, and did the race every single year until I was old enough to join the cross country and track team at school. As a fifth grader I was running the mile in PE and the junior high cross country coach happened to be outside setting up for a meet that day and immediately started recruiting me to join the team. I have been running competitively ever since!

PRs:
800m - 1:56
1600m - 4:19
3,000m - 8:40
5,000m - 14:52
10,000m - 30:35
Half Marathon - 1:08:19
Marathon - 2:27:11

High School: Warsaw Community High School

College: Vincennes University (2 years), IUPUI

PRs:
Mile - 4:08
3000m Steeplechase - 8:44
5k - 14:18
Half Marathon - 1:07
Marathon - 2:18:58

High School: Northridge High School

College: Manchester College (now Manchester University)

Occupation: Gym Teacher

How you started running: We had a quarter mile track at our elementary school. If we chose to run it during recess, we could keep track of our mileage and move up to new "Mile Clubs". I ran 300 miles total during my 2nd grade year, and 525 miles during 5th grade. My teacher let me put my name and footprints in the new track cement that year. I was hooked. Those footprints are still there today!

PRs:
Mile - 4:22
5,000 - 15:19
10,000 - 31:50
Half Marathon - 1:08:39
Marathon - 2:17:55

High School: Western High School

College: Manchester University

Occupation: Pharmacist

How you started running: I started running when I was a senior in high school when the cross country coach persuaded me to stop playing soccer and join the cross country team. I have continued to get more and more into running ever since.

PRs:
10,000 - 33:08
Half Marathon -1:11
Marathon: 2:28:16

High School: Penn High School

College: Ball State University / Purdue Fort Wayne

Occupation: Commercial Real Estate Agent

How you started running: My section leader in HS marching band also ran XC, and inspired me when they said they had gone for a 70 minute run before practice one day. I couldn't believe someone I knew could run that long without stopping! I went for my first run the next day (in skater shoes), and shortly after ran my first 5k. I was hooked!

PRs:
5000 - 16:40
Half Marathon - 1:13:24
Marathon - 2:32:52
50k - 3:10:30
50 Mile - 5:37:05
100 Mile - 13:42:19