Kara Goucher

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Kara Goucher

Kara Goucher at the 2009 Boston Marathon
Personal information
Residence	Portland, Oregon
Date of birth	9 July 1978 (1978-07-09) (age 31)
Place of birth	Queens, New York
Height	5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m)
Weight	120 pounds (54 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Event(s)	Marathon, 10000 m, 5000 m
College/university team	Colorado Buffaloes
Coached by	Alberto Salazar
Achievements and titles
Worlds	2007 10000 m, 3 Bronze, 2009 marathon (10th place)
Olympics	2008 10000 m, 10th
Personal best(s)	3000 m: 8:34.99 5000 m: 14:55.02 10000 m: 30:55.16 Half Marathon: 1:06:57 Marathon: 2:25:53
Medal record Women's athletics World Championships Bronze 2007 Osaka 10000 m World Cup Bronze 2006 Athens 3000 m

Kara Goucher (born Kara Grgas on 9 July 1978 in Queens, NY) is an American middle and long-distance runner.

Contents 1 Personal life 2 College career 3 Professional career 4 Personal records 5 References 6 Audio interview 7 Video/pictures 8 External links

[edit] Personal life

Goucher was born in Queens, New York. When she was 4 years old her family (mother Patty and sisters Kelly and Kendall) moved to Duluth, Minnesota after her father was killed by a drunk driver on the Harlem River Drive. ^[1]. When her mother remarried, Kara took her stepfather's name, and was known as Kara Wheeler. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, fellow American runner Adam Goucher, and is coached by American running legend Alberto Salazar.

[edit] College career

As a runner for the University of Colorado, Goucher broke out in 2000, becoming the NCAA Indoor Champion in the 3000 m and Outdoor Champion in the 5000 m, the NCAA Cross Country Champion, and also a 5000 m Olympic Trials Finalist (8th). She graduated from the University of Colorado in 2001.

[edit] Professional career

After college Goucher battled injuries for several years, but then came back strong in 2006. After finishing 2nd in the 5k at the USATF Outdoor Championships in 2006, she set PRs at all distances on the international circuit, running the World “A” Standard in the 1500 m, 5000 m, and 10000 m. She finished third in 3000 metres at the 2006 IAAF World Cup in a new personal best time of 8:41.42. Her 3k time led the nation and her 10k time ranked her as the 2nd fastest American woman of all-time. At the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan she won the bronze medal in the women's 10,000 m event.

In September 2007, she won the Great North Run in 1:06:57, the fastest woman's half-marathon time of the year, setting a new American best time^[2] at the distance and beating marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe, on the latter's comeback from pregnancy and injury.^[3] The half-marathon was Goucher's first competitive race longer than 10k.

Goucher kicked off 2008 with a win in the prestigious Millrose Games mile with a PR of 4:36:03. At the 2008 Prefontaine Classic track meet in Eugene, Oregon, USA, Goucher ran the 5000 m, the same race as the World Record attempt by Meseret Defar. Goucher ran well to place 3rd behind Defar and Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot in her second fastest ever time of 14:58.10. Defar failed in her attempt but won the race in 14:38.73.

Goucher is a member of the Nike Oregon Project, a project designed to improve standards in American Distance running. There she trains with fellow athletes Galen Rupp, her husband Adam Goucher, Josh Rohatinsky and Amy Yoder Begley.

Goucher raced in the USATF Championships and Olympic Trials on June 27, 2008, in the 5000 m and the 10000 m. The championships were held at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon. Goucher already had the Olympic A Standard, but achieved it again, recording 31:37.72 at 10000 m, finishing second behind American record-holder Shalane Flanagan's 31:34.81. In the 5000 m, Goucher won her semi final heat with a time of 15:32.32, and won the final race with a time of 15:01.02.^[4]

Goucher competed in the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics 10000 m final where she placed 10th with a personal best time of 30:55.16, and the 5000 m where she placed 9th with a time of 15:49.39.

Goucher made her marathon debut at the New York City Marathon on November 2, 2008.^[5] She finished in third place in a time of 2:25:53 becoming the first American on the podium since Anne Marie Lauck was third in 1994.

She won the 2009 Lisbon Half Marathon ^[6], and placed third in the 2009 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:32:25.

Goucher finished tenth in the marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, with a time of 2:27:48.

Goucher was chosen as the 2008 Road Runner of the Year in the Open Female division by the Road Runners Club of America.^[7]

[edit] Personal records

distance	performance	location	date
1500 m	4:05.14	Rieti	27 August 2006
One Mile (indoor)	4:33.19	New York, NY	30 January 2009
2000 m	5:41.28	Eugene, Oregon	7 June 2009
3000 m	8:34.99	Rieti	9 September 2007
Two Miles	9:41.32	Carson, CA	20 May 2007
5000 m	14:55.02	Berlin	16 September 2007
10,000 m	30:55.16	Beijing	15 August 2008
Ten Miles[8]	53:16	Minneapolis, MN	5 October 2008
Half marathon (downhill course)	1:06:57	Newcastle	30 September 2007
Half marathon	1:08:05	Chicago, Illinois	2 August 2009
Marathon	2:25:53	New York, NY	2 November 2008

[edit] References

[edit] Audio interview

• Kara Goucher Podcast: "Back in Action and Hungry for Gold"
• TheFinalSprint.com's interview with Kara Goucher on 6/8/07

[edit] Video/pictures

• Video of Kara Goucher by italian web magazine
• Flotrack.org coverage of Kara Goucher including her race videos, interviews and pictures
• Kara Goucher`s interview after she won the Bronze at Osaka, Japan 2007
• Kara Goucher competes in the 2008 ING New York City Marathon
• Kara Goucher competes in the 2009 Boston Marathon

[edit] External links

• IAAF profile for Kara Goucher
• Interview with NYRR's Fast-Women.com
• USATF Athlete Bio of Kara Goucher
• Nike's "Meet the Gouchers" online show