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Kara Goucher

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Kara Goucher
Kara Goucher at the 2009 Boston Marathon
Personal information
Born (1978-07-09) July 9, 1978 (age 46)
Queens, New York
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight120 lb (54 kg)
Sport
CountryUnited States
Event(s)5000 meters, 10,000 meters, marathon
College teamColorado
Coached by
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals2008 10,000 m, 10th; 2012 marathon 11th
World finals
  • 2007 10,000 m,  Bronze
  • 2009 marathon (10th place)
  • 2011 10,000 m, (13th place)
Personal bests
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing the  United States
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Osaka 10,000 m
World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Athens 3000 m

Kara Goucher (born Kara Grgas[2] on July 9, 1978) is an American long-distance runner. She was the 10,000 meters bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics and represented her country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics.[3] She made her marathon debut in 2008 and finished third the following year at the Boston Marathon.

She competed collegiately for the University of Colorado and was a three-time NCAA champion (twice in track and once in cross country).

Personal life

Goucher was born Kara Grgas in Queens, New York. When she was four 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.[4] When her mother remarried, Kara took her stepfather's name, and was known as Kara Wheeler.

She ran in high school for Duluth East.

She lived in Portland, Oregon for 9 years with her husband, fellow American Olympian Adam Goucher. Kara gave birth to a boy, Colton (Colt) Mirko, on September 25, 2010.

In 2014, she moved back to Boulder, Colorado where she and Adam met as collegiate runners for the University of Colorado Boulder. Both Kara and Adam hold individual NCAA cross country titles from 2000 and 1998 respectively. Kara is back under the tutelage of her college coach Mark Wetmore and his assistant Heather Burroughs.

Kara chose to leave Nike, Inc. after 12 years and is now sponsored by multiple companies including Oiselle, Skechers, Zensah, Nuun, Strava, and Soleus.

Running career

College

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

Professional

After college Goucher battled injuries for several years, but then came back strong in 2006. After finishing second 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[5] at the distance and beating marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe, on the latter's comeback from pregnancy and injury.[6] 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 personal record 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 third behind Defar and Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot in her second fastest ever time of 14:58.10 minutes.

Goucher was a member of the Nike Oregon Project, a project designed to improve standards in American distance running. There she trained 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 10,000 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 10,000 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.[7] Goucher competed in the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics 10,000 m final where she placed tenth with a personal best time of 30:55.16, and the 5000 m where she placed ninth with a time of 15:49.39.

Goucher made her marathon debut at the New York City Marathon on November 2, 2008.[8] 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. Goucher was chosen as the 2008 Road Runner of the Year in the Open Female division by the Road Runners Club of America.

The next year, she won the 2009 Lisbon Half Marathon,[9] and placed third in the 2009 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:32:25. She finished tenth in the marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, with a time of 2:27:48.

Goucher became pregnant in early 2010 and took a season away from competition as a result.[10] Following the birth of her child, Colt, she returned to competition at the Arizona Half Marathon in January 2011, and finished as the runner-up behind Madaí Pérez.[11] At the 2011 New York City Half Marathon, she placed third with a time of 1:09:03 hours.[12]

In April 2011, Goucher returned to marathoning at the 2011 Boston Marathon, where she placed fifth with a time of 2:24:52 hours, setting a new personal best by a minute. She was runner-up to Shalane Flanagan over 10,000 m at the 2011 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and later ran in the event at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, where she finished 13th overall. In December, she competed at the inaugural Miami Beach Half Marathon and was again second behind Flanagan.[13]

Goucher qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics by placing third at the U.S. Olympic marathon trials on January 14, 2012 in Houston, finishing with a time of 2:26:06.[14] She came third at the New York Half Marathon that March, running a time of 1:09:12 hours.[15]

Goucher placed 11th in the 2012 Summer Olympics with a time of 2:26.07.[16]

She returned to the 2013 Boston Marathon on April 15, placing 6th with a time of 2:28:11. The event would later be disrupted by a pair of consecutive explosions near the finish line, killing three spectators and injuring over 180 others. At the time of the explosions, she was resting in her hotel room with her family, the blasts close enough to shake the windows to their room.[17][18]

Kara Goucher is one of 7 women living in the United States including Deena Kastor, Kim Smith, Shalane Flanagan, Betsy Saina, Sally Kipyego and Molly Huddle to have run a 10 km race under 31 minutes. Only 71 women have ever run under 31 minutes.[19]

Philadelphia Half Marathon on September 21, 2014. She was sixth with a time of 1:11:39. [20]Kara placed 14th (4th among American women) in the TCS New York City Marathon on November 2, 2014 in 2:37:03.

Goucher finished 18th in the 2015 USATF Championships with a time of 16:05.35.[21]

On 13 February 2016, Kara placed fourth at the US Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing in 2:30:24, one minute behind Shalane Flanagan, on a warm day in Los Angeles.[22]

Achievements

  • All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing the  United States
2008 New York City Marathon New York, New York, USA 3rd 2:25:53
2009 Boston Marathon Boston, Massachusetts, USA 3rd 2:32:25
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 9th[23] 2:27:48
2011 Boston Marathon Boston, Massachusetts, USA 5th 2:24:52
2012 USA Half Marathon Championships Duluth, Minnesota, USA 1st 1:09:46
2013 Boston Marathon Boston, Massachusetts, USA 6th 2:28:11
2014 New York City Marathon New York, New York, USA 14th 2:37:03
2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Half Marathon San Antonio, Texas, USA 1st 1:11:10

Personal records

Goucher at the 2007 World Championships
distance performance location date
1500 m 4:05.14 Rieti August 27, 2006
One mile (indoor) 4:33.19 New York City January 30, 2009
2000 m 5:41.28 Eugene, Oregon June 7, 2009
3000 m 8:34.99 Rieti September 9, 2007
Two Miles 9:41.32 Carson, CA May 20, 2007
5000 m 14:55.02 Berlin September 16, 2007
10,000 m 30:55.16 Beijing August 15, 2008
10 miles[24] 53:16 Minneapolis, MN October 5, 2008
Half marathon
(downhill course) 		1:06:57 Newcastle September 30, 2007
Half marathon 1:08:05 Chicago, Illinois August 2, 2009
Marathon 2:24:52 Boston, MA April 18, 2011

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f All-Athletics. "Profile of Kara Goucher".
  2. ^ Blount, Rachel (June 28, 2008). "Duluth to Beijing via Oregon". StarTribune. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  3. ^ http://www.london2012.com/athlete/goucher-kara-1130454/
  4. ^ Longman, Jerel (November 2, 2008). "Radcliffe Reasserts Her Supremacy". The New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2008.
  5. ^ Under IAAF rules the Great North Run is not eligible for record times, being more than 21m downhill from start to finish.
  6. ^ "Radcliffe beaten in comeback race". BBC. September 30, 2007. Retrieved October 8, 2007.
  7. ^ "USATF – Events – 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field". Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  8. ^ "Kara Goucher to Make Her Marathon Debut at the ING New York City Marathon". Cool Running. September 10, 2008
  9. ^ IAAF, March 22, 2009: Lel and Goucher win in Lisbon
  10. ^ Shea, Sarah Bowen (May 8, 2010). "A Friendship Built for Long Distance". The New York Times. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  11. ^ Perez outruns Goucher at Phoenix Half Marathon. IAAF (January 17, 2011). Retrieved on 2011-01-20.
  12. ^ "Farah wins New York half-marathon". ESPN. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  13. ^ Flanagan, with sights on London qualification, runs 1:09:58 in Miami Beach. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-12-16.
  14. ^ AP (January 14, 2012). "Keflezighi, Flanagan run to victory at U.S. Olympic marathon trials". CNN. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
  15. ^ Kirui and Dado triumph in New York Half Marathon. IAAF (March 18, 2012). Retrieved on 2012-03-25.
  16. ^ Goucher leads the pack but finishes 11th in London Olympics marathon
  17. ^ 2013 Boston Marathon Results
  18. ^ flotrack.org: Kara Goucher Recalls the Explosions at the Boston Marathon
  19. ^ http://www.alltime-athletics.com/w_10kok.htm
  20. ^ http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/kara-goucher-will-return-to-racing-at-philly-half-marathon
  21. ^ Eggers, Kerry. "Doping scandal takes wind out of Goucher", "Portland Tribune", 2 July 2015. Retrieved on 3 July 2015.
  22. ^ 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon/Results
  23. ^ Interview with Kara Goucher on 09 October 2013 on behalf of AKL Communications
  24. ^ "Medtronic TC 10 Mile", OnlineRaceResukts. October 5, 2008; "October 7: 'This Gives Me Confidence,' Kara Goucher Says of USA 10-Mile Triumph". Runner's world October 7, 2008
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