Deena Kastor
Photo Credit by Ryan Alonzo
When you think about excellence in the marathon, the name Deena Kastor inevitably jumps to mind. After all, the 52-year-old held the American record in the distance for a whopping 19 years, setting it first in London in 2003, then bettering her own mark just three years later when she became the first American woman to run under 2:20.
In fact, Kastor—a three-time Olympian, World Marathon Majors champ, World Cross Country medalist, and holder of national records from the 5K up to the 26.2—was drawn to distance from the very first time she hit the track. Upon joining her community running club, the Comets, in sixth grade, she immediately bypassed sprints in favor of the 800, 1500, and 3200 meters. “That first day of practice, getting let loose in the Santa Monica Mountains was like an immediate love affair. I did not want to turn around,” she says. “It just became this insatiable part of me, of wanting to try a new trailhead and go a little farther.”
Running was a fit right away, taking the spot that the other sports she’d dabbled in, like soccer—where she scored her one and only goal for the season for her opposing team—softball, and ice skating, just couldn’t fill. It allowed her to test her physical limits, sure, but it also provided a tight-knit social circle, filled with pre-race pizza parties, hair-braiding sessions, and travel with her best friends. “It was the time we could giggle and share stories when we were running.”
Photo credit by Paul Drossin
Victories, awards, and accolades soon rushed in for the talented young runner. She earned state titles, won national races, and set American records for her age group on the track. Still, she says, the stress to perform big didn’t kick in until she hit NCAA competition at the University of Arkansas. “College,” she says, “Enter: pressure and expectation for the first time.” Due in part to that mental burden, Kastor got caught in a cycle of injuries. And she struggled with the feeling that she wasn’t living up to the promise expected by her full-ride scholarship. On paper, she says, there was success—she was an eight-time All-American in cross-country and track and four-time SEC champ—but she believed it wasn’t enough. “I felt like that pressure was on me alone, and so when I fell short repeatedly, that burden just grew and grew, and I felt more and more worthless and pressured by the sport and more of a failure.”
So much so that she thought about quitting running after college, a “rock bottom,” as Kastor describes it. “I was like, I think I’m done with running, I’m going to open a bakery.”
But when her assistant coach questioned her about it, his faith in her made her rethink her decision. Kastor contacted legendary distance running coach Joe Vigil, and asked if she could train with him and his team in Colorado. Under his guidance, she says she honed a “mindset shift” that allowed her to work through her negative thoughts, advocate for herself, and grow stronger in the process. She continued to focus on cross-country and middle distances, competing at national and world championships (and even winning the 10K at the USAs in 2000).
So, where does the marathon come in? Surprisingly, it originally played just a supporting role to Kastor’s main focus: When she first took on the marathon in New York in 2001, it functioned simply as a training tool to help her improve at the 10K, her greatest distance on the track. “I was really just wanting to build endurance and strength,” she says. It worked—Kastor ended up setting the American record in the 10,000 meters in 2002.
But after finishing her first marathon, she felt a greater pull there. “I realized I had so much to learn about running; there was so much to explore.” It wasn’t just about pushing her boundaries at distance: It also made her feel connected to the sport in a larger way than ever before. With cross-country and track, “we’re performing for the stadium, performing for our country.” The marathon, she says, was different. “It felt like you were a part of that greater community, and a bigger piece of humanity, with all of the charities represented and people running for causes. We were all doing it together, and I felt that on race day.”
Shamrock Shuffle 2017 with Alexi Pappas and Ellie Grammas
That feeling of connection is one reason why Kastor—who has continued to set distance running records in the Masters category—signed on as an ambassador for Every Woman’s Marathon, a female-focused race that seeks to make running more welcoming, less intimidating, and just plain fun, especially to beginners. The race features a weekend expo packed with cooking demos (some hosted by Kastor herself), yoga, and hair-braiding stations, extended course time limits so you don’t have to worry about walking, luxe Porta-Potties throughout, and a lively concert after the finish. “It’s just adding these layers to it and realizing that running the marathon can be multifaceted—you can enjoy so many different aspects of what gives you the courage to step out and give it a try.”
And when some of the runners cross the line in Scottsdale on November 16, they just might be met by Kastor handing out their medal. “I just get moved to tears at the finish line, when I see the emotion on everyone's face when they come through holding hands or holding their heart or breaking down in tears. It's so moving,” she says. “If that doesn't give you a sense of humanity at its best, I don't know what would.”
Note about the author: Christa Sgobba is a writer, editor, and ACE-certified personal trainer based in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. She’s held print and digital staff positions at Men’s Health, Runner’s World, Bicycling, and, most recently, SELF, where she served as the brand’s director of fitness and food. Her work has appeared in these publications, as well as Glamour, Silver Sneakers, and others.
