Amy Yoder Begley

Amy Yoder Begley
Personal information
Born (1978-01-11) January 11, 1978 (age 46)
Topeka, Indiana, U.S.[1]
Height5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
Weight116 lb (53 kg)
Websiteamybegley.com
Sport
Country United States
Event(s)3000 m, 5000 m, 10,000 m
College teamArkansas Razorbacks (1997–01)
ClubAtlanta Track Club
Coached byAndrew Begley
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals2008 10000 m, 26th
World finals2009 10000 m, 6th
Personal best(s)3000 m: 8:53.27

5000 m: 14:56.72

10000 m: 31:13.78

Amy Yoder Begley (née Yoder; born January 11, 1978[2]) is an American running coach and former middle and long-distance runner. Yoder Begley was a national champion at three different distances (3k indoor, 10k road, 15k road) and competed in the 10,000 meter event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

High school career

Yoder Begley attended East Noble High School in Kendallville, Indiana. She was a four-time state champion (one cross country and three 3200 meter titles)[3] and held the 3200 meter state record from 1996 until 2011 when it was broken by Culver Academy's Waverly Neer.[4]

Collegiate career

Yoder Begley graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2001. She was a two-time NCAA champion and a 15-time All-American.[5] She was 2000 SEC Female Athlete of the Year, and in 2016 she was selected to the Southeastern Conference 2016 Class of Women's Legends representing Arkansas.[6] She won the Honda Sports Award as the nation's top female cross country runner in 2000.[7][8]

Professional career

Yoder Begley was a Nike Oregon Project athlete from 2007[9] to 2011.[10] She trained with Galen Rupp, Kara Goucher, Adam Goucher, and Josh Rohatinsky under coach Alberto Salazar, who was later banned for life.[9][11]

Yoder Begley placed third in the 10,000 meters at the 2008 USA Track & Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, setting a new personal record of 31:43.60 and qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[12] She placed 26th in the final of the 10,000 meters at the Olympics.[13]

Yoder Begley finished first in the 10,000 meter event at the 2009 USA Track & Field Championship on June 25, 2009, in Eugene, Oregon.[14] This qualified her to compete in the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics held in Berlin. She finished in sixth place and set a new personal record with a time of 31:13.78.[15]

In 2013, she became the women's cross country coach and women's track and field assistant coach at the University of Connecticut.[16]

In December 2014 she was hired as the first full-time coach in the 50-year history of the Atlanta Track Club. Among her responsibilities are creating training programs for the club's 21,000 members and training two athletes for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[17] The club announced they were separating from Yoder Begley and her husband in 2023.[18]

In 2019, Yoder Begley made substantiated allegations against Alberto Salazar for abuse pertaining to her body and ultimately kicking her off the team for her weight.[19][20] She also alleged that Salazar made her sign a contract saying she wouldn't become friends with any of her teammates at the Nike Oregon Project.[21]

Yoder Begley was hired by USATF in 2023 as the director of long distance running programs. She founded and mentors Heartland Athletics Club, coached by Andrew Begley and Bianca Martin with athletes Allie Wilson, Emma Grace Hurley, and Gemma Finch.[18]

Highlights

  • 15-Time NCAA All-American in Cross Country and Track
  • 2-Time NCAA National Champion in Track
  • 2000 USA Olympic Trials Qualifier
  • 2000 Honda Sports Award winner for cross country[22]
  • 2001 Avon National 10k Champion
  • 2002 United States Team Member - Beijing Ekiden
  • 2002 RRCA Road Scholar Grant Recipient
  • 2002 Avon Global Championships Runner-up
  • 2004 USA Olympic Trials Qualifier
  • 2004 USATF 10k Road National Champion
  • 2008 US Olympic Team, 10k
  • 2009 USATF Indoor 3k champion
  • 2009 USA 15k Championship - 1st Place[23]
  • 2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 10k, 1st place. Set personal and track record with a time of 31:22.69
  • 2009 World Championships in Athletics 10k, 6th place.[15]

[24]

Personal life

In 2006, Yoder Begley was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.[25]

She married her husband Andrew Begley in 2000;[26] Begley is also a running coach and partner of Yoder Begley with the Heartland Athletics Club. In 2020, Yoder Begley announced she and her husband had a commitment ceremony with their mutual partner of three years, Stephanie Reynolds Begley.[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ Alison Wade (August 18, 2003). "Interview with Amy Yoder Begley". Fast-Women.com. New York Road Runners. Archived from the original on April 18, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  2. ^ "AMY YODER BEGLEY". USA Track & Field. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  3. ^ Angelo Di Carlo (June 28, 2008). "Goshen born Amy Yoder qualifies for Olympics in thrilling fashion". wndu.com. WNDU-TV. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  4. ^ "2010-11 IHSAA STATE TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS RECAP". Indiana High School Athletic Association. June 4, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  5. ^ Jill Geer (June 27, 2008). "Stirring performances put Flanagan, Goucher and Yoder Begley on Olympic Team". USA Track & Field. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  6. ^ Joy Ekema-Agbaw (January 21, 2016). "Arkansas Legend Honored By SEC". University of Arkansas. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  7. ^ "Amy Yoder Begley - Women's Cross Country Coach". University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  8. ^ "Cross Country". CWSA. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Brian Metzler (April 9, 2011). "Amy Begley: A Study in Tenacity". Runner's World. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  10. ^ Ken Goe (October 14, 2011). "Olympian Amy Yoder Begley becomes the second high-profile departure from the Nike Oregon Project". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  11. ^ Draper, Kevin; Futterman, Matthew (January 31, 2022). "Disgraced Running Coach Was Barred for Life for Alleged Sexual Assault". The New York Times.
  12. ^ "2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field - Results - Women's 10000 Meter Run". USA Track & Field. June 27, 2008. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  13. ^ Alan Abrahamson (August 15, 2008). "American Flanagan gets bronze in 10,000m". NBCOlympics.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2008. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  14. ^ Ken Goe (June 25, 2009). "Amy Yoder Begley digs deep, outlegs Shalane Flanagan for U.S. title". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  15. ^ a b "12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics - 10,000 Metres - W FINAL". International Association of Athletics Federations. August 15, 2009. Archived from the original on August 18, 2009.
  16. ^ "AMY YODER BEGLEY NAMED WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY HEAD COACH". University of Connecticut. August 1, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  17. ^ Doug Roberson (December 22, 2014). "Q&A: Atlanta Track Club coach Amy Begley". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  18. ^ a b Gazette, Aubree Reichel | For The Journal (April 16, 2024). "Kendallville native Amy Yoder Begley out to change women's running". Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  19. ^ Lodi, Marie (November 14, 2019). "Another Nike Runner Says Coach Criticized Her Body". The Cut. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  20. ^ sport, Guardian (November 28, 2023). "Nike and Salazar settle $20m lawsuit alleging abuse of US track prodigy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  21. ^ Strout, Erin (November 14, 2019). "Why Women Will Save Running". Women's Running. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  22. ^ "Cross Country". CWSA. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  23. ^ "History of the Gate River Run". Gate River Run. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  24. ^ "Amy Yoder Begley - Resume". Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  25. ^ Rothstein, Michael (August 9, 2008). "Running over medical obstacles". The Journal Gazette. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  26. ^ https://x.com/yoderbegley/status/1282703261930344448?lang=en. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved June 24, 2024.