Wikipedia

Amy Yoder Begley

Amy Yoder Begley
Personal information
Born (1978-01-11) January 11, 1978 (age 47)
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

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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

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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

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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 the Heartland Athletics Club, coached by Andrew Begley and Bianca Martin with athletes Allie Wilson, Emma Grace Hurley, and Gemma Finch.[18]

Highlights

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  • 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

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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

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References

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  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.
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