Amy Yoder Begley (née Yoder; born January 11, 1978[2]) is an American middle and long-distance runner and a US Olympian in the 10,000 meter event at the
2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Yoder Begley lives in
Atlanta, Georgia, where she is coach of the
Atlanta Track Club, assisted by her husband Andrew Begley.[3]
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)[4] and held the 3200 meter state record from 1996 until 2011 when it was broken by
Culver Academy's Waverly Neer.[5]
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.[6] 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.[7] She won the
Honda Sports Award as the nation's top female cross country runner in 2000.[8][9]
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.[14] She placed 26th in the final of the 10,000 meters at the Olympics.[15]
Yoder Begley finished first in the 10,000 meter event at the 2009 USA Track & Field Championship on June 25, 2009, in Eugene, Oregon.[16] 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.[17]
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.[3]
Highlights
15-Time NCAA All-American in Cross Country and Track