World Class Marathon Runner Deena Kastor

Deena Kastor is the current queen of American distance running. She holds American records in the marathon, half-marathon and other road distances. A few years before the 2004 Olympics, Kastor shifted her focus to the marathon distance, and her hard work paid off: she won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

After winning the U.S. women's 2008 Olympic marathon trials, she represented the United States in Beijing, but had to drop out of the race after three miles because of a stress fracture in her foot.

Born: February 14, 1973, in Waltham, Mass.

Lives: Mammoth, Calif.

Team: ASICS

Major Achievements:

• Bronze medal in 2004 Olympic Marathon
• American record in 1/2 marathon and marathon
• Winner of Flora London Marathon (2006)
• Winner of the La Salle Bank Chicago Marathon (2005)
• 4-time USA 10,000m champion
• 4-time USA 15km champion
• 6-time USA 8km cross country champion
• 8-time NCAA All-American
• 5-time California state champ in high school

Personal Records:

• 1,500m: 4:07.8 (Heusden, Belgium; 8/5/2000)
• 3,000m: 8:35.03 (Monaco, 7/25/2007)
• 5,000m: 14:51.6 (Stockholm; Sweden, 8/1/2000)
• 10,000m: 31:17.31 (Palo Alto, Calif.; 4/29/2007)
• Half Marathon: 1:07:34 (Berlin, 4/2/2006)
• Marathon: 2:19:36 (London, 4/23/2006)