Kristy Johnston

Last updated
Kristy Johnston
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1965-06-03) June 3, 1965 (age 58)
Coos Bay, Oregon
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Weight110 lb (50 kg)
Medal record
World Marathon Majors
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1994 Chicago Marathon

Kristy Johnston (born 3 June 1965) is a retired American marathoner. Johnson started her athletic career in 1986 and won her only World Marathon Majors at the 1994 Chicago Marathon. She reappeared at Chicago from 1995 to 2000 and was the Chicago women's runner-up in 1996. Outside of Chicago, Johnston ran at the United States Olympic Trials from 1992 to 2000. After retiring from athletics in 2000, Johnston became a middle school language arts teacher in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Contents

Early life and education

Johnston was born on 3 June 1965 in Coos Bay, Oregon. After attending Marshfield High School, she graduated from an English program at Portland College in 1988. [1]

Career

Johnston began running in 1986 at a 5K run in Portland, Oregon. During her career, Johnston ran in various lengths of marathons ranging from 3 kilometre runs to full marathons. [2] Her first win in a full marathon came at the 1993 Houston Marathon with a time of 2:29:05. The following year, Johnston won her only World Marathon Majors at the 1994 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:31:34. [3] Before competing at the 1995 Chicago Marathon, Johnston told the Daily Herald Suburban Chicago that she had "almost quit running altogether before last year's Chicago marathon" due to a long term back injury. [4] Johnston continued to reappear at the Chicago Marathon from 1995 to 2000 and had multiple top 8 finishes, which included second place in 1996. [5] Outside of Chicago, Johnston competed at the United States Olympic Trials consecutively from 1992 to 2000. After reaching the semi-finals in 1992, Johnston was fifth in the 1996 Olympic Trials and second place at the 2000 Olympic Trials. [2] After ending her athletic career in 2000, Johnston began teaching language arts to students at a middle school in Martinsburg, West Virginia. [1]

Achievements

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing Flag of the United States.svg  United States
1991 Houston Marathon Houston, United States 8thMarathon2:39:45
1993 Houston Marathon Houston, United States 1stMarathon2:29:05
1994 Chicago Marathon Chicago, United States 1stMarathon2:31:34
1995 Chicago Marathon Chicago, United States 8thMarathon2:35:50
1996 Chicago Marathon Chicago, United States 2ndMarathon2:31:06
1997 Boston Marathon Boston, United States DNFMarathon
Chicago Marathon Chicago, United States 13thMarathon2:42:24
1998 Chicago Marathon Chicago, United States 8thMarathon2:32:37
1999 Chicago Marathon Chicago, United States 10thMarathon2:32:34
2000 Chicago Marathon Chicago, United States 8thMarathon2:33:20

Awards and honors

Johnston was inducted into the Marshfield High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. [6]

Personal life

Johnston married her coach Chris Fox in 1998. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Benoit</span> American distance runner

Joan Benoit Samuelson is an American marathon runner who was the first women's Olympic Games marathon champion, winning the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She held the fastest time for an American woman at the Chicago Marathon for 32 years after winning the race in 1985. Her time at the Boston Marathon was the fastest time by an American woman at that race for 28 years. She was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Prefontaine</span> American long-distance runner (1951–1975)

Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine was an American long-distance runner who from 1973 to 1975 set American records at every distance from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. He competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics, and was preparing for the 1976 Olympics with the Oregon Track Club at the time of his death in 1975. Prefontaine's career, alongside those of Jim Ryun, Frank Shorter, and Bill Rodgers, generated considerable media coverage, which helped inspire the 1970s "running boom." He died at age 24 in an automobile crash near his residence in Eugene, Oregon. One of the premier track meets in the world, the Prefontaine Classic, is held annually in Eugene in his honor. Prefontaine's celebrity and charisma later resulted in two 1990s feature films about his short life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Moore (runner)</span> American long-distance runner and journalist (1943–2022)

Kenneth Clark Moore was an American Olympic road running athlete and journalist. He ran the marathon at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics, finishing fourth at the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dathan Ritzenhein</span> American long-distance runner

Dathan James Ritzenhein is a retired American long-distance runner, and current head coach of the On Athletics Club (OAC). He held the American record in the 5,000 metres (12:56.27) from 2009-2010, until it was broken by Bernard Lagat. He is a three-time national cross country champion with wins at the USA Cross Country Championships in 2005, 2008 and 2010. Formerly a Nike athlete for the majority of his professional career, Dathan joined the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project team in 2017. In early May 2020, he announced his retirement from competition. He signed with the Swiss shoe brand On shortly thereafter in June 2020 and currently acts as the coach for the OAC in Boulder, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Hasay</span> American long-distance runner

Jordan Melissa Hasay is an American distance runner. She grew up in Arroyo Grande, California, and attended Mission College Preparatory High School in San Luis Obispo. She was unanimously selected 2008 Girls High School Athlete of the Year by the voting panel at Track and Field News. In March 2009, she became the ninth high school athlete and third woman on the cover of Track and Field News magazine. She attended the University of Oregon, where she studied business administration and competed on the cross country and track and field teams earning 18 All-American honors, 2011 Mile and 3,000 meters NCAA titles. Her father was a high school basketball star in Pennsylvania, and her mother was a national level swimmer in her native England. Jordan Hasay is no longer coached by Alberto Salazar due to his suspension.

Lynn Alice Jennings is a retired American long-distance runner. She is one of the best female American runners of all time, with a range from 1500 meters to the marathon. She excelled at all three of the sport's major disciplines: track, road, and cross country. She won the bronze in the Women's 10,000 metres at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She set a world indoor record in the 5000 meter run in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galen Rupp</span> American long-distance runner

Galen Rupp is an American long-distance runner. He competed in the Summer Olympics in 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and 2021 in Tokyo. He won the silver medal in the men's 10,000 meters in London and the bronze medal in the men's marathon in Rio de Janeiro. Rupp competed for the University of Oregon and trained under Alberto Salazar as a member of the Nike Oregon Project. He won the 2017 Chicago Marathon, becoming the first American to do so since Khalid Khannouchi in 2002. Rupp won the marathon at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials in Atlanta with a time of 2:09:20, and qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, where he finished eighth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kara Goucher</span> American long-distance runner

Kara Goucher is an American long-distance runner. She was the 10,000 meters silver medalist at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics and represented the USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. She made her marathon debut in 2008 and finished third the following year at the Boston Marathon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshfield High School (Coos Bay, Oregon)</span> Public school in Coos Bay, Coos, Oregon, United States

Marshfield High School is a public high school in Coos Bay, Oregon, United States. Coos Bay is located on the southern Oregon coast. The campus consists of four major buildings, including an Intermediate building which opened in 2000 that serves as a math and science building. It also has a gymnasium that seats 4,000. There is also a separate facility that houses the Drama program. Marshfield High School started in 1908 after being bought from the International Order of Odd Fellows, who owned the cemetery the school is built around. Construction of the first building later known as the East Branch was finished a year after the purchase and was soon followed by a small gym with a pool in 1915. By 1938, the small building was becoming crowded so the decision was made to make another building. With the help of architect Francis Marion Stokes of Portland Oregon, in 1939, the Main Building and the West Gym were added to the campus. In 1952, the Main Gym was installed in the center of campus. The Main Building was extended onto the north side in 1953, and the west side in 1962. The old East Branch was becoming out dated with the tall pillars and peaked roof compared to the Art Deco style of the rest of the campus, so it was remodeled in 1958. Just before the turn of the century, the school decided to install another building at the north side. The East Branch was becoming old, and the town wanted to keep it around for sentimental value until the plaster ceiling came toppling down onto a desk. Once Pirate Hall was completed in January 2000, the East Branch was relieved of duty, and soon became the parking lot for the students. Heritage Hall was opened in 2014. The Harding Building was demolished in 2020 and Marshfield Jr. High School was built in its place, which opened on September 7, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shalane Flanagan</span> American long-distance runner

Shalane Grace Flanagan is an American long-distance runner, Olympic medalist and New York City Marathon champion. She was the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon since 1977. She holds the NACAC area records in both the 10k and 15k road races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Rhines</span> American long-distance runner

Jennifer Rhines is an American long-distance runner who competes in track, cross country and road running events. She has competed in three different Summer Olympics and made 15 US Teams.

Lisa Uhl is an American runner. She is a four-time NCAA Division One champion, current NCAA record holder in the 10,000 meters, and the sixth fastest American woman to ever cover that distance. She competed in the 10,000 meters in the 2012 Summer Olympics. She competed for Iowa State University.

Jacqueline Hansen is a former long-distance runner from the United States who is recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations as having set a world best in the marathon on two occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desiree Linden</span> American long-distance runner

Desiree "Des" Nicole Linden is an American long-distance runner. She represented the United States in the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics women's marathon. In 2018, she won the Boston Marathon, becoming the first American in 33 years to win the woman's category in the event. She holds the women's 50K world record of 2:59:54.

Lindsey Anderson is an American middle distance and steeplechase runner. She is a two-time NCAA All-American, a four-time school record holder at Weber State University, and a six-time Big Sky Conference senior champion. She also set a personal best time of 9:30.75 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase by placing second at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, which guaranteed her a qualifying place for the Olympics. University of Missouri women cross country head coach

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Seidel</span> American long-distance runner

Molly Seidel is an American long distance runner. Seidel represented the United States at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country in 2012, 2013, and 2018. In her first-ever marathon, Seidel placed second at the 2020 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials. Later, she went on to win the bronze medal in her third career marathon at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. At the University of Notre Dame, Seidel was a 4-time NCAA champion, 6-time NCAA All-American, 6-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion and 2016 female ACC Athlete of the Year.

Kim Pawelek Brantly is a Vietnamese-American middle- and long-distance runner. She is the woman's 1999 US Marathon Champion.

Dorothy Doolittle is an American former marathon runner and athletics coach, who won the inaugural Chicago Marathon in 1977. She was an assistant coach of the US Women's team at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Alejandro Cruz is a Mexican former marathoner and civil engineer. He competed during the 1980s to 2000s in the World Marathon Majors. He won the 1988 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:08:57. At the age of twenty, Cruz's 1988 win made him the youngest man and first Mexican to win the Chicago Marathon. In later Chicago Marathons, Cruz placed fourth in 1994 and did not finish the 1998 edition.

Elaine Van Blunk is an American long-distance runner who finished third at the 1994 Chicago Marathon. She was the 1989 winner of the 3000 meters at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships, and finished seventh in the 10,000 meters event at the 1991 Pan American Games.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kirsty Johnson". USATrack&Field. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Runner Kristy Johnson". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  3. Hanna, Julie (31 October 1994). "Oregon Runner Collapses - After Running Race". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  4. Gorski, Reggie (12 October 1995). "Chicago event draws stars Jones, Johnston". Daily Herald Suburban Chicago. sec. 2. p. 7.
  5. Hersh, Philip (5 October 2002). "17th Chicago Marathon: Oct. 30, 1994". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  6. Hansen, Joe (18 August 2008). "New Marshfield Hall of Fame members honor their mentors". The World (Coos Bay). Retrieved 29 October 2018.

Kristy Johnston at World Athletics OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg