Kara Goucher

Kara Goucher, (born Kara Grgas on 9 July 1978 in Queens, NY) is an American middle and long-distance runner. Goucher grew up in Duluth, Minnesota where she was known as Kara Wheeler (after her mother's remarriage), and graduated from the dn|University of Colorado in 2001. She later moved to Portland, Oregon with her husband (fellow American runner Adam Goucher) and is coached by American running legend Alberto Salazar.

College career

As a runner for the University of Colorado, Goucher broke out in 2000, becoming the NCAA Outdoor Champion in the 3000 m and 5000 m, the NCAA Cross Country Champion, and also a 5000 m Olympic Trials Finalist (8th).

Professional career

After college Goucher battled injuries for several years, but then came back strong in 2006. After finishing 2nd in the 5k at the USATF Outdoor Championships in 2006, she set PRs at all distances on the international circuit, running the World “A” Standard in the 1500 m, 5000 m, and 10000 m. She finished third in 3000 metres at the 2006 IAAF World Cup in a new personal best time of 8 minutes 41.42 seconds. Her 3k time led the nation and her 10k time ranked her as the 2nd fastest American woman of all-time. At the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan she won the bronze medal in the women's 10,000 m event.

In September 2007, she won the Great North Run in 1:06:57, the fastest woman's half-marathon time of the year, setting a new American best time [Under IAAF rules the Great North Run is not eligible for record times, being more than 21m downhill from start to finish.] at the distance and beating marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe, on the latter's comeback from pregnancy and injury. [cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/7018199.stm
title = Radcliffe beaten in comeback race
date = September 30 2007
publisher = BBC
accessdate = 2007-10-08] The half-marathon was Goucher's first competitive race longer than 10k.

Goucher kicked off 2008 with a win in the prestigious Millrose Games mile with a PR of 4:36:03. At the 2008 Prefontaine Classic track meet in Eugene, Oregon, USA, Goucher ran the 5000 m, the same race as the World Record attempt by Meseret Defar. Goucher ran well to place 3rd behind Defar and Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot in her second fastest ever time of 14m58.10s. Defar failed in her attempt but won the race in 14m38.73s.

Goucher is a member of the Nike Oregon Project, a project designed to improve standards in American Distance running. There she trains with fellow athletes Galen Rupp, her husband Adam Goucher, Josh Rohatinsky and Amy Yoder-Begley.

Goucher raced in the USATF Championships and Olympic Trials on June 27, 2008, in the 5000 m and the 10000 m. The championships were held at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon. Goucher already had the Olympic A Standard, but achieved it again, recording 31:37.72 at 10000 m, finishing second behind American record-holder Shalane Flanagan's 31:34.81. In the 5000 m, Goucher won her semi final heat with a time of 15:32.32, and won the final race with a time of 15:01.02. [cite web
url = http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/schedule.asp
title = USATF - Events - 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field
accessdate = 2008-07-06]

Goucher competed in the Bejing 2008 Summer Olympics 10000m final where she placed 10th with a personal best time of 30:55.16, and the 5000m where she placed 9th with a time of 15:49.

Personal records

References

Audio interview

* [http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2008/01/tfs-podcast-120-kara-goucher-back-in-action-and-hungry-for-gold/ Kara Goucher Podcast: "Back in Action and Hungry for Gold"]
* [http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2007/06/podcast-56-kara-goucher/ TheFinalSprint.com's interview with Kara Goucher on 6/8/07]

Video/pictures

* [http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/search.php?q=kara+goucher Flotrack.org coverage of Kara Goucher including her race videos, interviews and pictures ]
* [http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/coverage.php?c=79&id=4678 Kara Goucher`s interview after she won the Bronze at Osaka, Japan 2007]

External links

*
* [http://www.fast-women.com/athletes/interviews/2006/karagoucher080806.htm Interview with NYRR's Fast-Women.com]
* [http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Grgas-Wheeler_Kara.asp USATF Athlete Bio of Kara Goucher]
* [http://inside.nikerunning.com/the_gouchers Nike's "Meet the Gouchers" online show]