Elite Runner Kara Goucher on Clean Sport, the PACE App, and U.S. Women's Soccer

Kara Goucher is an American long-distance runner. She won the silver medal at the 2007 World Championships in the 10,000 meters and is a two-time Olympian. A podium finisher at the Boston and New York marathons, she also competed for the University of Colorado, where she was a three-time NCAA champion.

After more than a decade as a Nike athlete, Kara is now sponsored by Oiselle and Altra and is a co-founder of the Clean Sport Collective, an anti-doping initiative.

We spoke with Kara—who lives in Colorado with her husband Adam, also an elite runner, and their son Colt—for our Time-Out series, where we chat with folks in the sports world about their favorite athletes, teams, sports movies and shows, and their love of sports generally.

Kara, tell us…

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

While I was born in New York City, I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. I was always outside—I didn’t have any concept of how cold it was. I now live in Boulder, Colorado, which also has a very outdoorsy lifestyle, but without the harsh winters. I still spend a lot of time in Minnesota, though. It’s where I feel the most at home.

Your earliest sports memory.

I started playing soccer at a very young age. My father was a great soccer player, and my sisters and I all wanted to be like him.

Your favorite sports team.

Hands down the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. I love watching Team USA Curling, too.

Your favorite athletes.

Allyson Felix, Simone Biles and Jessica McDonald are a few of my favorites. But I really love watching any woman go for it in sports.

Your favorite sports show or podcast.

I co-host the Clean Sport Collective where we aim to highlight clean athletes. I also love the podcast Off The Looking Glass.

Your favorite sports movie and/or video game.

For Love of the Game with Kevin Costner. They way he tuned out the crowd as he went to pitch—that spoke to me. It’s how I used to handle crowds when I raced.

A recent project you’re proud of.

I have worked really hard on a new training app called PACE that allows me to coach people virtually who are chasing big goals.

Someone else’s project that you admired recently.

I really like what Kate Fagan and Jessica Smetana are doing with the Off The Looking Glass podcast. I also have been really impressed and learned a lot from my Oiselle co-worker Alison Désir and her work with the Running Industry Diversity Coalition. She is making real change that the running community can feel.

What sports can do that nothing else can.

Sports have the ability to bring people together in a way nothing else can. Sports are not without their massive problems, but the way they can bring a community together and make people invest in others—it’s a beautiful thing.