- Tag: Community Stories
Welcome Keely Henninger!
Our Newest Altra Elite Athlete.
Altra Running is excited to introduce our newest Altra Elite Athlete, Keely Henninger.
Keely is a 29-year-old professional trail runner and scientist focusing on promoting healthy training. Through her social media platform, she encourages healthy training and recovery methods specifically for female athletes.
As a seven-year trail running veteran, some of her many accomplishments include being a member of Team USA, holding the USA 50-mile national champion title, and winning multiple races.
Join us in welcoming Keely as she shares more about herself and her running experience below!
Where are you from?
I am originally from Williamsport, Pennsylvania! Home to some of the most gnarly trails, poison ivy, and the most welcoming trail runners.
Where do you spend most of your time training?
I spend most of my time training in the plush trails of Portland, Oregon but try to spend my summers in the mountains around Park City, Utah!
How did you get into running?
I got into running after I started college (my middle/high school didn't really have much of a track/cross-country program), when I met some cool people training for a marathon. I dabbled in some road running, took a lot of time off to study and be a normal student, and then re-found running my junior year, when I was sort of tricked into racing a trail "marathon." After finishing first place with a coffee cup hair-tied to my hand, I realized this trail running sport was fun and started training for more ultra/trail races. I loved pushing my body and seeing what it could accomplish, and trail races always delivered a new challenge.
Why Altra?
I love the way Altra promotes and supports their athletes and the positions they take on important issues in sport, specifically issues plaguing female athletes. Pair that with their top-notch trail and road running shoes, and I can't think of another brand that I would want to represent.
Tell us about your four-legged running buddy. What's her name?
Her name is Jade! She is 4.5 years old, is cross eyed in her left eye, is a total herding dog mut, and was rescued from a reservation in southern Oregon!
She has ran around Mt. Hood with me, but doesn't actually start "running" until around a 6 minute mile, and loves to run beside the mountain bike (since it's actually her speed).
Any exciting races coming up?
I am tackling the Western States 100 again this year and I am really excited to give it another go. Last year it was my first attempt at the 100-mile distance, and I learned so much. The community surrounding the Western States 100 is one of the most supportive and caring I have ever experienced. I can't wait to go back and run strong and fast on the amazing trails from Olympic Valley to Auburn.
Any projects on the horizon?
I am continuing to address current issues plaguing athletes through research and my podcast Trail Society, where we dive into recent events and analyze scientific papers and articles to provide insights and opinions that can help others in their athletic journeys. I am also taking some classes and studying for the MCAT to apply to medical school in a couple of years to start my journey to becoming a physician that can really help female athletes overcome some of the detrimental impacts of improper training so they can reach their potential.
