Katie Kellner

Katie Kellner (born August 4, 1991) is an American distance runner and coach who specializes in the marathon. She was an NCAA All-American at Cornell University before transitioning to long-distance road races after college. Kellner competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials marathon in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Early life Kellner grew up in West Windsor, New Jersey, and attended West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South. She continued her running career at Cornell University, where she was a three-time All-American and clocked times of 32:58 for 10,000 meters and 16:01 for 5,000 meters.

Career After graduating in 2013, Kellner initially continued racing on the track, placing 8th at the 2014 USA Outdoor Championships in the 10,000 meters. In the fall of 2014, she moved up in distance to the half marathon, clocking a time of 1:14:41 in Philadelphia. This performance qualified her for the 2016 United States Olympic Trials Marathon.

At the Olympic Trials in Los Angeles, Kellner persevered through hot, sunny conditions to place 28th in a time of 2:43:47 in her debut marathon.

As of 2020, she was living in Boston and pursuing a Masters degree in public health at Boston University. When the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted her work as a biostatistician, she made the decision to pursue coaching as a full-time career.

Kellner had a strong 2022 season, winning the New Bedford Half Marathon and Hartford Half Marathon, while also placing 29th at the Boston Marathon. She came back a few months later to place 22nd at the Boston Marathon in a time of 2:38:19. She made national headlines in 2019 when she saved a drowning man and a dog from the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Boston. At the time, Kellner was 3 miles into an 8 mile easy run. She noticed the man in distress, removed her running shoes, entered the water, and pulled the man to safety. She completed the last 5 miles of her run later in the day.