Mary Cain is a professional American middle-distance runner who trains full-time in New York City. Among many running accomplishments, Mary is the 2014 World Junior Champion in the 3000-meter event and is the youngest American athlete ever to represent the United States at a World Championships meet after competing in the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow when she was 17. She also won the 2014 Millrose Games Mile.

Along with being an athlete, Mary is an advocate for women’s sports and healthy sports. After sharing her story of emotional abuse from Nike in the New York Times in 2019, she has continued to share her story and work with companies and teams to better protect young athletes. Mary also works full-time with the running apparel company Tracksmith as their NYC community manager. In 2019, she began her coaching journey by joining the team at Mile High Run Club, and now helps runners through her part-time position at NYRR as a Virtual Coaching and Healthy Sports Initiative Specialist.

Q&A with Mary

What program do you coach?
Virtual racing programs

What languages do you speak?
English

How would you describe your coaching style?
My coaching style is holistic. I love to educate runners on all the facets of running training, which means looking outside of just their run-training to include tips on gym work, mobility, and recovery. This big-picture approach is key to a healthy and happy runner.

What is your proudest coaching moment?
My favorite moments are when I teach a runner something new. There’s nothing better than hearing and seeing a runner get excited in their progress and expanding their running knowledge.

What is your favorite workout to coach and why?
Faster work! A lot of runners I’ve worked with are longer distance athletes, so it’s fun to introduce some speedier track work into their legs.

Please list any awards, achievements, or certifications below.
Safesport certified, CPR certified

What is your favorite place to run in New York City?
Van Cortlandt Park

What is your favorite NYRR race?
New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile

What is your personal running motto?
For me to remain in the present and not get ahead of myself in training or racing, I like to say: “It hasn’t been run until it’s run; it’s not won until it's won; it’s not done until it’s done.”