For the Love of Running: Famous Running Couples

By Elizabeth Carlson
Nov 06, 2019

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For the Love of Running: Famous Running Couples www.runnerclick.com

Famous couples have always been a thing of mystery and intrigue. These beautiful famous people we see on television end up magically falling in love with another beautiful famous person and you can bet that every single person wants a glimpse into what their lives together look like each day. And as runners, we can get especially caught up in following along as our favorite famous running couples live their lives together.

There is just something about seeing a professional or elite athlete that we admire show their love and affection for their equally-fit and fabulous spouse, who we also admire. As humans, we love love! And we are drawn to sharing in others’ love; even if that means semi-creepily stalking our favorite running couples’ social media counts for all the mushy gushy details (no shame here!).

Ryan and Sara Hall

We love this duo, and we especially love their website and blog. Not only are they super in love with each other, but through their blog and social media, we get a little glimpse into their beautiful vocation of parenthood as well, as they raise four adopted Ethiopian children (alongside their adorable Huskie dogs). Their website is truly inspiring, as they share their Christian faith and commitment to each other and to family.

By Kyle Vermeulen/World Vision (Kyle Vermeulen/World Vision) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Ryan currently holds the U.S. record in the half-marathon, and was the first to break the one hour half-marathon barrier. He won the marathon at the 2008 United States Olympic Trials and placed tenth in the Beijing Summer Olympics. He has since “retired” and hung up his running shoes for flatter, weight lifting shoes (check out his Instagram to see how buff Ryan has gotten!) but he is still coaching and is definitely at every single one of Sara’s races.

Sara made herself known in college through middle-distance track events. She won (and continues to participate in and win) several big name races, including the 2012 USA Cross Country Championships.

Tina Muir and Steve Picucci

Tina Muir is a professional runner from Great Britain but living in the great state of Kentucky with her husband Steve Picucci, the men’s and women’s cross country coach at Morehead State University in Lexington, Kentucky. Tina has run in two different British Olympic Trials, and though she is currently taking some time off to care for her newborn daughter, she hopes to qualify and compete in the Olympics for Great Britain in 2020. As for her accolades, she represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the World Championships in 2017.

While Steve might not be a professional runner, he definitely has coached them. Not only does he coach Tina, but he coached over 30 All Americans while the head coach at Ferris State University in Michigan (also where he met Tina while she was a student) and led the team to three top-10 finishes. Since moving to Kentucky in 2014, he’s helped the track and field team establish four school records.

But maybe what we love the most about this couple is that, through Tina’s website, Running for Real, social media, blog, and podcast, you get a glimpse into the life of these two love birds. In fact, Tina shared her struggle with amenorrhea last year, which she received international attention for. But through all her wins, losses, triumphs, pitfalls, fame, and success, she never failed to acknowledge her husband’s constant support, encouragement and love. And if that’s not enough, they now have a beautiful daughter for us to ogle over on Instagram!

By filip bossuyt from Kortrijk, Belgium (274 winnares meerkamp theisen eaton) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Brianne Theisen-Eaton and Ashton Eaton

Team Eaton is here to prove that love knows no boundaries, including geographic! Brianne, born in Saskatchewan in Canada, holds the Canadian record for the heptathlon and the indoor pentathlon. She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in the heptathlon event. Ashton, an American decathlete from Oregon, who currently holds the world records in both the decathlon and indoor heptathlon events, and won back-to-back gold medals for the decathlon at the London Olympics in 2012 and the Rio Olympics in 2016.

By filip bossuyt from Kortrijk, Belgium (064 kasyanov ashton eaton) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The duo met while Ashton was a freshman at the University of Oregon, and Brianne followed him to college there. Watching them support each other when they competed for rivalry countries at the 2016 games was almost too cute to handle.

The couple decided to announce their retirement together on the same day in early 2017 (aww!) and Brianne is now working as a Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach in San Francisco, which she runs with the help of their blog, www.weareeaton.com.

Kara and Adam Goucher

Adam Goucher was a standout cross country athlete at his alma mater, the University of Colorado where he graduated from in 1994. Six years later, he was the 5k Champion at the 2000 United States Olympic Trials, and competed in the games in Sydney. He continued running and competing in some big name races, but unfortunately was plagued throughout by injury. He retired after the 2008 Olympic trials.

By Stewart Dawson (Crop of Boston Marathon 2009 – Leading Women) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Kara quickly rose to running fame, becoming one of the fastest and well known names within the sport of women’s running after she placed second in the 2007 World Championships in the 10k, and ran for the United States in both the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. She has placed in the top ten in some heavy marathons, including the 2009 Boston Marathon, 2011 Boston Marathon, 2013 Boston Marathon, and Philadelphia Half Marathon in 2014. She is also only one of seven women in the US who have run a 10k in under 31 minutes.

So the Gouchers are no joke when it comes to running. But their relationship is pretty awesome too. They have one son, Colt, together who is precious and watching their family interact on social media and on Kara’s blog and website makes our stomach all aflutter with love!

Pete and Chrissie Pfitzinger

The Pfitzingers are the pioneers of the famous running couples who we love to love! Pete won the 1984 US Olympic Marathon Trials, and competed as a top contender at the Olympics in both 1984 and 1988. Chrissie was right there with him in 1988 where she ran the 5k. The couple was married in 1984, and over 30 years later, are still celebrating love and how running brought them together. And we can certainly get behind that!