Blake Russell G'01 competed the Jan. 14 in the Olympic marathon trials but fell short in her quest to qualify for her second consecutive appearance in the Summer Olympic Games.
Russell was the only American woman to compete in the marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, finishing 27th. After the Games, Russell took time off from training, and she and her husband, Jon, welcomed their son, Quin, in April 2009. Since then, Russell has been active sharing her experiences balancing motherhood and training. She has been the subject of articles published in the New York Times and Runner’s World and keeps a blog, “Marathon Mom,” for the Monterey County (Calif.) Herald.
Russell graduated from Elon’s Master of Physical Therapy program in 2001. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.