Meet RUNColumbus team member Kristin-Gordon-Hock Kristin is married to John (also a runner); and they have two rescue Labradors, Zevon and Chaz. Chaz ran a mile with Kristin on his first day at their house, and the rest is history, as they say. Kristin takes him to as many races as she can and makes sure to sign him up for a minimum of one a month. Chaz recently completed his first consecutive year of running a minimum of one race/month. He also completes Columbus Running Company’s Winter Challenge with Kristin in January, completing a minimum of one outdoor mile/day for the month.
Why/when did you start running? 2002; I needed to get into shape and start incorporating regular fitness into my life after four sedentary college years full of unhealthy habits.
What is your favorite aspect(s) of running?
1. The people I meet. There is no better community!
2. The freedom running gives me.
3. The ability to be my best self and feel accomplished in a judgment-free zone.
4. Giving back to the community by volunteering, supporting, and spectating.
5. Being outside and exploring on foot.
What excites you about being part of the RUNColumbus Race Series and Team? Accountability and being part of something new. Having a reason to try new races I might not have otherwise known about, but also having accountability for those I would already typically run.
Anything else you would like to share? (Goals, Club/Group, Recent Achievements)
I just ran my 55th half marathon. I have completed five marathons; my sixth attempt in 2016 ended in a DNF at mile 16 with a subsequent stress fracture diagnosis; it was heartbreaking. This experience made me so much stronger and I can’t wait to get back to the marathon distance someday!
The accomplishment I’m most proud of in my running career is being one of four women to start the Fairfield County chapter of Columbus Eastside Running Club in Baltimore. I am a former coach for the group as well.
I am on the board of two local 5ks in Fairfield County (United Way and TWIG 1), serving as the Race Director for the Cancer Care Run 5k/Walk in October. I am so proud of what we have accomplished locally with growing these races and the money we have raised to help others.
I also teach yoga and am a certified RYT-200 through Yoga Alliance.