DWRunning Tenure:
Joined in January 2026
PRs:
Half Marathon: 1:21:38, Marathon: 2:52:07
Social Handles:
IG: katie_anstandig
Running Start:
I started running XC in high school when I couldn't cut it as a varsity soccer player and to get in shape for softball. I'd seen my older brother run XC and track, so I knew it was a sport that rewarded work ethic, even if you were on the smaller side.
I continued running XC at Denison University, a DIII college in Ohio. My coach persuaded me to join the track team in the spring. Running year-round for the first time made a big difference and I went from a middle-of-the-pack runner to an All American. In 2009 I won the North Coast Athletic Conference Championship and the Great Lakes Regional Championship, and placed sixth at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Nationals. On the track, I set the school records for the 5k (17:05) and the 10k (35:16).
Now, as a parent of 2, I am following in my dad's footsteps and trying to juggle life with early morning runs and marathon training.
Running Role Model:
My dad. He may not be an elite runner, but he had the strongest work ethic. A lawyer and a dad of 4, he made time to marathon train and often brought me along for runs. We would wake up at 5 am to run before school/work. And we always finished runs sprinting up an awful hill we dubbed "St Moritz." He researched workouts and brought me to the track with a stop watch to try them out together. I'll never forget a particularly difficult ladder workout called the "Michigan."
Fun Facts:
I was an NCAA Woman of the Year finalist in 2011.
I had a pre-kids career at NBC Sports (meeting Olympic athletes was an inspiration) and the Chicago Wolves managing corporate sponsorships.
I'm a gardening aficionado, and in 2022 our garden was selected to be on the Arlington Heights Garden Walk.
Track or Trails?:
Both!
Morning or Afternoon?:
Morning!
Solo or With Friends?:
With Friends
Summer or Winter?:
Summer
Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.