While growing up in Sussex County, NJ, Christi Ireland (formerly Constantin) was already very athletic in elementary school. She participated in gymnastics, soccer, and softball. With advice from her father, a former track and field athlete, she chose cross country as the sport she would concentrate on as she entered junior high school. His thoughts were that she could determine the results better in an individual sport. She set high goals for herself and stayed focused. She trained year round even as her teammates would take the summer off. Her hard work paid off. In her junior year in high school she won the Northeast Region Cross Country Championships at Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY and placed fifth in the country at the Kinney's National High School Cross Country Championships. Her senior year she repeated as the regional winner and placed third in the country at Nationals.

She recalls her high school years as a great experience. The small Kittatinny High School sent bus loads of people to cheer for her at Van Cortlandt Park for the regional championships. At the Kinney's National Championships, college coaches were observing the race. Among those coaches was Ron Helmer of Georgetown University. After visiting five colleges with her parents, the three of them agreed Frank Gagliano, Helmer, and Georgetown were the best choice for her. She accepted a track scholarship and was successful in collegiate track and cross- country. She majored in English and made All-American eight times. She received the honor all four years in cross country and was selected the Outstanding Cross Country Runner her senior year. She also received All-American honors for placing third in the 10,000 meters at Nationals her freshman and senior years, and twice for the indoor 5000 meters. While in college she ran 16:04 for 5000m, and she ran 33:45:74 for 10,000m as the Penn Relays champion.

After graduation she spent one and a half years with the Reebok Enclave. While competing she placed eighth at the USATF Cross Country Championships and ran 1:18 for the half-marathon.

She also set the course record for the Jingle Bell Run 10K (35:11) in 1993. Deciding to take a break from competitive running, she worked as a personal trainer and in administrative positions at Yates Field House at Georgetown University. She is currently the Fitness Director. Several co-workers encouraged her to run in the 1999 Marine Corps Marathon. She set a goal to run under three hours and resumed training with Gagliano's Enclave where her husband Dan is a coach.

Several road races leading up to the MCM included tommy's american 5k (17:54, 4th place), Lawyer's Have a Heart 10K (37:29, 2nd place), Rockville Rotary Twilight 8K (29:26, 6th place), and the Quantico Half-Marathon (1:22:20, 1st). She placed third at the MCM (2:57:58) in her marathon debut. Reflecting back on running for Gags, Helmer, her high school, Georgetown, and the Reebok Enclave, she says, "Running for the coaches and the teams was definitely a different mind set. Running for myself is just not the same."

Coach Gagliano is a very serious and demanding coach, and he can push you to your limits, but he is also very caring. At competitions, he typically can be seen leaning over the fence yelling, drowning out the PA system, and giving his runners the encouragement needed for that extra push. In contrast, Coach Helmer is more analytical, giving tactical advice as needed. At a competition in Oregon, she recalls having a bad race. Coach Helmer, who is usually reserved and wearing his trademark western boots, showed that he is equally passionate about his runners. At this meet he was sporting expensive rattlesnake boots and kicked the fence due to frustration with her off day. Unfortunately, Coach Helmer may remember Christi more for his damaged boots than for her All-American performances!

If she decides to continue elite level training and competition, it will be in the New Haven, Connecticut area. Her husband Dan, also an outstanding Hoya cross-country runner, has accepted a position at Yale University as Cross Country Coach beginning January, 2000.