Photo by Kathy Freedman

Mary Kate (Sullivan) Bailey's start as a runner came during Marine Corps training after graduating from the United States Naval Academy. Physical fitness conditioning is part of the duty of a Marine; during every six months of service, they must complete a 3-mile timed run to test their fitness. Some of the men bragged about their ability; this "big talk" spurred her to take the timed run seriously. She likes a challenge and doesn't enjoy losing; there were a handful of other female Marines amongst the hundred or so men. Sullivan ran the three-mile fitness runs faster than 19:00 and finished ahead of the men. She says she has taken her running seriously since 2001; Bailey has become one of the top local female road racers in the area since moving north from Fredericksburg to Arlington, VA, in June 2004.

Mary Kate Bailey attended a private high school on Long Island, NY, where she played soccer; her team did well in the competitive New York arena. Her mother raised a family of three boys and Mary Kate; all four children would later become Marines. Her father received debilitating injuries during service in the Vietnam War, was confined to a medical facility, and passed away during Bailey's teen years. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery and she paid tribute to him after winning the 2004 Marine Corps Marathon. Family ranks high on her priority list in life and the Sullivan family is close knit; her brothers and mother cheered for her along the marathon course and mom gave her a big hug after winning the race.

The willingness to serve her country and take on supreme challenges led her to the U.S. Naval Academy, which first admitted women in 1976; today, females constitute one-fifth of the student body. Leadership skills are taught by facing difficult scenarios and practicing how to respond in an emergency. She played soccer two years at the collegiate level; the transition to running after graduation was easy due to her soccer experience. She met her husband on the Annapolis campus-- he currently is a medical student-and graduated in 1998 with a major in political science. After graduation, they served overseas in Japan and returned to Quantico, VA.

General James Jones, the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps (July 1999 through 2002), headquartered at Quantico, expressed interest in improving the Marines' distance running at the Armed Forces Championships and Challenge Cup competitions. The USMC Regional Running Program was established in 2001; in April, 2003, two-time Olympic marathoner Ed Eyestone was hired as the program's Internet coach. A summer running camp in the mountains out west serves to build team cohesion among the Marines' selected runners, according to the Marines' Regional Running Program Web site. There are up to 25 participants in the program and admission is via application. The Marine Corps Athlete Code of Conduct reminds participants that the program is an honor, a distinction few achieve, not a privilege.

Her talent as a runner was noticed by Marines running on the team at Quantico; she was encouraged to join the group. The Marines team entered a few road races and competed at the Marine Corps Marathon. By 2004, Bailey had finished the marathon four times with her best performance in 2002 in 3:02:24. A daughter joined the Bailey family in September 2003; Mary Kate Bailey returned eagerly to running and lost about ten pounds. In February, 2004, Bailey ran 37:27 at the George Washington Birthday Classic 10K. The Bailey family moved from Fredericksburg to Arlington in June 2004 and George Buckheit invited her to join a group of women he coaches. She won the 2004 Annapolis Ten Miler in 1:00:42, finishing ahead of the 2003 champion, Susannah Kvasnicka. These two women have vied for the top spot in several local road races, with Bailey showing strength over longer distances.

Mary Kate Bailey continued her breakthrough season with the women's title at the 2004 Marine Corps Marathon in October with a time of 2:48:31 and bettered her best marathon time by 14 minutes. After the race, Bailey attributed her improved performance to track work and tempo runs with the women and sage advice from veteran runner George Buckheit. She also had words of praise at the finish line for Jenny Ledford, who led the race until mile 15: "She has a lot of potential and will learn with experience." And she spoke of the "awesome" spectator support on the MCM race course. Bailey is a graceful winner and speaks kindly of others. The following week, USA Track & Field named Mary Kate Bailey as its Athlete of the Week in recognition of her personal best.

Bailey says she is still learning as a runner; intervals are a recent innovation in her training and she works to master the art of pacing. Personal interaction with Buckheit and the women's training group allows her to tweak her racing strategy and move closer to a target of running a sub-2:47 marathon. "George says he will get me to that point," she comments with honesty and confidence. Mary Kate Bailey is calm and competent; she characterizes the chemistry among the women as very good. They are supportive of each other when someone is having a tough week; they do not compete against each other during group runs. Bailey, Sharon Donovan, Lindsey Goulet, Maria Kozloski, Genevieve Kiley, Vanessa Hunter, and Jackie Concaugh will be running the Twin Cities Marathon in October and they all want to reach the 2008 Olympic Trials qualifying time of 2:47 during the next three years. [Note: Mary Kate Bailey qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon with a time of 2:46:03 and placed tenth among women in the Twin Cities Marathon.] Thirty years ago, there was no Women's Olympic Marathon.

Mary Kate Bailey finished her service with the Marines in November 2004; she chose to pursue a civilian career path because she felt it was important to stay near her daughter. The Marine Corps enforces high moral standards and she works in the Inspector General's office at Quantico; she enjoys working with people and the investigative assignments are interesting. She would like to pursue a career in child psychology after her husband finishes his medical education. Bailey was recently inducted into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame; she has performed magnificently as a Marine Corps athlete and helped the team to victory as the third female finisher at the 2004 Warriors Across the Sea Plymouth U.K. Half Marathon (1:22:49) competition with the British Royal Navy/Marines.

Bailey manages her time well to prepare for an autumn marathon while working full-time and devoting attention to her family in the evening. She rises at 4:30 am for her first run of 9 to 10 miles; during lunch, she runs 6 to 10 miles or does a spinning workout. Once a week, the women meet for a track session with George Buckheit. Her weekly mileage averages 80 to 90 miles per week; she considers running to be therapeutic and a supportive training environment has visibly rewarded her effort. Bailey continues to improve her times, lowering her time from 2004 by 1:40 in 2005 at the George Washington Birthday 10K with a time of 35:49. She has made minor adjustments in her diet, she eats some red meat, and she has started using a stretching rope to minimize her risk of injury. Running is an outlet, not an obsession, for Mary Kate Bailey.

Photo above: Mary Kate Bailey's big win, the 2004 Marine Corps Marathon.