Kathy Butler (born 22 October 1973) is a Scottish born,

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

who competed in the 10,000 metres and

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

events, as well as

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and soil, earth, pass through woodlands and ope ...

and

road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ru ...

. She has competed internationally for Great Britain, Scotland and Canada.

Early life and collegiate career

Butler was born in Edinburgh to English parents and brought up in Edinburgh and the Isle of Wight until her parents emigrated to

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada when she was ten-years-old. She attended the

University of Guelph The University of Guelph (abbreviated U of G) is a comprehensive Public university, public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College (1874), the MacDonald I ...

, Canada before transferring to the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

, USA. In 2004, she was inducted into the University of Wisconsin hall of fame. In 2005, she was inducted into the

hall of fame. As a member of the cross country and track teams at the University of Wisconsin, Butler was a five-time NCAA Champion and a 13-time All-American. In the 1995-96 season, Butler received the Honda Sports Award, given to the top women in collegiate athletics.http://www.gostanford.com/sports/c-xc/mtt/tegen_peter00.html Peter Tegen Biography.

Canada

While in college she competed for Canada in the 5,000 metres at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. She finished seventh in her heat and did not advance to the final. In 1999 Butler was 4th at the World Cross Country short course held in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The failure to receive any support from Athletics Canada resulted in questions being asked in the Canadian Parliament.

Great Britain

In 2000, she switched to competing internationally for Great Britain. Butler finished third behind Jo Pavey in the 5,000 metres event at the 2001 AAA Championships. Also in 2001, Butler finished 12th at the World Cross Country Championships (4 k race), won the European Cup 3000m and also placed third in the 5,000 metres at the

Goodwill Games The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the United States and other ...

in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. During the IAAF World Championships Olga Yegorova, who had shown positive for the blood-boosting agent

erythropoietin Erythropoietin (; EPO), also known as erythropoetin, haematopoietin, or haemopoietin, is a glycoprotein cytokine secreted mainly by the kidneys in response to cellular hypoxia; it stimulates red blood cell production ( erythropoiesis) in th ...

in tests conducted by a Paris lab escaped suspension because procedures were improperly observed, her presence at the World Championships kept Butler out of the World Championship final. In 2002 Butler missed out on competing for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games after she was diagnosed with

osteitis pubis Osteitis pubis is a noninfectious inflammation of the pubic symphysis (also known as the pubis symphysis, symphysis pubis, or symphysis pubica), causing varying degrees of lower abdominal and pelvic pain. Osteitis pubis was first described in pat ...

. In 2004, she finished 11th at the World Cross Country Championships (8 km race) in Brussels, winning a bronze medal with the British team. Running for Great Britain at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Butler finished 12th in the 10,000 metres with a time of 31:41.13. In 2005 Butler won the meet at the Venta de Baños Cross Country. Later in the year she debuted in the

with 2:30:01 at the Chicago Marathon. Butler competed in the 10,000 metres at the

2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006, were an International sport, international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Melbourne ...

, finishing 7th while representing Scotland. Butler was twice British 10,000 metres champion after winning the British

AAA Championships The AAA Championships was an annual track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association of England. It was the foremost domestic athletics event in the United Kingdom during its lifetime, despite the existence of the offi ...

title in 2004 and 2005. Butler was an assistant coach at both

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

and University of Wisconsin. Butler was coached for much of her post collegiate career by Peter Tegen and at the end of her career by former marathon world record holder Steve Jones.

Personal life

In 1994 Butler was diagnosed with

Graves' disease Graves' disease, also known as toxic diffuse goiter or Basedow's disease, is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. It frequently results in and is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. It also often results in an enlarged thyro ...

, a disorder of the thyroid gland. Butler has a maple leaf tattooed on her ankle, along with the five-ring Olympic insignia. Butler lives in Nederland, Colorado in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

with her husband and daughter. She is the Head Coach of Run Boulder AC. Butler is the Chair of USATF Coaching Education as well as a Level 1 and Level 2 Instructor for USATF.

Competition record

Olympics

1996 Atlanta Olympics * 5000 m (competing for Canada) 2004 Athens Olympics * 10,000 m: 12th. 31:40 (competing for Great Britain)

Other events

* 2005 British World Trials - First place (10000) 31:45 * 2004 British Olympic Trials - First place (10000 m) 31:36 * 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships - 4th Place (4k) * 1997 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship - First place (3000m) * 1996 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship - First place (3000m) * 1995 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship - First place (3000m) * 1995 NCAA Cross Country Championship - First place

Personal bests

1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilomet ...

- 4:07.68 min (1997) *

3000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000 m sho ...

- 8.40.97 min (2001) *

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a sta ...

- 15:05.51 min (2004) * 10,000 metres - 31:36.90 min (2004) *

Half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish, or shortcu ...

- 71:05 min (2006) *

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

- 2:28:39 min (2006)

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Kathy Living people 1973 births Athletes from Edinburgh Canadian female long-distance runners Scottish female long-distance runners British female long-distance runners Olympic athletes for Great Britain Olympic track and field athletes for Canada Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games athletes for Scotland Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games World Athletics Championships athletes for Great Britain University of Guelph alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Goodwill Games medalists in athletics Big Ten Athlete of the Year winners Competitors at the 2001 Goodwill Games Wisconsin Badgers women's track and field athletes Canadian Track and Field Championships winners NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners 20th-century Canadian sportswomen 21st-century Canadian sportswomen