2024 Athletics NSW Recreational/Running Coach of the Year: Katie St Lawrence

11 May 2024

2024 Athletics NSW Recreational/Running Coach of the Year: Katie St Lawrence

At the recent Athletics NSW Award Run Crew’s Katie St Lawrence was named Recreational/Running Coach of the Year. She is a terrific ambassador for this profession, as we found out when chatting to one of her athletes.

Coaches are a group in our sport which spend the most time with our athletes and therefore have a significant impact in their lives.

In the winter of 2023, the Run Crew club experienced extraordinary success, dominating the Athletics NSW women’s winter program. In the Winter Trophy competition, the club filled the top-5 positions and placed 10 athletes in the top-22. Katie St Lawrence was one of these athletes, but she also coached a few in this group. But she impacted them all as the organiser of the club’s popular training camps and running retreats.

Katie St Lawrance comes from a long line of coaches, her Mum and Dad were both high school coaches back in North Dakota, and her uncle Jim was her first college coach at University of Jamestown where he's still the head XC and Track Coach.

She has been coaching with Run Crew now for five years and coaches around 20 athletes, ranging from recreational all the way through to Bronte Oates who made an Australian team this year and Helena Eastham who features regularly in Athletics NSW races.

Katie, who coaches both online and at the club’s group sessions, has a wealth of experience from her own running through high school, college (where she was all American with Oregon and won the NCAA Teams XC title), into adulthood and through pregnancy, being a new mum etc. Katie is a knowledgeable, thoughtful and empathetic coach who cares for her athletes far beyond just their running.

Kerri Boyes explained how she started her journey with coach Katie.

“My involvement with Run Crew began in 2018, as a parent taking my two children to training sessions and races. At the time, I was running on my own and had suffered some injuries. After seeing the inclusive environment Run Crew provided, I decided to reach out to Katie with the hope of building my fitness and speed in a safe and sustainable way,” explained Kerri.

Six years on Kerri’s is appreciate of Katie’s assistance.

“I have been fortunate to have had Katie’s support throughout my running journey. Her gentle nudges and words of encouragement have helped me to develop the confidence I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone at both training and events to achieve my goals. Katie has been great at providing emotional support during the times when the process doesn’t quite go to plan.”

Katie also comprehends the big picture for her athletes.

“She understands the demands that sometimes arise due to work and family commitments and always modifies my program accordingly. No question is ever too much for Katie to provide a supportive and educated response. She is great to bounce ideas off and keeps me accountable. I love that Katie has aligned my training program with my daughter’s program, allowing us to share sessions and have quality chats and laughs along the way.

“I am thankful to Katie for helping me become the runner I am today and feel so lucky to have found her.”

Thank you Katie for the positive impact you are having with Kerri on so many athletes in our sport.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: Katie St Lawrence with award and Kerri Boyes