PattiSue Plumer (part 1)
PattiSue Plumer, now the women's cross country and distance coach at the University of Texas, was a professional distance runner in the late 80s and early 90s. PattiSue was a two-time NCAA champion and nine-time All American at Stanford. She went on to win four U.S. national titles and make two Olympic teams, placing 13th in the 3K at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and fifth in the 3K and 10th in the 1500 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She was also the first American woman to break 15 minutes in the 5k, setting the national record of 14:59 in 1989. PattiSue had so many stories to share that we are splitting this episode into multiple parts—stay tuned for part 2 with the full article!
Note about the author: Johanna Gretschel is a freelance writer, editor and broadcaster in Austin, Texas. She is a regular contributor to Outside, Runner’s World, SELF, Women’s Running, ESPN and more.
