by Larry Eder
This is the second week of RunBlogRun’s Summer Mileage Program, day 5 and our focus is Katie Moon .
I have to admit, Katie Moon is one of my favorite athletes. When I see her at a presser, she is always full of positive energy and takes the time to speak with all of the media.
Katie Moon is the Olympic champion for 2021 and silver in 2024. Katie has won the gold at World Championships in 2022 in Eugene and in 2023 in Budapest. Her best are 4.94m indoors, or 16 feet, two inches. Her best outdoors? 4.95 meters, or 16 feet , 3 inches out doors. To say that Katie would like to hit five meters is an understatement.
Katie Moon is one of the most competitive athletes that I know, and it is here, dear cross country runners, where you can learn from this mighty pole vaulter. When Katie came back from Tokyo, she was exhausted, physically and mentally, she just could not find her regular self. Have you ever been there? Well, Katie Moon shared this with our RBR Europe senior writer, Stuart Weir. Katie Moon spoke to her team, focused on her technique and gave herself a break. She did not stop challenging herself, but she let herself know that it would get better. In Eugene in 2022, she was surprised a bit to win.
Last year, at the LA Grand Prix (2023), Katie no heighted. That happens to the best of vaulters. It was a little treacherous, and it shook Katie up. She came back strong and competed well throughout the season, she even took gold in Budapest, where she shared the World gold medal, an offer to Nina Kennedy, that transfixed the sports world.
Here is what Katie Moon told Stuart Weir, our senior writer in Europe, on how she battles the challenges of the pole vault. We can all learn from her experiences:
She explained, too, that being in a stronger place mentally this year, she is better able than sometimes previously to accept and move on: “In the past, it probably would have messed with my confidence, but I feel like I’m at a place now where I just know what I’m capable of, and the very next meet I won a Diamond League, so I chose to look at it as a fluke. This is a one-off. Yeah, it happens. Just something was weird, whatever that may be, it’s OK. I chose to not let that get to me. I look at it and kind of laugh and say, ‘OK, like we’re human, this happens. OK, on to the next meet’”.
I do not know if Katie Moon ever ran cross country. She is incredibly fit. I have to reveal, that while coaching at Foothill College, our fifth man on cross country (4.2 miles) was a sixteen foot pole vaulter. He went on to score 6250 in the decathlon too. So yes, cross country is good for budding pole vaulters and decathletes too!
The road to 2025 Cross country is just beginning
Time to build some mileage for fall cross country!
Today is July 18, 2025
Week One, Day Five, Summer Mileage.
Friday, warm-up, 50-60 minutes of easy running in a park, have some fun, cool-down.
Some thoughts on summer mileage program.
Have you considered cross country?
Cross Country is offered in over 16,500 high schools and many junior high schools. It normally goes from mid-August to November for most. To prepare for cross country, we at RunBlogRun encourage you and your 550,000 closest friends who like the 400m to 5,000m, consider cross country!
It is a great way to stay in shape and it builds your fitness so that you are ready for the challenges of cross country.
What motivated Steve Prefontaine in the summer between his sophomore and junior year?
Was it the knowledge that he had not done his very best in track and field? Perhaps, he had not taken his commitment as serious as he thought he should?
When you have not achieved what you expected, how do you respond? Are you being called to put in some more effort? Many of us have had those challenges, and Summer mileage is a great program to get one self focused.
Think about five things you can do better for fall cross country, write them on a post card, and tape it to a place in your room where you will see it at least once a day!
Remember to drink 8 glasses of water, 12 ounces each a day!
When Pre was in high school, after he failed to make his State track meet as a sophomore, he became obsessed with daily training. These were not just easy runs, they were bone-churning, gut-wrenching efforts focused to make him unbeatable. In his junior year of cross country, Pre saw that his summer of running made a huge difference.
Do you want to be a better cross country runner than you were in the past? Focus and follow our training. It is all about the consistency.
Other book suggestions include Self Made Olympian by Ron Daws, A Clean Pair of Heels by Murray Halberg, and Pre! by Tom Jordan.
The Nike Pegasus PLUS is a great entry shoe for high school cross country. You should consider it, and learn more about it at nike.com. It is light, cushioned, a good summer mileage shoe. If you need a little more cushioning, try the Vomero 18. The Vomero 18 has more cushioning that the Pegasus PLUS. If you like NIKE, I would suggest high schoolers use the NIKE Pegasus PLUS for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I would suggest the Vomero 18 for Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I always suggest two pairs of training shoes. Why on Vomero 18? It is a cushioned shoe that feels great and is good on the roads and trails.
