Mary Cain Shares Her Comeback Tale and Journey

By Jennifer L. Warren

BEACON – Mary Cain is filled with joy.

Whether it’s apparent in her wide smile, glistening green eyes, confidence and poise as she speaks, and yes, even running, Cain sparkles with a newfound sense of purpose, assurance and comfort that is contagious. On the Fourth of July, in a quaint outdoor setting: Beacon’s 2 Tioranda’s backyard to be exact, Cain brought her own special type of “fireworks,” engaging in a Running for Real podcast taping, led by host Tina Muir and available to the public. The event’s locale, which will serve as the home for the popular Boston-based running store, Tracksmith, for around the next month, has a direct link to Cain’s positively evolving tale.

Flashback to 2013. To say Cain is- and remains- a fast runner, is an understatement. She has set national high school records at virtually all middle distance running events. At just 17 years and three months of age, having had qualified for the Olympic Trials a year prior, she becomes the youngest American athlete to ever represent the United States at a World Championship meet. After high school graduation, she signs a professional running contract for Nike, Inc., under the guidance-expertise of one of the world’s leading coaches. She’s off to Portland, Oregon, a runner’s playground haven. For all intensive purposes, Cain is living “the dream.”

However, what lies behind the curtain, one too often driven by a fear “to create a certain type of life,” is a very different reality: Cain is being pushed beyond her limits, physically and mentally while enduring multiple layers of abuse. Enveloped by directives to lose weight and perform at all costs, she is injury-laden, emotionally drained. It’s now 2019, and unwilling to play the pressure-packed, compliant, expected role, Cain, just 23 years old, speaks out about the deep-seeded layers of systemic chauvinism; gender inequity; remiss, integral resources; and a host of other issues involving Nike as well as her coach. She cuts all ties with the powerful organization, navigating uncharted- and unsponsored- terrain, determined to carve out a new life.

The fruition of her diligent efforts to help redefine the sport she loves has just recently been unveiled. Welcome: The not-for-profit Atalantany, three teams (two all female) of New York City-based running groups. Focused on youth members, ages 12-20, the teams will be mentored by professional runners, including Cain.

“It’s so important to have more of a female presence, especially in a sport like track and field,” Cain told Muir during the podcast. “There is a real diversity problem in our sport, and something needs to be done about that as well; I always realize when I’m speaking, I’m a blonde, white woman, so I have a certain privilege and feel a responsibility to use that platform, while realizing not all the girls I will be working with will come from that same background, and I need to always be aware of and sensitive to that truth.”

Cain, who hopes to solve battles she can fight, also aspires to make balance a chief priority with Atalantany members. Not only does she want to get people from a wide range of backgrounds involved, while creating a safe, supportive environment, but to instill a healthy attitude toward the sport, “competitiveness with balance,” showing girls there are other paths than just giving it your absolute all one hundred percent of the time.

“I want it to be less outcome oriented and more about growth; I really do hope the way we perceive success to change, one with integrity and openness that we aren’t seeing,” a pensive Cain explains about one of her Atalantany integral objectives during the Podcast.

“The growth is what will lead to longevity in the sport; I really want to walk the walk and focus on education.”

And that’s where Cain’s connection to Tracksmith can be detected in many ways. Hired as a Community Manager by Tracksmith, Cain is also sponsored by the company, with whom she shares a similar running vision. Similar to Cain trying to diversify the sport, Tracksmith focuses on building a healthy, friendly, accessible community for all levels of runners. The partnership between them and Cain has benefitted both tremendously. Cain’s appearance at the Beacon pop-up setting was not a “one and done,” as she is expected to return a couple more times, directly interacting with people who show up at their daily, fun and varied running events as well as social ones.

Don’t be surprised if you see Cain joining in on one of those runs, as she currently has a new coach, is slowly- and very wisely- adding to her mileage base as well as introducing speedwork. Her inherent competitive fire remains alit as do her lofty running goals; they have simply been redirected, redefined, and smothered with sheer joy.

“We need to keep educating ourselves- learning and growing as a running community; it’s a beautiful thing,” said a smiling Cain. “The more empowered we are, the more we can deal with those challenging situations when they do come up.” Reflecting further, as she looks out to her attentive, nodding Tracksmith audience, the 25 year old Cain, who is embarking on a new, better chapter, added, “People can love the sport they are in and send that love back to the running community; we all have a role to play to make this sport better.”

Beacon’s Tracksmith pop-up store will be running (literally and figuratively) through mid August. To learn more about the many exciting happenings they have scheduled, including a return visit date (s) from Cain, log onto: Journal.tracksmith.com/beacon-outpost.