Jen Rhines

Our Team

Meet Jen

My dream of becoming an Olympian began in the summer of 1984 while watching the Los Angeles Olympics with my Dad. A few years later I went out for the junior high track and ran the 100m, but after finishing well back I quickly realized I was a distance runner! Once in high school and with a little training under my belt I made solid progress and won the NY State 1500m in my junior and senior years. These performances caught the eye of some top college coaches and I ended up with a full athletic scholarship to attend Villanova University. I had a rough start my freshman year but went on to win 5 NCAA titles and was part of 3 NCAA Championship Cross Country teams. My collegiate success set me up to run professionally, and I have been an adidas athlete for 20 years now!

After years of hard work (and lots of learning curves along the way!) my dream came true when I made the 2000 US Olympic Team in the 10,000m. I went on to qualify at 2 other Olympic Games (Athens 2004 & Beijing 2008) and have competed at a different event on each of my 3 teams. Moving up and down in distance has kept training exciting for me over my lengthy career. Contrary to what’s considered to be “normal”, I ran all of my personal bests between the ages of 33 and 36. While aging is a reality for all of us I truly believe that with proper training and nutrition there’s no reason to put limits on yourself!

Since turning 40 I’ve set 2 US Masters records and was even able to make a US World Cross Country Team in 2015. I attribute this success not only to my good fortune with injuries and good genes, but also to the attention that I have paid to the details throughout my career. My interest and self education in nutrition has played a huge role in my success as an older athlete. In 2017 I became a certified Primal Health Coach and I continually educate myself in the ever changing world of nutrition.

In 2018 my husband, Terrence Mahon, and I co-founded the Golden Coast Track Club, a rebranding of our former team, the Mission AC. As Wellness Coach at GCTC my philosophy is that your overall fitness is the sum of your physical activity, nutrition and mindset. I’m excited to use my knowledge and experience to help others lead happy and healthy lifestyles