Ann Alyanak

Year Inducted: 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ann is one of the elite USA runners of her generation. She continues to improve on her already
impressive record.

Ann started excelling in high school when she won the Ohio state championship in the 800 meter,
1600 meter and high jump events.

At Purdue University she continued to be a standout performer. She was selected MVP of the cross
country team all four years and won All-Region honors in 1999-2000. In track at Purdue, she was an
NCAA qualifier in the 10,000 meters after winning the Big Ten Championship as a senior. She also set
the school record in the 5,000 meters and placed second at the Big Ten Championship. She was the
2001 Big Ten Conference cross country champion. Ann graduated from Purdue with a degree in
exercise science.

Ann came to the Dayton area following college and instantly made her presence known. She won the
Dayton River Corridor Classic in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

She ran her marathon debut in Columbus in 2002, finishing fifth in 2:52:04. She ran her second
marathon three years later finishing 18th at the 2005 USA Women's Marathon Championship with a
time of 2:48:04.

In 2006, she continued to improve with personal bests in the 5 km (16:34), 10 km on road (34:19) and
10,000m on the track (33:35.64). She placed fourth at the USA Half Marathon Championships in
1:15:30. Ann also finished 41st (2nd American) at the World Road Running 20K Championships in
Hungary.

Another PR came when she ran a 1:14:24 finishing ninth in Houston at the 2007 USA Half Marathon
Championships. She raced in the 2007 Boston Marathon and finished ninth (2:38:55) in the women's
division and was the second best American woman in the race. She was ranked #3 in the USA by
Track & Field News in the marathon.

Ann made the USA team for the 2007 World Outdoor Championships and placed 31st at World
Outdoors in the Marathon (2:42:23)

Coaching career

Alyanak was named head coach of the University of Dayton women's cross country program
(2004-2010) She also served as an assistant track and field coach, working primarily with the
distance runners. She became the first full time distance coach at UD in the schoolʼs history.