Runner Spotlight - January 2026

Heather grew up in North Muskegon running with her parents and three siblings. She met her husband, Ryan, while running cross country and track at Hope College. They lived in Iowa, DC, and the Netherlands before they moved back to N Muskegon in 2018 (with their two very spoiled dogs). Heather is a nurse at Trinity Hospital and when she isn’t running or biking, she and her husband love to travel. 
 


1. How long have you been running? I have been running for 37 years. The first race of my life was the Seaway Run, I ran it with my older sister and my parents when I was 5 years old. 
 
2. Do you race? If so, what is your most memorable race experience? Yes, I do race. My
most memorable race was the first full Ironman I completed in Arizona. It was the hardest and most rewarding race I have ever done. 
 
3. Ever run in a costume? If so, what? No, sadly I have never run in a costume but I do run with our two vizslas so I still look quite crazy. 
 
4. Only running shoes for me are... I’m actually not that devoted to a single type/brand of shoe. I’m currently running in both New Balance and KARHU. 
 
5. What is your worst running-related injury? Thankfully I’ve never been seriously injured while running, I have crashed my bike a few times and I have lost more toenails than I can count. 
 
6. Hot or cold weather runner? I used to say cold but after I turned 40, I would much rather run in 80 degree temps than 20 degrees. 
 
7. What is your motivation for running? I love being outside, I love seeing what my body can do and I love the way it makes me feel. Plus, it exercises our spastic dogs so that’s a major bonus as well. 
 
8. If I didn't run I.... would bike. I’ve really gotten into triathlon over the last five years and I absolutely love it. 
 
9. I can't run without... a good hair tie. 
 
10. What's the farthest you have run at one time? 55K, I really admire people who can run 50+ miles at a time, I just don’t think it’s for me. 
 
11. What brought you to Run Muskegon and why have you stayed? My husband, Ryan, knew Jack Mueller from work and he first invited us. We love the opportunity to meet new people and interact through exercise. We work a lot of Wednesday nights so we miss a lot of gatherings. But we try to make it to most Monday evening swims during the spring/summer/fall. It’s an amazing group of people! 

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