In some ways, Allison Macsas has exactly the resume you would expect from a competitor in this month’s Olympic Trials Marathon. She owns three school records at the University of Tampa, where she was a three-time NCAA DII All-American, three-time Sunshine State Conference Champion, and a two-time ESPN Academic All-American. Macsas moved up to longer distances post-graduation, and has won her hometown marathon twice. Oh, and this is her third Olympic Trials.
Yet in other ways, Macsas has taken an unconventional path to the start line in Atlanta. After spending a year working and traveling through Southeast Asia, she realized she was hooked on traveling. When Macsas and her now-husband Gabe Steger went on vacation in Morocco and connected with a local who served as their guide, she began to see how she could combine two things she loved: world travel and running. In 2012, the couple founded Rogue Expeditions, which takes people on run-centric trips around the world. As a guide, she logs miles in places like Patagonia and Nicaragua. And as you might imagine from a world traveler, she is no longer solely a road runner. In 2017, Macsas – along with Mallory Brooks – set what was then the Fastest Known Time on the Wonderland Trail, 93 miles around the base of Mount Rainier.
So who is this 2:39:42 marathoner who has journeyed to more than 30 countries? Luckily, she agreed to chat with us about her running career, her travels, and so much more!
