Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Kreuzman.
Kim, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up as the middle child in a bustling household, I learned early how to navigate life from the in-between—caught in the crosscurrents of sibling dynamics and driven by a fierce need to prove myself.
I threw myself into everything. If there was a team, a club, or a cause, I joined it—usually leading it. From Girl Scouts to lacrosse, the Pet Lovers Club to student government, I was always in motion.
But in those packed days of activity and ambition, I didn’t identify it as this then, but burnout quietly became my constant. School, practice, meetings, late-night homework—rinse, repeat. “Busy” became my identity, and I wore it like armor. Through it all, though, a constant theme was emerging—running became center to it all. I quit playing softball because the coaching staff found me to be petite, agile and quick—a great pinch runners for pitchers and catchers—but not for a field position. In lacrosse—I played midfield—a position centered around running; and I quickly developed a love for practicing hard a cross country and track, and constantly wanted to improve.
I discovered running in high school, falling in love with its rhythm, structure, and emotional release. It was the one thing that didn’t ask for performance—it simply gave back. I joined the cross country and track teams and carried that passion into college, competing in meets across the country through NIRCA and joining the triathlon club.
But in her junior year, everything unraveled. Struggling with depression, she found herself skipping class, avoiding runs, binge eating, and shutting people out. I was on a rapid decline. No one could reach me. Until, one day, my graphic design professor saw me on campus, looked me in the eye, and said: I’ve been looking for you. I’m worried.”
That moment became a turning point. He walked her to the counseling office—and saved my life. He reminded me I wasn’t invisible. That someone really cared. That I was still worth saving.
After college, I began chasing distance—and purpose. Over time, I ran more than 20 marathons, qualified for Boston four times, and even completed a 50K. But that didn’t all happen overnight. It took four years of dedicated work; some people earn their docroate it that time—I worked to qualify for the Boston Marathon. This all stemmed from watching my sister run the boston marathon in 2018—The year temperatures approached freezing, winds howeled, and conditions were untolerable.
I’ll never forget standing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon—not as a runner, but as a spectator. My sister Nicole was racing her first Boston (she is yuonger and much faster than me), and as I caught sight of her approaching the line, I yelled with every ounce of belief I had left: GO NICOLE! Later, I whispered her own goal aloud.
I told her I wanted to run it someday. She looked at me and said: ‘Yes, you will. I’ll coach you.’”
That belief planted a seed. I worked for four years to reach the Boston starting line. I failed on three attempts—each taking 6 months to a year to work up to. I dropped 45 minutes from her marathon time. I learned to slow down—not just on the course, but in life. She learned to say no, prioritize, and heal. In 2021, we ran a race in Washington, and it was our day—we qualifed for Boston together. With her by my side.
And in, April 2022, Nicole and I crossed the Boston Marathon finish line side by side—achieving not just a race, but a radical reclamation of self.
Not long after, I was back to running marathons again, and on pace for my fastest marathon ever—until something felt off. I didn’t know it then, but I was pregnant. That race, unknowingly run three weeks pregnant, marked the start of a deeply personal journey. Over the course of my pregnancy, I ran two more marathons—one in each trimester.
I wasn’t chasing time anymore. I was chasing trust—in myself, in my body, and in my baby. It changed everything for me. I felt strength in a way I’d never known before. I couldn’t return to the same version of my life after that. I knew I wanted to help other runners in all season of life find their strong.
I stepped away from a successful career in higher education and made a leap: to make helping others reach their goals my mission and professional focus as a full-time running coach.
Today, I is the co-founder of HAM Running, a coaching business I started with my sister, Nicole. Our mission is to help athletes chase bold goals, rediscover joy in the process, and build training plans that fit real lives.
I bring both grit and grace to my coaching, drawing from evidence balanced knowledge paired with compassion from lived experience. I don’t coach from a pedestal. I coach from the start line, the finish line, and all the road bumps in between.
My work isn’t just about PRs and race plans. It’s about helping people believe they’re allowed to take up space—even if they don’t feel like they belong yet.
I now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband and daughter, Evelyn James. The move from Indianapolis wasn’t easy—leaving friends, family, and a beloved job—but it was a leap toward something better. I didn’t know how it would all unfold. But life has a way of working itself out.
Spoiler: it did. And the pace finally changed.
Motherhood softened her hustle. Coaching has given me purpose. And running? It still anchors me—this time not as an escape, but as a home. Something I love for myself in both alone time, but also in bringing my daughter along with me, showing her the world as we move forward in it.
Now, some of my most meaningful miles are the ones I run with my daughter in the stroller. It’s not about pace or splits—it’s about presence. She watches the world roll by, wind in her hair, pointing at dogs or planes overhead, sometimes dozing off to the rhythm of my strides.
These runs have become sacred. They’re my way of introducing her to movement—not just as exercise, but as a way of being. She’s learning that we move our bodies not to punish them, but to honor them. She’s seeing what it looks like to show up for yourself. To breathe fresh air. To do hard things. To take up space in the world with joy and purpose.
Sometimes the run is slow. Sometimes we stop. But the point isn’t perfection. It’s progress. Forward is a pace. And every time I push that stroller, I’m reminded that I’m not just chasing goals anymore—I’m showing her what it means to live fully, and to keep moving toward the life you want.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think I included that in the previous—sorry! I melded it all together!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At HAM Running, we’re not just about mile splits or training cycles—we’re about helping people rewrite their stories through movement. We offer personalized run coaching for all levels: whether you’re training for your first 5K, aiming to qualify for Boston, or simply rediscovering what it means to feel strong in your body again.
We specialize in creating sustainable, individualized training plans that are built around your life—not the other way around. Our coaching includes training schedules that fit your life, strength training, injury prevention, mindset support, and race day strategy, all rooted in evidence-based practices and years of real-life running experience.
What sets us apart is our holistic, heart-forward approach. We believe your why matters just as much as your pace. We know running isn’t one-size-fits-all—especially for busy professionals, parents, or those returning to sport after time away. We coach real people with real lives—and we celebrate every version of “forward.”
Brand-wise, we’re most proud of the community we’ve built: one where runners feel seen, supported, and empowered to dream big. We’re known for meeting athletes where they are—whether they’re stroller jogging between naps or crushing PRs on race day.
At HAM, our goal is to help runners find strength they didn’t know they had—and carry that confidence far beyond the finish line.
Whether you’re local to Charlotte or Phoenix (Nicole’s current city) or working with us remotely, we’d love to help you set goals that feel exciting (and maybe a little scary)—then walk, jog, or sprint beside you as you chase them.
How do you define success?
For me, success isn’t about checking off boxes or chasing titles—it’s about alignment. It’s living in a way that reflects my values, showing up fully in the roles that matter most to me: as a mom, a coach, a partner, a creative, a runner, a human.
Success is being present. It’s feeling peace in my pace, whether I’m running a marathon or reading books on the couch with my daughter. It’s helping other women reconnect with their strength, trust their bodies, and make space for themselves—especially in seasons when it feels hardest to do so.
Success is no longer about doing more. It’s about doing what matters. And doing it with heart.
Pricing:
- $145/month 1-on-1 coachinghttps://www.hamrunning.com/coaching
- $160/month premium 1-on-1 coaching https://www.hamrunning.com/coaching
- $200/month elite 1-on-1 coaching https://www.hamrunning.com/coaching
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hamrunning.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamrunning/ and https://www.instagram.com/kkreuzman/
