Sally McRae
Who is Sally McRae
I am a professional trail runner, wife, and mother of two, from Southern California. I grew up in Costa Mesa, and now live in the beautiful city of Huntington Beach.
I spend most of my racing season training with my crew in the San Gabriel Mountains and on the local South Orange County Trails.
I was born and raised in Southern California and grew up near the beach in the city of Costa Mesa.From an early age, my parents identified my natural competitive and passionate nature and signed me up for a race when I was seven years old.Although successful in local races, I chose to pursue soccer and gymnastics, joining the track and field team as a sprinter in high school only as a way to stay in shape. My success as a soccer player brought me to BIOLA University where I went on to be the Team Captain.
The Chance to Run
After college, I began running long distances as a way to see the surrounding sights and cities of the places I traveled to; and to maintain fitness while pursuing a career. I enjoyed the challenges that came with the marathon distance and qualified for Boston while running my second marathon. I went on to run a handful of marathons before discovering trail running in 2010.
I fell in love with the trail community, and the opportunities the races brought to explore the world around me. I also learned that my competitiveness and speed were good enough to make me a standout in the trail community; and in January 2014, I signed with Nike.
Loving what I do
In addition to training and racing, I am incredibly passionate about inspiring others around me to live their best life.I love coaching, writing and speaking to small and large groups whenever I get the chance.
The recently released film “Western Time” by Billy Yang Films documents bits of my life and my journey to Western States.
You can also hear me on the popular podcast Trail Runner Nation where I co-host with my good friends Don Freeman and Scott Warr.