10 runners to follow on Instagram for International Women’s Day

It’s International Women’s Day, a day set aside to celebrate the achievements of women and acknowledge some of the challenges they face. Some of the most inspiring women in my life are runners because they are dedicated, disciplined and racing teaches them how to overcome any challenge they face.  My Instagram feed includes a mixture of incredible, accomplished women I know with some of my running heroes.

In honour of the incredible women who are challenging the rules, pushing their limits and demonstrating excellence, here is my list of the top-10 female runners you should be following on Instagram for International Women’s Day 2018.

Rachel Hannah

Rachel is not just an incredible runner but is focused on a positive outlook which is a refreshing addition to my social media feed. She is also a registered dietitian and is focused on a healthy lifestyle.

Ellie Greenwood

I discovered Ellie when I toed the line to my first ultra in 2010 at Run for the Toad. She finished hours ahead of me, of course and I have been idolizing her ever since. Not only is she totally and completely authentic, she also is a very smart and accomplished coach and shares her wisdom.

Colleen Quigley

Colleen is an Olympian and an aspiring nutritionist. Her feed is a great mixture of life, nutrition and her training with dashes of wit, humour and smarts.

Genevieve LaCase

I really can’t tell you when I discovered Genevieve but from the moment I did, I consumed every bit of media on her, from news articles to podcasts and her Instagram stories are often one of the first in line to be played. She is funny, talented and an absolute powerhouse in the steeplechase. I am always inspired by her.

Sally McRae

There is the world of curated runners with perfect poses on social media and then there is Sally McRae. An incredibly talented and authentically real runner, she says it as it is and can run a mountain like nobody’s business. If you are not following her, you must.

Kara Goucher

I’m not sure if it’s because she was a running all-star when I started running or if it is because I had the pleasure of meeting her at Transrockies 120 miler in 2015 and she was an absolute delight in person, but I couldn’t imagine not having Kara on this list. She has had a successful running career as a 2x Olympian and is dedicated to building the female running community with her retreats.

Stephanie Rothstein Bruce

Her workouts totally inspire me (20 x 1K at 3:20 per kilometre, anyone?) and she has made social media waves in her message on body acceptance and the celebration of being a mother. I love her grit, focus and dedication to her sport.

Allie Kieffer

A strong body image advocate, Allie placed fifth in the New York City Marathon 2017 in 2:29:39 and uses her channel to inspire women to be strong, fierce and goal focused. An incredible role model and someone you will want to see when you are scrolling.

Lucy Bartholomew

This girl absolutely radiates light and positivity and her photos show beautiful trail running from around the world. She combines her passion for running and cooking plant based meals to create an Instagram feed that makes you happy just looking at it.

Amelia Boone

Amelia lit up the world of OCR before moving into ultra running. Not only is she tough as nails and full of joie de vivre, but also is an attorney in addition to all of her athletic pursuits, proving that there probably isn’t anything she can’t do.

When I am not scrolling through the channels of these incredible women, you can find me on all social channels as @lacesandlattes and on my personal blog.