Resident Places Third in Half-Marathon

It all started in the seventh grade when her father asked her if she was interested in running her first 5K.

Ever since then, New Providence resident Kelly Cattano has been racing her way to the top.

“I really got into it because my dad had been doing marathons, but I didn’t competitively start running until freshman year of high school. I was really inspired by my dad,” said Cattano, a senior at Colgate University.

And now, Cattano placed third among women at The Great Hyannis Half-Marathon in Hyannis, Mass. last month, clocking in at one hour, 29 minutes and 42 seconds.

In high school, Cattano ran on the cross country, winter and spring track teams, earning All-State Honors. At Colgate, Cattano is an active volunteer and cross country runner, but never thought of competing in a half marathon while in college until her brother asked her to participate in one with him.

“I was still in college and taking final exams, and I wasn’t really thinking about the event… but it ended up being a really fun time. It was my first half marathon and it ended being a really good experience,” said Cattano, who actually ran the marathon alone because her brother was injured.

Cattano looks up to her father, Andy Cattano, who is an active runner until this day. She competed in 5Ks and 10Ks in the past, starting in middle school, but the half marathon was her biggest race to date.

After college, the 20-year-old hopes to run her first full marathon.

“I would like to run one. My dad runs a ton of them,” Cattano said. “My goal when I graduate is to run a marathon with my dad. It’s been on my to-do list.”

Along with running for the Colgate cross country team for the past three seasons, Cattano is a double major in English with an emphasis in creative writing and Spanish.

While her dream job is to become a journalist some day, Cattano is also interested in teaching English as a second language. This summer, she will be interning in the Summit school system as an "English as a Second Language" aide, and in Brewster, Mass. as a camp counselor for the Brewster Day Camp.

She is also an active participant in “Adopt a Grandparent,” a program at Colgate where students develop close relationships with the elderly at the nursing home on campus.

Cattano continues to compete in local races in the New Providence area and Cape Cod. She said her biggest motivation is her father, who knows the rewarding feeling that comes along with running.

“I’m really grateful for my dad being a runner,” she said. “He never really put a lot of pressure on me and running, and he was very supportive. He goes to all of my races.”