Meghan Laws

I was born in Southern California in 1961. At the age of five, my parents decided it was time to move our family to the relative safety of rural Oregon. I attended a small school, lived on a farm where I learned to ride horses, drive tractors and caterpillars, set chokers, use a chainsaw, buck hay, grow vegetables, raise chickens, pigs, cows, and collies. I was a tomboy, and have never lost that identity.

My sporting life began in Jr High with volleyball. In High School, title IX was implemented and now we had basketball, volleyball, and track for girls. I participated in them all, excelling in volleyball. I went on to play one year of college volleyball before dedicating myself to my studies more seriously.

After college, I married and had a daughter. Not being one to sit around and get out of shape, I took up running as the most efficient way to get exercise, so as to not take too much time away from my family. Over the next several years I increased my distances and started running 5ks, then 10ks, and then road marathons. Here I excelled, qualifying for and competing in the Olympic Marathon trials four times. I had whittled my time down to 2:45, when the ultra marathon bug took hold of me. I have been running ultras consistently since 2003. I gradually worked up to each distance, never over racing. I became very aware of my body mechanics and worked with a great physical therapist who has kept me injury free since 2008.

I believe that because I was so gradual in my build up and followed sound coaching advice, I have lasted all these years, and am still competitive in the open women’s races. I have placed in the top 10 women’s field at Western States 100 Mile endurance run 10 of the 11 times I’ve run it (2006-2017). I am also a member of Team USA for the 100k World Championships where I have scored for our team all eight times I have competed. I hold two age group world records in that event.

In May of 2017 I married Mark Laws, whom I had met after moving to Cool, California in 2013. We live in Cool with our 2 donkeys, 3 goats, and a cat named Max. My daughter lives in Portland, Oregon.

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