Just 27 years old upon her induction, Soldotna’s Allie Ostrander has spent more than half her life rooted in Alaska’s sports consciousness.
She was only 12 when she burst onto the scene in 2009 by dominating the girls’ junior race at Seward’s Mount Marathon. Her victory was the first of six straight, with her junior finale in 2014 so commanding she also beat all the boys in the mixed race.
At Kenai Central High, Ostrander seized three state cross-country running championships and four individual track titles, winning the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters in record-setting times as a junior and senior.
She also played four years of high school basketball, competed in Nordic skiing in middle school, and dabbled in hurdling on the track. That variety sharpened the athleticism that served her racing on steep, technical mountain trails and negotiating barriers on the track.
Ostrander in 2015 finished second in her senior debut on Mount Marathon, and it took a world- class athlete, Sweden’s Emelie Forsberg, to beat her. That year, Ostrander won the women’s junior title for under-20 athletes at the World Mountain Running Championships. And she won Mount Marathon in 2017.
She became the most decorated athlete in Boise State University history with 13 All-America awards. Her career included an unprecedented three straight NCAA steeplechase championships and a national cross country runner-up finish. She was also a 4.0 student.
Ostrander qualified for track’s World Championships in steeplechase in 2019 and placed 30th at the World Cross Country Championships in 2024.
As a pro runner, Ostrander has been transparent about her battles with an eating disorder and body image, addressing her difficult experiences on her popular social media channels and advocating for mental health awareness.
— Doyle Woody
