Brenda Martinez


Brenda Martinez is an American track and field athlete, specializing in middle distance races. Born in Upland, California. She won a silver medal in the 800 meters at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, 2013. She also represented the USA at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in the 1500 meters. On February 7, 2015 she set a world record in the Distance medley relay at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. In 2015, started Big Bear Track Club and recruited their first athlete Boris Berian. In 2016, Martinez qualified for the U.S. Olympic team competing in the 1500 meters after beating Amanda Eccleston by 0.03 seconds.
Martinez ran collegiately for University of California, Riverside, finishing second at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 1500 m. She attended Rancho Cucamonga High School, graduating in 2005. She is of Mexican American descent.
Her training is meticulously planned by veteran coach Joe Vigil assisted by Brenda's husband and former Concordia University runner Carlos Handler.

Giving back

Martinez had spoken regularly at high schools and running camps, so her coach Joe Vigil suggested she start her own running camp for young girls. Her first camp in 2013 consisted of five California middle school and high school girls. There is no official camp name but it can be referred to as the Big Bear Altitude Training Camp. 2017 marked the camp's fifth year.
The application process consists of an open prompt essay and campers have to live in Southern California. "Picking a stack, that’s the hardest part," Martinez said, referring to her application process. The campers are not necessarily their schools' fastest runners, but that's not the point. "I want to get them to believe they can do it even when times are getting tough," she said. "They see me as an example. I share my story with them, and they share their stories with me. It’s the reason they’re at camp. Storytelling brings us together."
Over the course of about three full days, the campers, coached by Martinez and a few of her friends, get to know one another over home-cooked meals, seminars, and runs. The group runs twice a day, but the focus isn’t on intense workouts. Evening seminars, led by Martinez and her physical therapist, range from injury prevention to positive thinking.

Competition record

National championships

Personal bests

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