Alvina Begay

Alvina Begay was born to run.

Raised on the Navajo Reservation in Ganado, Arizona, long distance running is in her blood. At an elevation of 6,000+ feet, Alvina grew up running on the almost endless, dusty dirt roads and trails of her hometown. Inspired by her father, also a long distance runner, her mother and the wide-open Northeastern Arizona sky, Alvina achieved the honor of being an Academic as well as Athletic All-American. Her love of and gift for running spilled into her college career at both Adams State College and Arizona State, where her talent and passion lit up the track.

And she’s not just fast, she’s smart. Alvina is working on completing her master’s degree in Health Administration in Flagstaff, Arizona where she lives and trains with the Team USA Arizona running group–focusing primarily on her marathon time. She champions Wings of America, a running camp for Native American youth. Her message to young people is undiluted and sincere. She believes that no matter who you are and where you come from, anything is possible as long as you dream big and work hard.

Her training philosophy is clear and concise. She believes in keeping it simple. React. Run. Have fun and let the training fall into place. Both on and off the track, Alvina is proud of her Native American heritage. But what she really appreciates about running: it doesn’t matter where you come from or the color of your skin. Everyone at that starting line just wants to run fast and win. And that’s exactly what she does.