Meet the 2023 SWM Athletes: Gina McNamara

Gina McNamara | Women’s Elite Mile

Social Media: Instagram | Twitter | Strava

Sponsor: GRC / New Balance Pacers
College: Michigan
Mile PR: 4:39.67

I’m the oldest of 3 siblings, all of whom went to the University of Michigan. My brother, Ryan, graduated in 2022, and my younger sister Clare is a senior on the track & field team there and set to graduate at the end of 2024.
My younger sister and I both represented Malta this summer at Small States Games of Europe and European Team Championships.
I’m originally from Michigan (and actually just moved back there…like literally, this past week), but have spent the past 5 years living and working in Washington, DC
I recently got back into racing on the track, but took a break from 2017 to 2022 (with the exception of a couple road races, DMRs, and pacing a few teammates). We’ve jokingly been calling this my “running renaissance” – I’ve set PRs in everything from the 800M to the 5K this past year, which is pretty cool.
When I’m not racing, I can be found at home with my partner, Elias – either playing cards (trying to teach him Euchre), bananagrams, or cheffing up recipes from Claire Saffitz’s Dessert Person — her brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe is incredible.

Do you have any superstitions/pre-race rituals? Shakeout ~4 hours before race time with some easy strides. I’m also a big fan of Honey Stinger waffles before race time. In high school, I’d watch “Without Limits” with my two best friends on the team (s/o to Emily and Alex) – maybe I’ll bring that tradition back.
What’s your favorite sport (or athlete) to watch, besides running? I don’t watch a ton of sports outside of running, but I’ve loved following what Serena Williams has done on and off the court with her tennis career, motherhood, and entrepreneurship.
What’s a show or movie you’ve seen lately that’s worth watching? The Bear – absolutely phenomenal show.
What’s a song or podcast that’s currently on your playlist? All things Hozier as of lately – His new album comes out August 18th and I can’t wait.
Do you have any connections to Raleigh or North Carolina? Surprisingly, no. We went a few times in college (shoutout to the Battle of the Blues track meet), but other than that, no connections.

Learn more about Gina at: VIS Experience | Run with the Pros