Coach Katy Murray joins the Bishop Brady cross country program with a lifelong passion for distance running and a deep commitment to the holistic development of student-athletes. She holds a Master’s degree in Exercise Science and brings a diverse coaching background, including middle school cross country at Northwood School, high school distance training at Lyndon Institute, and leading adult "learn to run" programs across multiple fitness centers. A standout runner herself, Coach Murray competed in cross country for both her high school and Lyndon State College, where she was named All-Conference, All-Region, and helped lead the first women’s team of any sport at the school to qualify for Nationals. Her endurance background includes three road marathons, an ultra trail marathon, and completing an Ironman 70.3. She is also an experienced race director, having organized events ranging from 5Ks to half marathons, triathlons, and multi-sport challenges. Coach Murray’s philosophy centers on developing the complete athlete—mind, body, and spirit. She believes that cross country teaches unmatched lessons in discipline, dedication, emotional toughness, and team camaraderie: “There’s nothing like slogging through miles together, pushing each other, and working toward a shared goal.” She emphasizes that effort always equals outcome in this sport—no positions, no timeouts, no shortcuts. Just the work. One of her proudest coaching moments came at Northwood, where she helped grow a girls team from just three runners on day one to eleven by season’s end, with several achieving personal records by the final meet—a testament to what’s possible when athletes simply show up and commit.