For Neely Spence, 17, from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, running is a family affair. Her father, Steve Spence, was a 1992 Olympian marathoner and now serves as the cross country and track and field coach for Shippensburg University. Her mother, Kirsten, a certified teacher, boasts a 17:00 5K road PR, and her 14-year-old sisters, twins Reynah and Margeaux, are already running sub-7:00 miles in 5Ks that they compete in for “fun.”

Spence is a home-schooled high-school senior who has been able to run for Shippensburg High School for the past two years. She won the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Cross Country Championships last year and this year. She finished eighth at the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships last year and hopes to finish in the top five on Saturday, December 8.

For the past two years, Spence has reaped benefits from training under her high school coach Randy Holtry during the dual-meet season and training under her father’s direction during the post-season. She also feels that horseback riding has greatly benefited her as a runner.