The fastest overall female American miler (4:27) last year, Erin Donohue, a 2005 University of North Carolina graduate, was also the fastest high school miler in the country (4:42) in 2001. An extremely versatile athlete in the middle distances, Donohue, also a national-class javelin thrower both as a prep at Haddonfield (NJ.) High School and as a collegian, now trains under the tutelage of John Cook of Nike.

After placing sixth in the 800 meters at the 2006 USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Donohue returned her focus to the mile and 1500 meters last summer and enjoyed a fantastic campaign in Europe, notching personal bests in the 800 (2:01.12), 1000 (2:39.50), 1500 (4:05.55), and mile (4:27.35) within an eight-week span. The 24-year-old will run the 3000 meters at the AT&T USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships at Boston’s Reggie Lewis Center this weekend.

New York Road Runners conducted this interview onsite in Sarasota, FL, where Donohue and others have been preparing for indoor nationals since February 10.