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Mackenzie Lowe

If we could describe Mackenzie in three words, they would be: hardworking, humble and incredibly accomplished. When we first met Mackenzie through Awaken Performance Rehab, a Buffalo-based physical therapy and performance clinic, we spoke about our shared love for Buffalo, NY and our shared love for running. It wasn’t until later that we discovered we had been talking to an elite athlete and fierce competitor with an awe-inspiring racing history. As someone who never boasts about her own achievements, we are thrilled to feature Mackenzie in our Superhero Spotlight and share her remarkable journey.

Originally from East Aurora, NY, Mackenzie grew up watching her parents run marathons all over the country. Their dedication and love for the sport inspired her to start her own running journey. Mackenzie began her running career in the 7th grade when her mom suggested she try out for the cross country team. After finishing her first race where she proudly did not stop once, she became hooked. She joined the track team the following year and continued to excel in both cross-country and track throughout high school and college, accumulating numerous accolades along the way.

While running for Daemen University under coach Paul Lagno, her career included 25 career cross country meets where she achieved 19 top-10 finishes and set program records for the 5K (17:44.31) and 6K (21:42.46) - benchmarks that still stand today. She also earned 12 all-conference and 7 all-region honors. A 5-time team MVP and an unprecedented 3-time recipient of Daemen's Female Athlete of the Year award, she also led the women's cross country team to the 2013 USCAA national championship. In addition, she earned NCAA DII All American (2nd team). Daemen recognized Mackenzie’s amazing running career by inducting her into the Daemen University Hall of Fame in 2023. 

After college, her coach recognized her potential and helped her transition from collegiate running to elite running. Since then, Mackenzie’s post-collegiate bests include winning the 2018 Buffalo Half Marathon, earning 22nd overall female at the 2018 Boilermaker 15K (Utica, NY), 6th overall female at the 2018 Richmond Half Marathon​, 3rd overall female at the 2021 United Community Bank Reedy River Run 10K, 16th overall female at the 2021 Philadelphia Marathon, ​2nd overall female at the 2022 United Community Bank Reedy River Run, 2nd overall female at the 2022 Magic City Half Marathon, and 2nd overall female at the 2024 Buffalo Half Marathon - just to name a few!

Mackenzie’s success in this sport is a testament to her relentless dedication and meticulous preparation. She diligently warms up before and cools down after each race, regularly strength trains, fuels her body well, and continues to refine her stride for maximum efficiency and injury prevention.

Beyond her personal achievements, Mackenzie shares her love for the sport by coaching a local high school team in Buffalo, NY. As a USATF-certified coach, she shares running strategies and inspires young athletes to be the best runners they can be. Encouraging and patient, her favorite part of coaching is watching her athletes grow. She helps them set and achieve running goals, emphasizing patience, trust in the process, and consistency - improvement doesn’t happen overnight but, instead, over time with consistency and perseverance. 

With an illustrious 17-year running career, we asked Mackenzie what she loves most about running. For her, it's the feeling of accomplishment after setting a goal, working towards it, and ultimately achieving that goal. Looking to the future, Mackenzie aims to qualify for the Olympic Trials for the marathon. Keep an eye out for Mackenzie – she’s just getting started!

Meet Mackenzie

Meet Mackenzie

Q&A

How did you get started running?

I grew up traveling with my family to watch my parents run marathons, so that’s how I was first introduced to running. I tried multiple sports growing up, but according to my mom I was never very competitive in them (anytime I got good or it got too serious I would usually quit because I was mostly interested in having fun). When I was in middle school and modified sport sign-ups started, my mom suggested I try running cross country, so I joined the modified team in 7th grade. The summer before my first cross country season, I tried to run with my mom a few times and I found it super challenging. When cross country started, I had so much fun being on a team and it made running seem really enjoyable. The races were 1.5 miles long and I still remember after my first race, I ran up to my mom and said, “guess what?! I didn’t even stop!!” After that first cross country season, I was hooked.

What is your favorite part about racing? Is it the training? Is it the race day?

That’s a really good question. Although I’m always training for races long-term, I try not to be too outcome-focused, and instead try to focus on enjoying the process of training. I love setting running goals for myself and then chasing after them. Of course I don’t feel motivated all the time and training isn’t always glamorous or fun, but if I’m not actually enjoying the training then why would I run in the first place? Races are awesome because they let you celebrate and show off the work that you’ve put into training, and I love the sense of accomplishment after!

What keeps you motivated for your runs?

I love the challenge running provides and I’m always trying to improve myself and pursue personal excellence! I love setting running goals for myself, so that’s a huge motivation for me. My faith in God really motivates me as well, because I feel like I’ve been given a gift to help me bring Him glory through my running by inspiring and encouraging others. 

If you could give one piece of advice to help people who are looking to get into running get started, what would it be?

I would say, START SLOW! So many people that try to get into running and end up quitting is due to the fact that they do too much too soon because they don’t really know how to train. Anyone can be a runner, but it takes a lot of patience and consistency to get to the point of sometimes even just enjoying it. So I would recommend starting with short walk-runs and slowly progressing as you get stronger and more comfortable running.

What is your favorite running event that you have done and why?

My favorite running event that I’ve done is the Philadelphia Marathon. Being in mid-November, the race had the perfect marathon weather, and I love a big city race that doesn’t feel quite as overwhelming as some of the majors. From my own personal experience, I had the opportunity to run in the elite field for that race, so I was provided with special perks like having my own personal bottles out on the course waiting for me every few miles, which was really cool and helpful for my performance! I also had a lot of family and friends that came out to support me, and they even rented bikes so they could be at multiple points to cheer around the city, which meant so much to me having a support crew there! I was so grateful to have all the support, and it was such a spectator-friendly course, so there were pretty much people around almost constantly to cheer.

If you could run anywhere in the world and leave today, where would you choose to go and why?

If I could run anywhere in the world right now, I would probably choose Hawaii, because I think it would be a beautiful running experience surrounded by mountains and the coast. I’m obsessed with both the beach and the mountains, so this would give me both, and I’ve always wanted to vacation in Hawaii too!