December 19, 2025
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"I'm not gonna bet against women trying to hit the Olympic Trials standard in the marathon."
My guest for today's episode is coach Dena Evans of the Peninsula Distance Club, one of the most experienced, influential, and quietly impactful leaders in American distance running. What happened at CIM just doesn't come out of nowhere. It was the product of more than 25 years of coaching spent moving between youth athletes, post-collegiates, pros, and learning how to build something that lasts.
Along the way, Coach Evans has worn just about every different hat that this sport has to offer. She was the women's head coach for Team USA at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, she’s served on nearly a dozen international team staffs over the past two decades, and she currently sits on the USATF Women's Long Distance Running Committee after years of leadership across track and across country. At the center of all of it is the Peninsula Distance Club, a post-collegiate team that she founded in 2007 – and that she still leads today.
It's a grassroots operation built on belief, patience, and also community, so if you're feeling generous, you can support them at the link here. Before PDC, Coach Evans was at Stanford from 1999 to 2005, where she led the Cardinal to a national cross country title and was named the NCAA Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2003. During that time, she coached many of the athletes that you've heard on this show or seen us cover.
In this conversation, we trace the long arc from that quiet moment at CIM to the very beginning where she was growing up in multiple sports, the influence of coaches like Vin Lananna and coach Frank Gagliano, and what she's learned by spending so much time with athletes in the often overlooked post-collegiate phase.
Coach Evans has seen the sport from nearly every angle. She's built her career patiently, deliberately, and with deep care.
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Host: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Dena Evans | @dizneena on Instagram
Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | @jasminefehr on Instagram
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Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and on Feb. 15th, 2025 finally broke five minutes for the mile.
