Brenda Martinez
Event: Middle Distance
Height: 5-7
Weight: 115
PR: 800m - 1:59.14 (2012); 1500m - 4:06.96 (2012); 5,000m - 16:23.75 (2012)
Born: 09/08/1987
Current Residence: Big Bear Lake, Calif.
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
High School: Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) H.S. '06
College: California-Riverside '10
Coach: Joe Vigil
Agent: Ray Flynn
Sponsor: New Balance
Club:
USA Championships
2012 USA Indoor runner-up (4:15.11)
Collegiate Championships
2009 NCAA Outdoor 1,500m runner-up (4:13.97)
Awards and Honors
Three-time NCAA All-American
About Brenda
Martinez first started running with an after-school track club when she was five, and while she didn’t find success in her first race as a 100m sprinter, she kept going until she found her niche as a middle distance runner. Martinez set numerous school records throughout high school and college, but struggled with mixed results after graduating from UC-Riverside in 2010. After several moves, Martinez settled in Big Bear Lake, Calif., and started working with Coach Vigil, and the results paid off. She made her first international team in 2012, competing for Team USA at the IAAF World Indoor Championships and went on to set multiple PR’s from the 800 to the 5,000. Martinez was the first member of her family to attend college.
Results
2012: 1st at Fifth Avenue Mile (4:24.2); 4th at Rieti 800m (2:00.28); 4th at Bruselles 800m (1:59.14); 2nd at Zagreb 800m (1:59.63); 8th at Zurich 1500m (4:08.84); 1st at Falmouth Mile (4:26.76); 6th at Olympic Trials 800m (2:01.67), 12th in 1500m (4:17.41); 14th at Prefontaine Classic 1500m (4:17.06); 7th in heat of IAAF World Indoors 1500m (4:11.30); 2nd at USA Indoors 1500m (4:15.11); 3rd at USATF Classic 1500m (4:09.96); 1st at U.S. Open mile (4:34.62); 1st at New Balance Games (4:39.37)
2011: 9th at Fifth Avenue Mile (4:29.6); 2nd at Falmouth Mile (4:32.29); 10th at Lignano 800m (2:01.07); 10th at New Balance Games mile (4:45.12)
2010: 18th at Fifth Avenue Mile (4:45.36); 12th at NCAA Outdoors 1500m (4:25.60); 1st at Big West Outdoors 800m (2:06.31), 1500m (4:24.80)
2009: 9th at USA Outdoors 800m (2:09.44); 2nd at NCAA Outdoors 1500m
(4:13.97); 1st at Big West Outdoors 800m (2:07.01), 1500m (4:17.88)
2008: 6th in semifinal heat in Olympic Trials 800m (2:05.10); 14th at NCAA Outdoors 1500m (4:24.99); 1st at Big West Outdoors 800m (2:07.51), 1500m (4:17.09)
2007: 9th in heat of USA Outdoors 800m (2:10.77); 1st at Big West Outdoors 1500m (4:23.87)
USA/World Rankings and Personal Bests
2012: Indoor bests - 1500m, 4:09.96 (No. 4 in the USA, No. 29 in the world); Outdoor bests - 800m, 1:59.14 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 21 in the world, ranked No. 5 in the USA by T&FN); 1500m, 4:06.96 (No. 9 in the USA, ranked No. 10 in the USA by T&FN)
2011: Outdoor bests - 800m, 2:01.07; 1500m, 4:10.77
2010: Outdoor bests - 800m, 2:04.76; 1500m, 4:18.17
2009: Outdoor bests - 800m, 2:00.85; 1500m, 4:09.52 (ranked No. 7 in the USA by T&FN)
2008: Outdoor bests - 800m, 2:02.34; 1500m, 4:17.09
2007: Outdoor bests - 800m, 2:04.22; 1500m, 4:21.18