Forever A Tinman ⚒️

In 2022, fresh off a standout collegiate career at Augustana University—where he was a 2x NCAA DII Runner-Up Finisher in the Mile/1500 and a 6x All-American—Austin made the move to Boulder to chase his dream of becoming a professional runner. A natural fit for Tinman Elite, he embodied the team’s mission to push the sport forward and the mindset of betting on yourself. While the next three years brought more adversity than he ever anticipated, Austin never wavered in embracing the journey and believing in himself. But after a prolonged battle with serious injuries, he ultimately had to make the difficult decision to step away from professional running.

In today’s interview, Austin opens up about what led to his decision and reflects on his journey, the memories he made, and the lessons he’ll carry from his time with Tinman Elite. Austin’s story is a powerful reminder that success isn’t always measured by finish lines or accolades, but by the resilience, self-belief, and growth that come from daring to bet on yourself.

Hi Austin - how is life? Anything exciting going on lately?

Hey! I’m doing well. I’ve been working on my golf swing a bit, so that’s been exciting. But other than that, not a whole lot. Just working the 9-5, living the dream.

A couple of months ago, you announced that your chapter as a professional runner with Tinman Elite has come to an end. First off, congrats on all you have accomplished throughout your entire collegiate and professional career! Second, can you talk more about that decision to move on to something different? How difficult of a decision was it?

Thank you! Yeah, I can definitely talk a bit more about this situation and all the repercussions of walking away from the sport.

If you’ve been following my running, you probably know there were a lot more downs than ups while I was on Tinman. Other than my first indoor season, I was almost always dealing with some kind of injury, which was frustrating because I had been more or less healthy for like 8 straight years before joining the team, haha. In my first and second years on the team, I developed and dealt with Osteitis Pubis, a stress reaction in my pelvis, which was extremely difficult. I had never dealt with an injury that serious, so that was a new process for me. As an unsupported runner, I had to do a lot of that on my own; that meant flying to see Physical Therapists, getting scans and paying a ton of money out of pocket, getting massage and other work done as much as I could handle, and paying someone to walk me through a treatment protocol – the whole 9 yards. That time being injured and not at my best also challenged me mentally more than ever before. I started to question why I was doing the sport. But I ultimately decided to keep going because I knew that if I got rid of the OP, I could run up to my potential, which was the whole point of turning pro in the first place.

Coming into the 2025 season, I was actually healthy. I had solved the OP problem and my pelvis didn’t hurt anymore. I was feeling more and more like myself during the fall, even though it was taking me a while to get my bearings again. I was stacking a ton of great volume, doing better double threshold sessions than I ever had, and feeling confident in my speed and strength again. But as I’ve come to discover these last few years, this sport can be gruesome. I started having some weird achilles pain in October but felt I had to work through it as I prepped for indoor. Unfortunately, it just kept getting worse, and there were days when I could barely walk without pain. I had a number of indoor races planned but couldn’t commit to any of them. But weirdly, I had a couple of weeks where the pain kind of went away, so I decided to try to do an 800m at CU. I had run out of options and felt like I had to at least try. After having a bad time in the race, I decided to get it checked out to see if there was anything I could do to at least make the pain go away so I could make use of the gigantic block of training I had put together.

It ended up being Haglund's Syndrome (basically a bone spur that rips the achilles tendon apart), which is often a significant setback. I’d need surgery to be pain-free, so I decided to end my season early… for the third straight year!! Doing that at this stage in my career basically meant I’d have to leave Tinman. I had also just been told that the team was transitioning to a marathon team and that I'd have to leave anyway, so that made my decision a bit easier. But it was still really hard for me to process what was happening. I was obviously pissed that I had to deal with another injury, but I was more upset that I had so many stones left unturned.

The thing about us runners is that we always think we can do better at something – It’s a blessing and a curse. I wanted to qualify and compete at USA champs/Olympic Trials. I wanted to run a fast 1500 and mile. I wanted to go to Europe and race in the summer. I didn’t get to do any of those things, and that hurts. But eventually, I came to terms with things and found some peace. I gave up a lot of other things in my life to come out to Boulder and join this team. I am really proud that I at least tried to reach those goals, even though I didn’t meet my expectations. The lesson here is at least giving yourself the opportunity to fail, because that in itself is something to be proud of.

What is one (or two) of your favorite memories from the past 3 years with Tinman?

That’s tough. I have so many great memories out here. Getting to live like a sponsored athlete and be on a pro team was something that not many athletes get the chance to experience. I think my best memories are just the training sessions with my own team and then the memories of all the people I got to meet. You can name almost any pro runner, and chances are I’ve probably run alongside them or shared some miles with them at some point in these last 3 years. That’s pretty cool, and not something I ever took for granted. The actual training and being a part of the team gave me lifelong memories and friends. The training and stakes were just so much higher compared to being on a college or high school team, so it made for a lot of intense days, but that’s the kind of stuff I live for, and I’m really happy I got to experience that.

What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned from running professionally?

• Take a chance on yourself when you can.

• Surround yourself with people who do things better than you.

• Work hard and you’ll be rewarded.

I didn’t achieve my goals but I took the chance and got to experience some great things. I got better at running when I was out here, and I credit that to being around high-performing people every day. And although I didn’t exactly reap the rewards I thought I would, I still achieved way more than I thought I would at the beginning of this running journey, and that’s because I worked really hard.

How do you see running fitting in with the next chapter of your life?

The cool thing about running is that you can do it until you’re an ancient bag of bones! I fully plan on getting healthy, getting surgery on my bum achilles, and giving running another go. Could be training for a mile or a 5k, or maybe I’ll go to the roads and give the half-marathon and marathon a go. All I know is that I want to keep training for hard things, and running is the hardest thing of all. The other cool thing about running is that you can work a job and still be really good. As long as you’re committed and get the training in, there’s nothing stopping you from success. Example: Val Constein was working 40 hours a week when she won the Olympic Trials and became an Olympic Finalist. She would routinely be finishing her sessions at Niwot as our team would be arriving to start our session. Soooo if you think you can do it, you probably can.

What would you say to any runners out there looking to chase their dreams at the next level, but might be nervous to bet on themselves and take the leap?

If you have any kind of opportunity to chase the dream after college… just do it. It’s so fun. You learn a lot about yourself. You’ll likely run faster than you ever thought possible. The positives far outweigh the negatives. You have a billion more years to contribute to your 401k. Although you might lose out on some compound interest and earning potential, it really isn’t a big deal to spend a few years having fun. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a goober and takes things too seriously.

Let’s do some rapid-fire questions about your pro years to wrap things up!

• Hardest workout?

Workouts on Tinman weren't typically designed to be that hard compared to some pro groups, though there were definitely some hard reps scattered throughout but nothing crazy enough to remember.

• Most memorable race?

Penn Relays Mile was a sweet experience. Sit and kick race that came down to Beamish absolutely lighting us all up in the last 300m.

• Favorite place you traveled?

New York was a memorable trip. Central Park running, The Armory, the whole vibe of the city, and all the things you can do there make it special.

• Best run spot in Boulder?

Teller Farms is slept on. Coal Creek/Rock Creek is the best trail in the area, though.

• Favorite TME merch drop?

I liked the Bet on Yourself stuff. The graphic for that was fun and different for us.

• Funniest teammate?

Alright, I'm going to give you my top 3 IN ORDER!

1. Jamaine

2. Drew

3. Katie

HAX Athlete Spotlight 🔦 Jeffrey Gardener’s Story

Jeffrey discovered running during the COVID pandemic and, like many, quickly fell in love with the sport. He trained on his own for a while, but faced recurring injuries that made it difficult to stay consistent. Seeking a smarter, more sustainable approach, he decided to work with a coach—someone who could help him navigate the balance between pushing hard and dialing back, a challenge familiar to runners of all levels.

After a year of working with Coach Anthony, Jeffrey has set personal bests at every distance he’s raced. More importantly, he’s been able to train consistently and stay injury-free.

At Hammer & Axe, our coaches prioritize your health, longevity, and love for the sport above all else. We’re here to help you reach your goals through smart, individualized training. If you’re ready to take the next step, reach out today to connect with a coach one-on-one.

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