Kara Haas is a Running Master

Kara (Molloy) Haas, a dignified runner from Chelmsford, has been on the competitive running circuit for the past 22 years.  

She currently leads in the bracket for the Good Times Series in Lowell, and has the fastest 3000 meter and mile times of the season for masters women. Haas has run a 5:08 mile and a 10:00 3k this past winter.  On the track, Haas has also run a 17:31 for the 5,000. 

Unlike many athletes, Haas didn’t get her start to running until after high school.

“I didn’t start until college, I had played basketball in college, and realized I was a little bit too small, so I started running cross country. It was much more up my alley,” said Haas. “It was much more fulfilling and a lot more fun.”

Haas, a graduate from St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., was inducted to the Anselm Athletic Club Hall of Fame in 1998 for cross country. Currently, the 40-year-old runs for Adidas New England, a training club based in Andover, with Coach Fernando Braz.

Although she mainly focuses on the 5,000 meter run for cross country and road races, Haas has run seven marathons, including two in Boston.

“It’s magical, that’s the only way to describe it,” she said.  “It’s so much fun. Distance running doesn’t come as easily for me as the shorter stuff, so I had to put in a lot of miles (to train for the marathon). I put in about 100 miles a week, and did a lot of long runs.”

Haas said that she trains for six months to a year when she runs a marathon. The training is certainly worth it, as her fastest marathon time is 2:54:12, which averages out to 6:38 pace for 26.2 miles. 

Haas’s favorite race is the Millennium Mile, an annual downhill one mile race.

“It's in Londonderry, N.H. It drops 80 feet, and it’s a chance to run really fast for a mile; faster then you could on a track. That my favorite,” she said.

Haas was the second woman finisher this year, with an impressive time of 4:40. She also holds the all time woman’s masters record for the event, which began in 1999.

Haas is continuing to improve in all distances she races. She said that working with Braz has played a huge part in her success.

“I PR'd (ran a personal record) in the mile this year. All my PRs are post age 35. I think the main reason was doing something different as far as training,” she said. “I’ve been working with Fernando for seven years, originally with (the Merrimack Valley Striders), and Adidas for two years.”

The social aspect of running is a major reason that Haas has continued to stick with the sport. 

“I think its more the social aspect than anything else,” she said.  “It’s kind of like a bowling club for runners. It’s a nice social group and it’s a good way to keep in touch with the running community and stay in shape.”

Running is a sport anyone can afford, she said.

“It doesn’t cost a lot, and it’s a nice way to meet people. I love the camaraderie and friends I’ve made from running," she said.

What’s up in the coming months for Haas?

“I need to get a Boston qualifier in so I can run Boston again. I focused this year on the track in the mile and the 3000, so I think I’d like to get my mile and 3k down and get a qualifier in this year,” she said.