Coach Mike Spence
Utahn Since 2003
Executive Director of Athletics United
I moved to Utah after college to train with the legendary track and field coach, Chick Hislop, at Weber State University, hoping to earn a spot on the U.S. national team. In 2007, I accomplished one of my primary goals and had the opportunity to captain Team USA at the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya. A few years later, I switched from athlete to coach and moved from Ogden to Logan to begin coaching at Utah State University. In 2016 my second son was born, and I left coaching in order to spend more time with my family and be home with my boys.
I’ve been a full-time dad since then, but in 2017, my wife and I learned about the Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection, and the work they were doing to help new American families find housing, get driver licenses, and accomplish the numerous other essential tasks of adapting to life in a new country. Our community, it turned out, was much more diverse than we realized, and we thought that we might be able to use running as a sort of “ice-breaker” to bring people together and create a space to get to know each other. A large part of our refugee population, particularly here in Logan, is from East Africa: Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Those countries have a rich running history, and they’ve won a large share of the Olympic distance running medals over the past 20 years.
CRIC helped introduce us to the refugee community, and the running club was an instant hit. We’ve consistently had 30-50 kids involved each week along with dozens of volunteers from Utah State University and the broader community. The majority of our participants come from new American families, but we also have children whose families have lived in Cache Valley for generations.
Since 2017, we’ve expanded our offerings to include soccer and tutoring nights. We host two club track meets and participate in two local 5k races each year. Athletics United is a free club, and it’s open to everyone to participate. People from all different backgrounds come together each week to build community and that’s the most important part. We all feel connected.
Mike’s Top Places, Spaces, & Things that Help Make Utah Home:
- Tony Grove Lake in Logan Canyon
- We’ve taken our boys there every year for their birthdays and Athletics United adopted the trail around the lake in 2022. Now we take new American families that we work with three times a year.
- We’ve taken our boys there every year for their birthdays and Athletics United adopted the trail around the lake in 2022. Now we take new American families that we work with three times a year.
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Especially when there are apples on the trees and fresh pies at Gifford Homestead!
- Especially when there are apples on the trees and fresh pies at Gifford Homestead!
- Le Nonne Italian Restaurant in Logan
- It’s where we celebrate everything as a family!
- It’s where we celebrate everything as a family!
- Island Market in Logan
- It has all the local products I need in one place. Why is it called Island Market? Because it’s located in an “island” neighborhood between two branches of the Logan River
- It has all the local products I need in one place. Why is it called Island Market? Because it’s located in an “island” neighborhood between two branches of the Logan River
- Utah State University
- It’s what brought me to Logan in the first place!
- It’s what brought me to Logan in the first place!
“Utah has greater diversity than it often gets credit for. Its cities are home to folks from all over the world because there are good jobs and opportunities here, and we are surrounded by spectacular natural beauty. There’s a community for everyone, and I think our cities in Utah are becoming more vibrant with each passing year.”
Coach Mike Spence