LEFT: Caitlin Malloy running a cross country race during her collegiate career; CENTER: Current head shot of Caitlin; RIGHT: Caitlin running with a young child who she coaches

FOBA 8/21/2026 10:34:00 AM Adam Levin '94

Hall of Fame Spotlight: Caitlin Malloy '03

FOBA 8/21/2026 10:34:00 AM Adam Levin '94

Hall of Fame Spotlight: Caitlin Malloy '03

This is the third of five features on the Brandeis Atheltics Hall of Fame Class of 2026. For more information on the Hall of Fame and Homecoming, on October 3, 2026, visit the event home page, which includes a schedule of events and registration link!

Caitlin Malloy's path to the Brandeis Athletics Hall of Fame has been filled with twists, turns, and traveling over her life, much like the cross country courses on which she excelled and earned All-America honors. Caitlin came to the Judges from rural Central Maine, looking for a school close to a major city that offered diverse academic options and a supportive community. In Waltham, she discovered not just an ideal Division III home, but a platform to become one of the program's top long-distance runners.

Malloy competed in hurdles, distance events, and even in basketball during high school, and didn't expect to become a varsity athlete, but the open arms shown to her by the Brandeis track and cross country programs helped ease the transition from small town to the big city.

Caitlin's most historic athletic achievement came in an event that did not even exist for collegiate women when she first stepped foot on campus: the 3,000-meter steeplechase, a race that goes around the track more than seven times while including four balance-beam-sized hurdles and a water pit on the course. During her sophomore year, when local meets introduced the steeplechase as a demonstration event, coach Bruce Bickford asked Malloy to give it a try. Despite having no prior practice or dedicated steeplechase equipment, she embraced the challenge.

"It's a hard event," she said. "But it's fun, and very gratifying."

When the NCAA officially sanctioned the women's steeplechase during her junior year, Malloy seized the opportunity. She qualified for the national championships, competing in the inaugural NCAA Division III Women's Steeplechase Championship and cementing her place in Brandeis history.

Beyond her athletic distinction, Malloy embodied the breadth of the Brandeis academic experience as a double major in Music (Piano Performance) and Early Childhood Education. Preparing a senior piano recital as her thesis, she balanced hours of keyboard practice with grueling distance training blocks.

This intersection of arts and athletics culminated in one of Malloy's favorite collegiate memories. Looking out into the audience after bowing at her senior piano recital, she saw her music professor sitting near her track coach. Her teammates filled the concert hall in support, while her coaches made sure her athletic schedule accommodated chamber music rehearsals. For Malloy, this moment highlighted what made Brandeis special: an environment where student-athletes could excel fully across academics, art, and athletics.

"Embrace all the different parts of who you are," Malloy says to current student-athletes. "Take advantage of diverse campus opportunities, share your passions with your team, and support your fellow students across every corner of the university."

Malloy's journey after graduation reflects her lifelong spirit of growth and service. She moved to Padua, Italy, where she taught at an international school for five years, joined a local running club, competed in road races across Europe, and met her future husband through a shared coach.

Upon returning to the United States for graduate school at Tufts University, Malloy earned her Master's degree in child development while serving as an assistant cross country and track coach for the Jumbos for six years. She later earned her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education in 2019. Her career has included lecturing at UMass Boston, supervising student teachers in Boston Public Schools, and stepping in as Director of a Cambridge preschool, where she advocated for universal pre-K education. Today, she continues to inspire young athletes as a coach for the Waltham Track Club and Eastern Mass Cross Country Ski Club.

Malloy still stays in touch with her Brandeis teammates and keeps up with her running by competing in the annual Beach-to-Beacon race in Portland, Maine. The race, founded by Maine legend and Olympic marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson, is in close proximity to one of Malloy's teammates, who hosts families in her pool while the former teammates participate in the race.

"It's an annual reunion of sorts, and it's a great way to stay competitive," Malloy said.

Print Friendly Version