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I was superstar in high school, the sky was the limit. Born and raised in Michigan, Dathan fell in love with running when he was 11 years old. While attending Rockford High School he became a national standout. Dathan would set national high school records in distances ranging from 1600 meters to 5k, and most notably, earn back-to-back Foot Locker national titles in 1999 and 2000. Even from a young age, Dathan recognized the potential, saying, "I used running to channel my drive and passion to get the most out of myself."

I started college with a bang but soon found the harsh reality of pushing too far. While at the University of Colorado, Dathan's cross country career started with a fourth place individual finish at the NCAA Championships and a team title. Stress fractures caused him to redshirt his sophomore year, however the following season saw Dathan bring home the individual NCAA cross country championship and. in his debut in the 10k, set an American-born national collegiate record. When his time at Colorado was finished, he had tallied four All-American honors and graduated with a degree in History.

I have been a professional athlete for 13 years. I have been through it all, the good and the bad. US titles, American Records, World Championship medals, Olympic teams. Dathan's accomplishments on the track and roads numerous, as he has been a mainstay as a top competitor for his entire professional running career. He represented Team USA in the marathon at the Beijing Games (2008) and the 10k in London (2012), and is the second-fastest American in half marathon ever, with a time of 60 minutes flat, however, he shares that the hard parts were also present, "Heartache, self doubt, failure. But I always found a way to get back on my feet, dig deep and do my best."

I am very devoted to my family. My wife was an NCAA All American and has been with me every step of the way, since we were 6th grade sweethearts. With two kids who grew up on the track, Dathan recalls, "Dad did repeats while they played in the long jump pit. Running and track and field is something we share but I make my family a priority and I encourage others to do the same."

I love to help people through hard times. Running is a lifestyle and when injury, setbacks and self doubt set in, it can drag us down. But getting through it truly does make you better. Dathan finds satisfaction in helping other get through difficult times. With his background from a working class family in Main Street USA, he credits his amazing career with always getting back up every time I failed, stating, "I continued to fail over and over but just tell myself to learn from it and to get back out there."