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Esther Erb Atkins

@erbyatkins

4.5K

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Doing what I love while I can.
❤️ @coleatkins85
👶🏻 Solomon & Ruby
🐶 @grace.and.oskar
💼 Coach @mckirdytrained
⏱2:33M / 1:13HM

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My kindergartener Solomon told us yesterday that his bus partner was mean to him. We didn’t get many details other than that his eyes were wet when he got off the bus.

Today he came home with this bag of goodies from the girl who sits across the isle from him. 🥲

This girl is teaching all of us how you show up for others. I always thought “if you see something, say something” meant addressing the aggressor or telling authorities about what happened.

But this little kid has an even better response - say something to the person who was beaten down. Make them feel seen, supported, and understood.

As a bonus side-effect, his bus partner was so shaken that he also pitched in and gave Solomon 6 markers and a toy from his backpack. 😂🥰

#notallheroesareadults #notallheroeswearcapes #heartwarming #lessonsfromtheyellowbus #greenvillecountypublicschools taken in Greenville County School District by @erbyatkins

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9 days ago

So so glad I jumped on it when @lchyer graciously threw out the invitation and dragged @alissadoehla and @angie_nickerson into this adventure with me.

The plan was Rim to Rim to Rim, but Mother Nature had other plans for us. Flooding in late August closed the entire trail up the North Rim and took out the water main for the entire park.

But thankfully Alissa and Angie were still committed to some version of the experience, and so were Lauren and her friends. Travel plans threw a wrench into things also, with Alissa and I arriving a day later than planned, but we still got to enjoy an evening and a meal with Lauren’s group before they ran the Flagstaff Marathon and we ventured down into the canyon the next morning.

Shooting stars led our way through the night to the edge of the earth and after so many adjustments to the plan, we did the thing. We made it down to the river and back - a total of just under 21mi and over 5,000ft of elevation in 7.5 hours.

Ultimately that was exactly what we could handle and enjoy, so it was all meant to be. 💫 by @erbyatkins

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11 days ago

Mic'd Up: 5x1K Workout Video Highlights with Ava Lindsey

MileSplit SC visited Unity Park in Greenville before the 2026 Eye Opener to record a workout with Ava Lindsey of Upstate Falcons. Lindsey opened the season Sept. 12 the Yellow Jacket Invitational in Greer.

Lindsey is entered in this weekend's Hare & Hounds XC Invitational in Charlotte, and is number two in 2026 South Carolina girls cross country rankings after her season opener.

Esther Erb Atkins is the coach wearing the microphone. Hunter Vye Fraser also participated in the workout on Sept. 4.

Watch the workout video with coach interaction audio on #MileSplit SC. taken in Unity Park GVL by @erbyatkins

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a month ago

MileSplit SC attended Upstate Falcons' Ava Lindsey's early season morning repeats Friday at Unity Park in Greenville.

Video feature coming next week with coach audio from @erbyatkins before Ava Lindsey makes her season debut in Greer Sept. 12.

#milesplit #running #crosscountry taken in Unity Park GVL by @erbyatkins

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a month ago

Registration for The Micro: #breaking3 and #microtq marathons is now open.

March 27-28, 2027
Rockland Lake State Park, NY

Early bird pricing at $199 runs today through August 14fh. After that, it jumps to $225.

For more info about both events, check out www.themicro.run. If you’re ready to register, you can skip that and head straight there.

Links for everything are in our bio. 🔗
#themicro #mckirdytrained #sub3marathon taken in Rockland Lake State Park by @erbyatkins

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2 months ago

Forgive me {followers} for I have sinned. It has been 3 weeks since my last race… and I still haven’t posted. So for both of you who care, here is how Boston went.

Result: 2:58:06

The race was a journey of lows and highs, followed by some reckoning and grief, accompanied by joy and relief. Maybe that’s just what it feels like to enter mid-life?

The first half of Boston was almost exactly as terrifying as I suspected it would be. With a fear of running downhills that produces an involuntary stutter step and can trip me up or make someone behind me slam into me, I am super scared of running downhill… especially at a fast pace… and in a thick mass of people. The first half of Boston was the perfect storm.

After a total of almost 3 minutes spent on 3 bathroom breaks in miles 8, 13, and 18, I reframed the day, gaining confidence on the uphills and the crowd support at Boston College lifted me up to genuinely savor the final miles into Back Bay. Shockingly, the downhills in miles 22 and 24 didn’t bother me at all. 🤯 And I finished in a 17-second negative split!

Love beats fear. Every time.

My birthday journey helped me to put a lot of things in perspective and aligned my priorities with new clarity.

1. I love coaching and am so grateful I get to help others experience physical and spiritual transformation through running.

2. I am a part of this incredible community, no matter how fast or slow I run. It’s in me and I am in it. We all have our trials and triumphs and can’t have one without the other. Regardless of ability, on a fundamental level, we all get each other.

3. My own running performance is no longer a top priority, but I will continue to grow and learn in the sport for many milestones to come.

4. Nothing beats collective experience. We all need time in our lives to put down our phones and use our own senses to soak in the world around us. Whether it’s running a marathon, singing in a choir, going to a show, or spectating sports in person, seek it out and be in the moment. It is worth it. Every time. by @erbyatkins

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5 months ago

When I was around 7, I realized that the reason why adults always said “time flies” was because relatively speaking, a year was indeed much shorter to them.

The greatest gift of motherhood in this stage has been slowing down to see the world through their eyes. These last almost 5 years truly have been the longest shortest time.

Thanks, friends 🥰 by @erbyatkins

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5 months ago

If you’re out cheering on the course on Monday, wish me HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! 🎂

I’ll be wearing this Puma Project3 kit and an obnoxious amount of glitter. ✨

3 years ago, when Sara Hall turned 40 the day before Boston, I thought there might be a chance that @bostonmarathon would fall on my 40th birthday in 2026. So I looked it up and sure enough, here we are.

As Emily Richards’ article for @d3glorydays beautifully illustrated (see my last post), a lot has changed since my last race here in 2017. I’ve had my share of obstacles, but I’ve also had a host of highlights.

My husband @coleatkins85 has been by my side, supporting me through every step and setback. My parents have been there to eagerly help with childcare and anything else they can do. My kids have brightened every day in ways big and small.

For this build, @puma.usa Project3 has been an incredible asset and community - reminding me and hundreds of others that we matter, even if we aren’t the fastest in the world. 💜

My Greenville WR@D/SR@D running community has been there to push me and support me every step of the way - with love, gratitude, and accountability.

And of course, I am so grateful to all of my coaching clients - 8 of them running Boston with me - for putting their trust in me to guide their training through thick and thin. I hope I help you as much as coaching you helps me. Thanks guys! 🫶

🌟 We don’t control the conditions (although that is still looking great for Monday 🤞).
🌟 We have limited control over how much fitness and health we bring to the start.
🌟 But the one thing we have the most control over is what we do with what we have.

💙💛💙 My goal is to keep my streak of great executions on the Boston course alive, regardless of finish time or place. And if I do that, I know I’ll have the most fun, too! Negative splits, positive vibes! 👸

If you want to meet up, I’ll be at the @mckirdytrained shakeout on Sunday at 8am at the Boston Commons Band Stand and the @greenvilleuptemposports run at 11am at the Boston Public Garden! taken in Boston Marathon by @erbyatkins

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6 months ago

Esther (Erb) Atkins will turn 40 on Marathon Monday in just five short days. She will run the Boston Marathon for the third time, but this year looks a little different than previous years. Read about her journey from D3 10k champ to sitting on a curb in tears and how she’s redefined success along the way.

Link in bio. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more stories like this sent straight to you! by @erbyatkins

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6 months ago

Back to school means alone time with Ruby before all the baby in her is gone. 🥰🫶 by @erbyatkins

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9 months ago

Merry Christmas from the Atkins!

Cole 40
Esther 39
Solomon 4
Ruby 1 by @erbyatkins

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10 months ago

@ava_e_lindsey ran NXR Southeast Regionals today with thousands of high school runners. She was in 15th at the bottom of the final hill. But the last 500m were brutal to watch and even worse for her to experience. Her dear mom is fit, but no runner and let’s just say she could keep up with her while running with a big heavy backpack.

She finished 32nd and spent the next hour on a trainer’s table in the med tent, expelling every last drop of contents of her guts into a trash can.

She could barely fit in a word between whole-body contractions, but when she could finally get to her feet, she slowly bee-lined to comfort her competitor and friend who had been crying with her coaches and parents just a few steps away this whole time, also gutted and devastated with her result.

Ava is talented, yes, she has been the top runner in Greenville County for 4 years. But more than that, she is kind. She is sensitive. She is strong.

Win or learn, I am so proud to be her coach. taken in NXR by @erbyatkins

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a year ago