A career built on persistence, passion, and an unmistakable love for track and field has brought Katelyn Hutchison to some of the sport’s biggest stages. Yet, after nearly six months of searching for work, the three-time NCAA All-American is facing a reality that her impressive résumé hasn’t been able to change.
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It started with a post that struck a nerve. Someone shared their job-hunting frustration after applying for 236 positions, receiving 47 rejections and hearing nothing from the rest. “Im so defeated.”
Hutchison knew the feeling all too well. She responded with a glimpse into her own struggle, revealing that months of applications, networking, and pitching had still failed to produce a stable opportunity.
“5 almost 6 months unemployed with no end in sight, hope is long gone out the window 🥲 references aren’t helping, cold emailing/connecting/pitching isn’t helping, 3 degrees and experience meaning nothing… mentally exhausted doesn’t even cover it!”
For someone who has spent years building a name in track media, the frustration is understandable. Hutchison has worked with CITIUS MAG, World Athletics and Athlos, traveled internationally to cover major competitions, and earned recognition from Runner’s World. She is also a Forbes contributor. But despite those credentials, the job market has left her searching.
Part-time work at a grill has offered some income and a supportive group of colleagues, but Hutchison has made clear that it is not a sustainable answer to where she wants her career to go.
And that ambition has always been bigger than simply covering races.
Katelyn Hutchison has always wanted to bring some change in whatever she does
Long before she became a familiar face around mixed zones and championship venues, Hutchison was a sprinter herself. She began at Ithaca College, where she became a three-time Liberty League champion and NCAA All-American before transferring to the University of Kentucky in 2022.
Her athletic career was shaped by both triumph and disappointment. The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 NCAA Championships when Ithaca was ranked No. 2 nationally, but Hutchison returned to earn All-American honors at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Those experiences eventually helped shape the journalist she became.
Her breakthrough came through CITIUS MAG and the Magic Boost program, where she developed her voice as a track storyteller. In February 2024, after covering a professional meet despite having never attended one before, she was offered a job with CITIUS.
“I’m like, this is such a blessing! Of course, I’ll definitely stay, and literally from then it’s just taken off.”
It did. Hutchison went on to cover major championships, work with World Athletics, and build a loyal following through her energetic interviews and social media presence.
Her approach was unconventional. At the 2022 USA Outdoor Championships, she was cheering and embracing athletes in the mixed zone. Some journalists questioned whether she was too close to the competitors. Her employers saw something different.
My bosses got some calls from other people asking them to tell me to tone it down,” Hutchison recalled. “But they said to me ‘the athletes are telling us they love it, the interviews are doing great on our social media, keep doing what you’re doing.'”
That philosophy became central to her identity.
“Once I realized I didn’t need to separate myself as a journalist and a fan, that’s when I thrived. Stay true to yourself and go all in on what works best for you.”
Her work earned her a place on Runner’s World’s 2023 Runners of the Year list, a magazine cover, and opportunities to interview some of the biggest names in the sport. She has also been featured in the Netflix documentary SPRINT.
Yet behind those achievements is a person who has never stopped believing track and field can become something bigger.
“We have so much potential to make this a very popular sport in America,” Hutchison said, pointing to the passion surrounding track in Jamaica. “I know everyone in the U.S. doesn’t care about track much, but if you can have pickleball on ESPN, we are going to make it happen.”
That same belief explains why the current uncertainty hurts so much. Hutchison has invested years into understanding athletes, telling their stories, and trying to bring more attention to the sport she loves.
And much of that optimism comes from her father.
For now, though, the next chapter remains unclear. Nearly six months without a full-time opportunity has tested even that optimism.
But if Hutchison’s journey through collegiate athletics and track media has shown anything, it is that setbacks have never been enough to make her stop believing.