Officer, Student, Ultrarunner: The Disciplined Path of 2nd Lt. Mackenzie Kieborz

USU doctoral student and Air Force officer 2nd Lt. Mackenzie Kieborz credits a "flexible mindset" and a supportive university community for her recent top-5 finish at the Devil Dog Ultras.

A "pit crew" of USU students and running community members manages nutrition and hydration supplies at

an aid station. 2nd Lt. Mackenzie Kieborz relied on this team to maintain her electrolyte balance and

fueling throughout the 15-hour race. (Photo courtesy of 2nd Lt. Mackenzie Kieborz)

February 17, 2026 by Hadiyah Brendel

In the pre-dawn darkness of Prince William Forest, Virginia, the temperature dropped and the trails turned to a mix of snow and root-covered obstacles. Deep into the Devil Dog Ultras, Air Force 2nd Lt. Mackenzie Kieborz found herself at a physical and mental crossroads. Her electrolytes were dangerously low, and the exhaustion of running for nearly 15 hours was setting in.

Kieborz improvised. Standing at an aid station, she poured table salt onto an orange slice and ate it—a raw, immediate fix to keep her body moving.

Kieborz, a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology at the Uniformed Services University (USU), crossed the finish line shortly after, clocking a time of 15 hours, 10 minutes, and 43 seconds. Her performance earned her fifth place among women and 25th place overall in a race widely regarded as one of the toughest ultramarathons in the Mid-Atlantic.

While the physical feat of completing the 100-kilometer (62-mile) course is significant, Kieborz views the experience through the lens of her academic training. It was a live-fire exercise in mental resilience—a trait she actively cultivates as a future military psychologist.

Kieborz pauses on a trail bridge in Prince William Forest, Virginia. The 100-kilometer race challenged

runners with steep climbs and uneven terrain, continuing well into the night. (Photo credit: 2nd Lt. Mackenzie

Kieborz)

The Trailside Classroom

For Kieborz, running serves as an extension of her classroom at USU. It is a tool for mental clarity and academic focus rather than just physical conditioning.

Balancing clinical rotations in Baltimore with doctoral studies requires elite multitasking. Kieborz often utilizes an AI reading app to listen to textbooks and research articles during training runs that can last up to five hours.

“It's a nice way to integrate and to learn as well as to kill two birds with one stone,” she said.

However, the Devil Dog Ultras stripped away these distractions. Technical difficulties in the cold left Kieborz running most of the race without headphones. Unable to listen to her texts, she was forced into a profound state of mindfulness, strategizing her hydration and nutrition while navigating the technical terrain of rocks and fire roads.

“I try to have a lot of fun and bring a lot of joy and gratitude into the process,” Kieborz said. “But that's also combined with I have to make sure that I don't die. I have to make sure that I'm eating right, that I get electrolytes, that I'm hydrating."

A Flexible Mindset

Kieborz attributes her ability to push through discomfort to what she calls a "flexible mindset." This mental framework allows her to acknowledge pain without letting it dictate the outcome.

The approach was tested during a 50K training race in October. Terrain issues forced a change in her gait that aggravated her IT band, causing intense pain for nearly 20 miles.

"I had to get through it," she recalled. "But I was like, okay... how I feel now might not be how I feel in the future."

This mental pivot became the backbone of her success at the Devil Dog Ultras. When her joints began aching "down to her toes" in the final miles, she acknowledged the pain but refused to stop.

A Path of Persistence

Kieborz’s journey to the starting line at USU mirrors the endurance she demonstrates on the trail.

Before joining the military, she earned degrees in Psychology, International Studies, and Education. She also pursued a career in competitive target archery that included a run at the 2020 Olympic trials.

Transitioning from elite sports to academia, she spent years working in neuropsychological testing. However, the path to her doctorate was not a straight line. Kieborz applied to clinical psychology programs three times over four years before securing her spot at USU in 2024.

“A mentor encouraged me to apply, recognizing that my history of intense personal investment and resiliency made me a strong candidate for leadership within military psychology,” Kieborz said.

The Strength of the Crew

Despite the solitary nature of distance running, Kieborz emphasizes she did not reach the finish line alone. Her success was fueled by a "pit crew" of USU medical and psychology students who managed her fueling and hydration.

When Kieborz hit "the wall" in the final eight miles, Navy Ensign Christian Bernabe, a first-year medical student, paced her through the dark. Bernabe kept her talking to distract her from the physical toll of the race.

“I was in pain, but I was like, 'Oh, I can do this through the pain,'” she said.

2nd Lt. Mackenzie Kieborz (second from left) celebrates with her support team at the Devil Dog Ultras. Her
crew included USU medical students and members of the local running community who paced her through
the dark. (Photo credit: 2nd Lt. Mackenzie Kieborz)

Full Circle

Crossing the finish line in Prince William Forest was an emotional release.

"The whole day for me was an experience of gratitude," she said. "I was getting choked up even in the last mile just to see everybody that showed up for me. And then the way I showed up for myself."

Her journey continues this summer in Colorado, where she will compete in a 100-mile race. It represents a full-circle moment, as she previously volunteered to help coordinate that very event.

“It's cool to see all this work, and to celebrate that work, and then also know that there's more that I can do and push the boundary even further,” she said.

For her fellow students facing the rigors of medical and graduate education, Kieborz offers simple advice on resilience: "You just have to kind of get vulnerable and do these things that are scary, because otherwise, what is life?"