John Babington
| Title: | Head Cross Country/Track Coach |
| Phone: | (781) 283-3105 |
| Email: | jbabingt@wellesley.edu |
B.A., Williams College
J.D., Harvard Law School
John Babington enters his 26th year as head coach
of the Wellesley College cross country team. He also leads
Wellesley’s track program, which was elevated to varsity
status in 2011. During his tenure, Wellesley has captured five New
England Women’s and Men’s Conference (NEWMAC)
Championships, most recently in 2005. Prior to the inception of the
NEWMAC, Babington guided Wellesley to four straight New England
Women’s 8 (NEW 8) Championships from 1993-96.
In the 2011-2012 seasons Babington led
the Wellesley College track and field team earning four
All-NEWMAC spots to highlight competition at the 2012 NEWMAC Track
and Field Championships. The Blue, a second-year varsity program,
finished sixth overall, competing at the event for just the second
time. Coached by Babington, Randelle Boots '13 went three-or-three
for All-America honors in cross country, outdoor track and indoor
track. Boots finished fifth overall in the 1,500 meter
at the 2012 Outdoor Nationals. Last year, in the varsity track
team's first season, Babington coached Boots to her national title
at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Track Championship in the
mile.
Babington has been voted Coach of the Year by his peers seven times. He was named NEW 8 Coach of the Year three times, in 1993, 1994 and 1996. Since the inception of NEWMAC, he has been voted Coach of the Year in 1999, 2000, 2005 and 2009. His last honor comes after he led the Blue to a second place finish at the NEWMAC Championships.
Babington’s passion for teaching the art of running is not limited to his career at Wellesley. He served as head coach of the United States National Team at the 1990 World Cross Country Championships, and was an assistant coach on the U.S. Track & Field Team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Additionally, Babington was named U.S. Senior Women’s Leader for the 2001 World Cross Country Championships in Belgium and was a member of the U.S. coaching staff at the 2003 World Indoor Track & Field Championships in Birmingham, England.
Prior to Wellesley, Babington was an assistant coach at Harvard and head coach of the Liberty Athletic Club, a nationally prominent women’s running club.
Babington, a graduate of Williams College and Harvard Law School, is an active runner, competing in road races, cross country and track & field. He completed the Boston Marathon 13 consecutive times through 1980, and continues to race in masters competition at distances up to 10K.
