FEATURE: Ferris State Track and Field Coach Melissa Kessler Balances Work, Family and Rigorous Training While Pushing Forward for More

By Sandy Gholston

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Running has taken Melissa Kessler across the country and into some of the world's most prestigious marathons, all while balancing family life, a physical therapy career and her role as a Ferris State Track and Field assistant coach.

Throughout Kessler's journey, what she has accomplished stands on a foundation of family.

"I could not pursue my goals without the support of my husband, Justin," Kessler said. "He encouraged me to start running again in 2020. Our kids also support me. They come to almost every race, no matter how far away we are traveling."

Through it all, family has been a consistent support system.

"My husband and I think it's important for our kids to see us working hard toward a goal," she said. "We often have family that travels with us too, to help with the kids."

Her running career has included appearances on some of racing's biggest stages, including the New York City, Boston and Chicago marathons, where she has competed alongside tens of thousands of runners.

Most recently, and closer to home in West Michigan, Kessler raced in the 2026 Amway River Bank Run, finishing third among female master's runners in Grand Rapids as tens of thousands of people visited the city for what some consider the country's largest 25K road race.

Helping fuel her recent marathon success has been her work alongside Ferris State's track and field and cross country athletes.

Kessler joined Ferris State's coaching staff as a volunteer in 2022 before taking on a full-time assistant position the following year. In these coaching roles, she has found a support system, daily motivation and a Bulldog family.

"Once I began assistant coaching at Ferris, my training dramatically improved," she said. "The athletes on our team have pushed me in workouts beyond what I thought was possible at my age, and they have helped me find joy in running again."

A former standout student-athlete at Wayne State, Kessler particularly appreciated the support from the Ferris State program's head coach, Jared Kelsh, and his family.

"I have tremendous support here at Ferris State from Jared, who also allows me to get in runs with the team. I have also had the privilege of Jared writing training programs for me," she said. "I often get to run with his wife, Shelby, too."

A competitive spirit has long driven the former college star, who was a two-time All-GLIAC competitor and a three-time GLIAC All-Academic honoree.

Kessler's marathon journey began in Chicago in 2006.

"I ran it with my sister after I finished running collegiately at Wayne State. I did not prepare well as I was in the first semester of the Physical Therapy program and did not have much time to train," she said.

Balancing graduate school and marathon training, Kessler continued to push forward.

"I decided to run the Detroit Marathon in 2009 and did a little more training, but I was in my final clinical rotations for PT school," she said. "I ran a PR (3:19:47) and qualified for the Boston Marathon."

Yet, Kessler's road wasn't entirely smooth.

"While training for Boston, I injured my knee and finally returned to running six weeks before the race," she said, admitting that while the experience was fun, the result was not what she wanted.

Away from running, the Romeo native reached another major milestone, earning her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Wayne State in 2009 after earlier receiving a bachelor's in Health Sciences from WSU.

Soon, Kessler started working full time in physical therapy at Henry Ford Hospital. Around the same time, she and Justin began raising their family, creating a support system that would help fuel her return to competitive running years later.

"I am truly blessed that I can train and compete," Kessler said. "Training is always hard. But being in my 40s with a family and working, I realize that there is no way I could do this without the amount of support I have."

That support would mean even more when, in 2020, she returned to running to qualify for one of the world's biggest races.

"It was the first time I'd consistently run since having kids. I trained to run a qualifying race to get into the New York City Marathon," Kessler said. "I didn't think I would ever do another marathon because of the time I would need to put into training, but the lure of running through the five boroughs and the history of the race excited me."

Kessler has also felt the ongoing love from siblings.

"My sister, Emily, has been to all but one of my marathons," she said. "My sister, Renee, and brother-in-law run with me whenever we see each other. He will even pace me in workouts from time to time. Seeing my support crew along a course or at the finish line means the world to me."

The 2023 Chicago Marathon proved especially memorable.

"My husband ran it with me. I surprised myself and ran a 20-minute PR, breaking the three-hour mark for the first time," she said. "My Chicago result was a qualifying time to run the Berlin Marathon. I again ran a faster time, clocking 2:55:36. I was excited to see big jumps in my times."

Kessler added, "Running under 2:55 as a female master's athlete (over 40) opened a lot of doors for me to get special status at races such as premier start areas, elite corrals and earlier start times."

Her efforts have also paid off in her home state.

"Because of my time, I got complimentary entries into the 2025 Amway River Bank Run, which I won for the female master's category," she said. "I ran the 2025 Detroit Marathon under the elite masters category, placing second on a rainy, windy day."

Kessler credits her brother-in-law, an ambitious runner who aims to run a marathon in every state, for helping push her.

"My brother-in-law offered to pace me during the Richmond Marathon, just seven weeks later, to see if I could take advantage of my current fitness level," she said. "It was just crazy enough that I agreed. Joe is like a metronome, and it is really helpful to race with a buddy. Joe helped me cut almost four more minutes off my time."

Preparation is a key to her success.

"Besides running, my training includes strength training, nutrition, and sleep. To replace calories spent, I am constantly eating throughout the day," she said. "As a master's athlete, I have found I need to increase my caloric intake to recover and be able to have a decent run the next day."

It's a balancing act.

"With coaching and having three kids of my own in many after-school activities, it has been a challenge to plan and make sure I am consuming enough," Kessler said. "I think it is a combination of these factors that has allowed me to run the highest mileage of my life while avoiding a training injury for six years."

While summer is vacation time for so many people, it's that and more for Kessler.

"I am going to focus on trying to lower my 5K time, so I'll probably try to get in a few road races," she said. "I may try to do a half-marathon early this fall. I am waiting until the application window opens up in August to apply for the Tokyo Marathon in March 2027."

Kessler remains as inspired as ever.

"I'm hoping that my time will be enough to get me into semi-elite status for an entry into the Tokyo Marathon," she said.

At an age when many runners scale back competitive goals, Kessler's fire is still burning.

Whether she is coaching Bulldogs, cheering on her children from the sidelines or training for another marathon, the same mindset drives her forward.

Supported by loved ones, inspired by her student-athletes and fueled by a passion for competition, Kessler isn't slowing down. She's still discovering how fast she can go.