Claire Yates is hosting a fun run for the American Heart Association.
Claire Yates is not one to give up on a dream
She grew up in Prospect and became part of the Miss Kentucky Teen competition at age 12 and began dreaming of being Miss Kentucky and competing for Miss America. The North Oldham High School graduate continued serving her community when she went to college at the University of Alabama but took a pause from competing in the Miss America organization.
She wanted to wait until she got back home so that she could fully devote her time to the job of Miss Kentucky, which has a full-time partnership with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.
Once she returned home to Kentucky, she resumed the quest to be Miss Kentucky. She was Miss Danville in 2024 and competed for Miss Kentucky. She was Miss Bowling Green in 2025 and competed again. Now she’s Miss Wilderness Trail and will compete for Miss Kentucky again in June.
Yates, a social media strategist, hosted a Fitness for Fun Run 5K at Millennium Park in Danville to raise money for the American Heart Association two years ago when she was Miss Danville. Now she’s hosting a Fitness for Fun Run 5K — Feeling Empowered by Movement March 7 at Millennium Park that will start at 9 a.m.
“When I hosted the first one in Danville about 2 years ago, I loved it,” said Yates, age 24. “We had a great turnout of over 50 people. It taught me how to plan and as Miss Kentucky, you have to be able to plan. I had to make T-shirts, reach out to sponsors, and make awards. It was a great way to bring the community together. It was a fun morning with music and exercise for people of all ages. This 5K is about having fun and enjoying the ability to move your body.”
All race proceeds will again go to The American Heart Association, which supports heart health and living a healthy lifestyle.
Pageant director Angela Todd of Stanford, a runner who started the Jingle Bell Jog in Stanford with her husband, Jason, that raises money for Alzheimer’s research, is one of the Miss Wilderness Trail pageant directors also.
“Since she is my director again and is such a great resource because she knows what she is doing when it comes to putting on a 5K, I thought why not do this again,” Yates said. “Not everyone has the same passion for physical fitness that I do so I try to help inspire others.
“Through my service initiative, Empowered by Movement, and my partnership with Girls on the Run, I am able to help the community enjoy that physical movement. I am hoping to have at least 50 participants.”
Yates might even join those running or walking the 3.1-mile course because Aleah Stigall, the 2026 Miss Danville Teen, has invited students at Boyle County High School to volunteer at the 5K.
“It would be cool to run in my own 5K,” Yates, a former Alabama gymnast, said. “If we get enough volunteers, then I could run. I do adult gymnastics classes twice a week. My pageant talent (gymnastics) is 90 seconds of pure energy and that’s getting harder to do at my age. That’s why I try to run one mile at the gym each time I go to help me build that endurance for my routine. Running this 5K would be great for that, too.”
Her gymnastics talent is unique, and she says it is “90 seconds of giving it your everything while you are getting judged and people are watching.”
At last year’s Miss Kentucky competition, she did something during talent rehearsal — about five hours before the pageant competition — she did something she had never done before in 20 years of gymnastics.
“I rolled my ankle. I just landed wrong on a jump,” Yates said. “It was my left ankle, and I had to make a trip to the ER (emergency room) for liability reasons. Luckily nothing was broken. I wrapped up the ankle, iced, took medicine and was able to compete on the sprained ankle.”
The experience helped her at the Miss Wilderness Trail pageant when another contestant did the same thing to her ankle. Yates still had supplies in her car she used at Miss Kentucky when she rolled her ankle.
“I made my dad run out to the car to get my stuff and I wrapped her up. I was not even dressed for the evening gown competition yet, but it was just something I needed to do and it all worked out,” Yates said.
Now she’s hoping maybe this will be the year everything will “work out” for her dream of becoming Miss Kentucky.
“I have been working really hard non-stop. It’s only going to get busier, but it is all worth it,” Yates said. “I have been working on my mindset more than anything. The mind is a powerful tool. If you think positive thoughts, you will be more consistent in your day-to-day life.
“I have always looked on the bright side of things. I don’t always think about winning Miss Kentucky and the crown. I also think about another goal that is important to me. I will have 10 minutes for a private interview with the judges where I can talk about Kentucky’s health and my plans. If I can achieve that, that is a win.”
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To register or make a donation, go to https://runsignup.com/Race/KY/
One Response
Claire is one of the BEST! Blessed to count her as a friend and work with her in the Miss Kentucky program!