(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

(11-Aug): The athletics program at the 2024 Olympics concluded in spectacular fashion on Sunday, with Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands winning the women’s marathon in a sprint finish to take her third medal at the Paris Games. World record holder Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia crossed the line three seconds behind, and Kenya’s Hellen Obiri completed the podium. Hassan became the only woman in history to win medals in the 5000m (bronze), 10,000m (bronze) and marathon (gold) in the same Olympic Games.

As with the men’s race on Saturday, the women were cautious in the early going, acutely aware that several brutal hills awaited them mid-race, as well as a temperature that would be steadily rising from the 66F/19C at the start.  There was no cloud cover and the course has little shade.

The field of 91 athletes set off from Hôtel de Ville (the Paris city hall), but the first casualty would come quickly. U.S. Olympic Trials champion Fiona O’Keeffe, who was running awkwardly from the start, dropped out before the 5-K mark. She would be among 11 athletes who did not finish the race.

A crowded lead pack went through 5K in 17:24, and then picked up the pace slightly to hit 10-K in 34:32. By 15K (51:12) there were 14 women up front, including defending Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya, Assefa (who set the world record of 2:11:23 at the 2023 Berlin Marathon), Obiri (a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 5000 meters and a world champion in indoor and outdoor track and cross country) and France’s Melody Julien, who remained at or near the lead through most of the first half.

The initial hilly portion of the course, which began at 15K, slowed the pace significantly, allowing several women to catch up to the leaders, including Dakotah Lindwurm of the U.S. and Japan’s Yuka Suzuki.  Suzuki, 24, the Japanese Olympic trials winner last October, hoped to break Japan’s 20 medal drought in the Olympic Marathon.

By halfway (1:13:22) there were 20 women in contact, and moments later Lindwurm made a bold move to the front, leading the race at the turnaround point at Versailles.

“I looked up and said, ‘God, you’re crazy.’ I can’t believe he put me in that position,” Lindwurm told NBC Sports’ sideline reporter Steve Porino just after the race. “I’ve got so many people back in Minnesota watching me, that I could almost feel Minnesota watching me.  It was an honor to be around those women.”

The decisive racing took shape during the relentless 600-meter stretch of hills after 28K, which rose at a 10.5% grade. Assefa, fellow Ethiopian Amane Beriso Shankule, Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi, Jepchirchir and Suzuki separated from the field. Obiri briefly fell back but soon regained contact.

After cresting the hill at 30K (1:43:59), nine women were back in contention on a harrowing downhill section, including Hassan, Suzuki, Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba and Romania’s Delvine Meringor. The pace quickened and by 35-K (1:59:43) the leaders had recorded their fastest 5K split of the day (15:44). Soon Chumba, Meringor and Jepchirchir started to lose contact, followed by Suzuki (the Japanese medal drought would continue).

Approaching the Eiffel Tower in the 39th kilometer five contenders remained –Assefa, Beriso Shankule, Obiri, Lokedi and Hassan– who strategically remained at the back of the group at all times.

Those five were still together at 40K (2:16:09), but a kilometer later Beriso Shankule fell behind, followed by Lokedi. Assefa and Obiri ran stride for stride, with Hassan right on their heels. Finally, with less than 400 meters to go, Assefa sprinted to the front. Hassan quickly responded, but Obiri (who said she missed two water stations earlier in the race and even stopped briefly to throw up) could not match the increased tempo.

As Assefa and Hassan rounded the final curve heading onto the bright blue carpet at the Esplanade des Invalides, they briefly tangled. (Though the contact seemed incidental, the Ethiopian federation filed a request to have Hassan disqualified; it was rejected by the jury of appeal.) Hassan maintained her poise, surged ahead, but continued to look back even as it was clear Assefa could not match her kick.

“At the end I thought, ‘This is just a 100m sprint. Come on, Sifan. One more,’” she said.

The indefatigable Dutchwoman hit the tape in 2:22:55, breaking the Olympic record set by Ethiopia’s Tiki Gelana 12 years ago in London (2:23:07). Assefa finished in 2:22:58 for the silver medal, while Obiri (2:23:10) took the bronze, just ahead of Lokedi (2:23:14). Beriso Shankule (2:23:57), Suzuki (2:24:02) and Meringor (2:24:56) followed, while Jepchirchir (2:26:51) faded to 15th.

Lindwurm (2:26:44) was the top American, in 12th place, while countrywoman Emily Sisson (2:29:53) finished 23rd. “I’m happy to be here for sure,” Lindwurm told Race Results Weekly. “It was super-fun. I was trying to black out as much as possible, do as little thinking as possible. But I was also trying to soak in some moments. It was so cool, the entire way I feel like I was hearing, ‘USA, USA.’”

This was the sixth Olympic medal of Hassan’s career. Three years ago in Tokyo she won gold in the 5000 and 10,000 meters, along with a bronze in the 1500. She tackled an even more ambitious schedule in Paris, covering more than 62 kilometers/38 miles over 10 days, taking bronzes in both the 5000 on August 5 and the 10,000 on August 9, a day and a half before the marathon.

“Every moment in the race I was regretting that I ran the 5000 and 10,000,” the 31-year-old Hassan admitted. “I was telling myself if I hadn’t done that, I would feel great today. From the beginning to the end, it was so hard.”

She said that she didn’t feel comfortable until after the 20K mark.

“Then I knew I wanted gold,” she said. “But everybody else was fresh and all I was thinking was, ‘When are they going to break? They’re going to go hard, they’re going to go hard.’”

Hassan has established herself as the most versatile runner of her generation, with personal bests ranging from 1:56.81 in the 800 meters to 2:13:44 in the marathon, her winning time in Chicago last fall. She has held world records in the mile and 10,000 meters and won a world title in the 1500. Still, this was a humbling moment.

“I have so many emotions,” she said. “Every step I challenged myself, and now I am so grateful I didn’t push myself too much on the track. I was scared of this race. I am Olympic champion. What can I say?”

PHOTO: Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands winning the 2024 Women’s Olympic Marathon in Paris in a Games record of 2:22:55 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

(10-Aug) — When the Paris Olympic marathon course was unveiled two years ago, it was touted as “a challenge without precedent” due to a series of ominously steep hills. Tamirat Tola was up to the challenge. Named to Ethiopia’s team just two weeks ago as a replacement for Boston Marathon winner Sisay Lemma, the 32-year-old Tola made a bold move over a stretch of brutal hills in the second half to run away from the field and take the gold medal, breaking the Olympic record in the process. Behind him, silver medalist Belgium’s Bashir Abdi ran onto the podium for the second straight Olympics, while Kenya’s Benson Kipruto took the bronze.

The race began — with 81 starters from 42 countries — at Hôtel de Ville, Paris’s city hall, with bright sun and temperatures at 62F/17C, but soon to climb. The course rolled through and past some of the city’s most iconic landmarks and not long after cutting through the grounds of the Musée du Louvre, the pack hit the 5K in a cautious 15:40, the runners no doubt wary of the challenges to come.

Americans Conner Mantz and Clayton Young were near the front of a large group that passed 10-K in 30:59. Italy’s Eyob Faniel then began a solo breakaway that would give him a 23-second lead at 15-K (45:38) right before the race’s biggest hills. Two-time defending gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya soon lost contact and appeared in discomfort, later revealing he experienced back pain. He would ultimately drop out after 30K.

“The hills didn’t affect me at all,” the 39-year-old Kipchoge said. “The pain made me stop.”

Up front, at 20-K Faniel’s lead was down to 11 seconds (1:01:32), with Tola leading the pursuit up the course’s first big hill. He and Mantz caught the Italian by 21K and the trio plunged downhill through the halfway point in 1:04:51, though Faniel was beginning to fade. (He would finish 43rd, in 2:12:50.)

Eight men were together at the turnaround point at the Palace of Versailles at 23K: Tola, Abdi, Kipruto, Mantz, Tanzania’s Alphonse Simbu, Japan’s Akira Akasaki, South Africa’s Elroy Gelant, and Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta. But with the course’s ultra-steep hill from 28 to 29 km approaching, the pace softened just enough to allow the lead pack to grow to 15, including Young.

“I was frustrated to hear another athlete catch up to the pack, but so excited when it was Clayton,” Mantz later wrote on Instagram. “Keep your friends close.”

The decisive move came up that hill where the course rises at a 10.5% grade. Tola, winner of last year’s TCS New York City Marathon and the 2022 World Championships Marathon, surged to a lead he would not surrender. By the time he reached the top at 30K (1:31:12) his lead was 11 seconds, with Great Britain’s Emile Cairess in second place.

“My intention was just to keep up with the people who were pushing on ahead, but when I caught them I decided to go on alone,” Tola said. “I had difficulties on the hilly section, so I was afraid at that point.”

Tola ripped a 14:02 split over the next 5K segment, thanks to a sharp downhill, and at 35K (1:45:14) his lead was up to 18 seconds. With the Eiffel Tower in sight, Geleta, Abdi and Kipruto pulled away from Akasaki, setting up a three-man battle for the last two podium spots.

Up ahead, Tola periodically looked behind, but showed no signs of slowing. At 40-K (2:00:02) his lead was 22 seconds over Abdi, who began to pull away from Kipruto, while Geleta fell back.  Despite the hills, Tola was on Olympic record pace, an incredible feat considering the difficulty of the course.

Tola finally acknowledged the boisterous crowd support with about 200 meters to go, briefly waving his arms in celebration before crossing the finish line at Esplanade des Invalides in 2:06:26. That cut six seconds from the previous Olympic record, set in 2008 by the late Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya (on a much flatter route).

Tola earned his second career Olympic medal after taking the bronze in the 10,000 meters in Rio in 2016.

“I am happy today because I fulfilled my goal. I prepared well. I trained hard so I could win,” said Tola. “In my life, this is my great achievement.”

This marks the fifth time an Ethiopian has won the Olympic marathon, and the first since 2000, when Gezahegne Abera took the gold at the Sydney Games.

Abdi, 35, crossed in 2:06:47, upgrading from the bronze he won three years ago in Sapporo, Japan.

“This is the hardest marathon course I’ve ever run,” he said. “I expected going uphill would be most challenging, but I found going downhill most difficult. It was very steep and you don’t have control of your body. That was very scary, especially after 29-K, we had almost 2-K of running downhill and it was just going more down and down, and I was really afraid of falling.”

Kipruto, who won March’s Tokyo Marathon in 2:02:16 (currently the fastest time in the world this year), took the bronze in 2:07:00.

“The course was tough but I’m happy with the result I posted,” said the 33-year-old Kenyan, who finished on the podium at the Boston and Chicago Marathons in 2022 and 2023, including a Chicago win two years ago. “I trained with the mind first before going to the legs and the heart. Running uphill and downhill was not easy.”

Cairess (2:07:29) moved up from sixth at 40-K to finish fourth, followed by Geleta (2:07:31), Akasaki (2:07:32 PR) and Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana (2:07:58 national record).

Mantz took eighth in 2:08:12, followed by training partner Young (2:08:44), who joyously soaked in the experience over the final stretch and then lingered at the finish line to congratulate the athletes coming in behind him.

“Thank you to everyone who cheered both @_clayton_young_ and I on today (both near and far),” Mantz wrote in his Instagram post. “We’ve both had an insane amount of support from family, friends, and fans during this time.”

Leonard Korir (2:18:45), the third American in the race, was out of contention early and finished 63rd.

Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele, 42, a four-time gold medalist on the track, finished 39th in 2:12:24 in his first Olympic appearance since 2012. The Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye, silver medalist at the the Tokyo Games, and Kipchoge were among 10 competitors who did not finish.

“I don’t know what my future will hold,” said the always thoughtful Kipchoge, who is less than a year removed from his last marathon win, in Berlin last September. “I will think about it over the next three months. I still want to try to run some marathons.”

PHOTO: Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia wins the 2024 Men’s Olympic Marathon in Paris in an Olympic record 2:06:26 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

Note from presenter Chris Quetant: In order to gain access as an event organizer on the USATF Connect platform and submit a sanction request you only need to create an account and complete SafeSport training (both come at no cost). However, we do always encourage all event organizers and volunteers to become 3-step SafeSport compliant (USATF member, SafeSport training, & background screening). This is especially encouraged if you have direct engagement with athletes.

Additional resources mentioned in the video:

USATF Sanction Video Tutorials

Certified Course Measurers: USATF • Measurers

Certified Courses: USATF • Database Search 

List of Approved World Athletics Competition Shoes

World Athletics Global Calendar link

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission.

EUGENE, ORE. (30-Jun) — In the hour leading up to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s stunning world record in the 400-meter hurdles (50.65), fans at the final session of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Track & Field were treated to a series of sensational middle- and long-distance races. On a memorable night at Hayward Field, Bryce Hoppel and Nikki Hiltz climbed up the all-time lists in the 800 and 1500, respectively, and Grant Fisher won his second event of the meet. All three broke Trials records.

In the men’s 800, Hoppel prevailed in a furious battle to grab the lead position on the rail at the 200-meter mark. He led at 400 meters in 51.20, with sometime training partner Hobbs Kessler –who had already made the team in the 1500– swinging wide and surging into second place. Brandon Miller made a bid for the lead down the backstretch but Hoppel refused to yield. En route to his sixth straight U.S. title (three indoors and now three outdoors), Hoppel continued to build his lead, finishing in a sizzling 1:42.77. That’s a lifetime best and makes him the third fastest American of all time.

“In the moment I raced as hard as I could,” said Hoppel, who won the world indoor title in March and is eyeing the podium in Paris. “I’m excited to try that against some international competition. I was feeling amazing.  I’m ready to go.”

Behind him Kessler passed Miller with 50 meters to go for the runner-up spot. Kessler lowered his personal best to 1:43.64, while Miller clocked 1:43.97, just off the 1:43.73 he ran in Friday’s semifinals.

The next three finishers all ran the fastest times of their lives: Josh Hoey (1:44.12), Jonah Koech (1:44.32) and NCAA champion Shane Cohen (1:44.65). Clayton Murphy (1:44.90), the Olympic bronze medalist back in 2016 and the 2021 Trials champion, finished seventh.

Kessler is the first American man to qualify for the Olympics in the 800 and 1500 since Rick Wohlhuter won both races at the 1976 Trials. He is leaning towards doing the double in Paris, but says he will discuss it with his coach, Ron Warhurst, and team. There is no overlap on the Olympic schedule, but the 1500 final is the night before the heats of the 800.

“I think it can be done, but we’ll see,” Kessler said.  “I want the U.S. to have the best chance in the 8 and if it would mean that is someone else doing it fresh we’ll let that happen. But if we think I can really give a good effort, we’ll do that.  I was able to run 1:43 in my fifth and sixth races in less than 10 days so I think I have the ability to do it.”

In the women’s 1500, defending Trials champion Elle St. Pierre wasted no time pushing the pace. She tore through 400 meters in 61.19 and 800 in 2:05.55, stringing out the pack.

“I knew the field was really deep and I just wanted to make it honest,” said the Vermont native, who won the 5000 meters earlier in the meet. “That worked for me in ’21 and I knew I could run fast. I was honestly surprised how well my legs felt for running two 5-Ks and two other rounds of the 1500.”

Leading the challenge were Sinclaire Johnson, Dani Jones, Emily Mackay and Hiltz. St. Pierre continued to lead at 1200 (3:08.77), but with 150 meters to go, her training partner Mackay drew even, then gained a slight lead down the homestretch. Hiltz came off the final turn and used a decisive kick to pass them both and win the race in 3:55.33, smashing the meet record of 3:58.03 that St. Pierre set in 2021 and moving to No. 2 on the U.S. all-time list.

“I knew we were running fast, but I didn’t want to know [the splits],” said Hiltz, the American record holder in the mile (4:16.35) and the silver medalist at the world indoor championships this year. “My instructions before the race were, ‘Don’t try to make an Olympic team, try to win the race, and so that’s what I did.”

Hiltz, who identifies as transgender and non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, had been flooded with so much support from fans in person and on social media that she was feeling overwhelmed in Eugene. “I told myself I’m not gonna think about all the love and support until 100 meters to go, and at that moment you can let it all fill you up and push you to the finish line,” said the reigning USA 1500m champion. “And that’s exactly what I did, that’s literally what brought me home.”

Mackay (3:55.90) edged St. Pierre (3:55.99) for second place, and they are now the third and fourth fastest Americans. The first eight finishers all went sub-4:00 and set personal bests, including Johnson (3:56.75), Corey McGee (3:57.44), Elise Cranny (3:57.87), Heather MacLean (3:58.31) and Helen Schlachtenhaufen (3:59.71).

St. Pierre told reporters that she will not run the 5000 in Paris, which opens up a spot for Parker Valby, who was fourth in that race. Still, she had no regrets about doing the double at the Trials. “I’m really proud of myself. That took a lot of confidence and a lot of work,” St. Pierre said. “There were times when I wasn’t sure that I could pull it off, but I’m really proud and happy for myself that I did do it.”

The men’s 5000 took an unusual turn when Woody Kincaid, already on the team in the 10,000, made a breakaway after only two laps, building up a lead of five seconds at the 1600 mark, with defending U.S. champion Abdihamid Nur (Kincaid’s training partner) initially leading the chase pack. Fisher, who spent the time at his high-altitude training base in Park City, Utah, between the 10,000 and Thursday’s heats of the 5000, pushed to the lead at 3600 meters and moments later he and Nur had gained separation from the field. Nur sprinted to the front with 250 meters remaining, but Fisher found one more gear and had just enough to break the tape first in 13:08.85, an Olympic Trials record.

“I honestly didn’t think it would be a very fast race. My plan was to go with three and a half laps to go and have it be a strong enough move that it made people think about going or not,” said Fisher, who also made the team in both the 5000 and 10,000 in 2021. “There were a couple of variables that I didn’t quite expect, but that’s how racing is.”

Nur was just a step behind, in 13:09.01. “We were squeezing those last four laps and I just wanted to get to that finish line,” he said after making his first Olympic team.  “I wanted to win, but Grant had a great kick and we put on a great show.”

Part of that show was the battle that developed for third place between collegiate rivals Parker Wolfe of North Carolina and Graham Blanks of Harvard. Wolfe, who won the NCAA title on this track less than a month ago, steadily gained separation over the final lap, clocking 13:10.75, a personal best, to Blanks’s 13:12.61 (Wolfe closed in 55.39, the fastest of anyone in the field). Dylan Jacobs (13:17.26) and Sean McGorty (13:18.27) followed, with 1500 winner Cole Hocker (13:20.99) finishing seventh.

Fisher and Nur have met the Olympic qualifying time (13:05.00), but Wolfe has not. If his World Athletics ranking doesn’t move up high enough for a spot in the Paris field, then Blanks does have the mark.

PHOTO: Nikki Hiltz wins the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500m in a championships record 3:55.33 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission.

EUGENE, ORE. (29-Jun) — Weini Kelati was all but assured of a ticket to Paris before the women’s 10,000-meter run even started at U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Track & Field. The only competitor who had met the qualifying time for the Summer Games, she essentially only needed to stay on her feet and finish the race. Even so, she found an extra gear on the final lap to sprint home for her first Olympic berth and her first national title on the track. Behind her, Parker Valby narrowly edged Karissa Schweizer for the runner-up spot, though both will have to wait to see if their World Athletics rankings are good enough to qualify for Paris.

On a warm evening with low humidity, a field of 23 women set off with caution at Hayward Field. Marathoner Susanna Sullivan was the early leader, towing the field through a sluggish, but steady, early pace. Schweizer, Amanda Vestri, Kelati and Valby were on her heels through halfway (16:09.40), though most of the field was also in contact.

Erika Kemp made the race’s first real move in the seventh kilometer, taking the lead just before eight laps to go, with Schweizer, Kelati, Valby, Vestri, Jessica McClain and Kellyn Taylor following.  Both McClain, 32, and Taylor, 37, are veterans who ran the Olympic Trials Marathon last February.

Valby, who finished fourth in the 5000 earlier in the meet and said she only fully committed to running the 10,000 today, moved to the front three laps later, after getting the thumbs up from her University of Florida coach, Will Palmer. Only Schweizer and Kelati were able to match her pace, and at the bell, they both passed Valby, though they were unable to shake her. Down the backstretch, with 250 meters remaining, Kelati surged to the lead. She held off a challenge from Schweizer on the final turn and crossed the line first in 31:41.07. Valby caught Schweizer down the homestretch and inched into the runner up spot. Both were clocked in 31:41.56, and just 4/1000ths of a second separated them.

“I wanted to go to the front, but I said I have to wait, this is not what I planned,” said Kelati, a native of Eritrea who became a U.S. citizen on the eve of the 2021 Olympic Trials. “Patience, patience, patience, I kept telling myself that. I had to stay patient because I know I have that speed, have been working on my kick.”

It was fitting that she made her first U.S. Olympic team at Hayward Field, the site of her decision to seek asylum in America after competing for Eritrea at the 2014 World Athletics Under-20 Championships. “Every single time I’m here I have to have high goals and work towards them, no matter what,” she said. “I’m so happy to come here and make the team.”

Once Valby had gotten over the sting of the 5000, she decided that the 10,000 was a chance for redemption. “I didn’t want to leave on a fourth-place note,” said the six-time NCAA champion, admitting that the toll from the 5000 was much more emotional than physical. “I was super, super nervous for the 5K and I think that got the best of me. Before this race I was just having fun with it.”

An emotional Schweizer — who competed in the 5000 and 10,000 at the Tokyo Olympics — was in shock that she was once again able to finish in the top three in both events after a long recovery from surgery on her calf last fall.

“My road to getting to these Trials was way different than I had in the past,” she said. “I had to do a lot more cross-training than I would like to do and I’m just really happy because I feel like I’m finally back to being myself.”

That included her typical strong finish.

“I know I have a lot of strength in my last lap, my kick,” Schweizer said. “It’s not full force right now because I’ve just been coming back from something. So I had to install this confidence that wasn’t quite there yet, so I went for it.”

While Kelati knows her spot on the team is assured, Valby and Schweizer felt fairly comfortable that their performances tonight did enough to boost them into the World Athletics rankings quota which close after all global results are received on June 30.  It will then take another week before the final rankings are released.

“I did look at the time a little bit towards the end and I knew I had to squeeze it down for the last lap to ensure that I could get up in the rankings system,” Schweizer said. “The rankings system has been a bit of a whirlwind, for sure.”

McClain, fourth at the marathon Olympic Trials in February, matched that agonizing place here, in 32:04.57.  This was only her second track race in four years.

“I was hoping it would go fast and I was excited to run really fast, but I knew if it played out like the way it did today I likely wouldn’t have that last gear,” she said. “So it was about getting to the line as close to the top three as possible. I was pleased how it ended up for me based on how the race unfolded.”

Vestri, who is in the midst of a breakthrough season, finished fifth in 32:11.00, followed by Taylor (32:12.02), Maggie Montoya (32:13.26) and Kemp (32:21.84). Stephanie Bruce, now 40, finished 22nd in her fifth Olympic Trials 10-K, this time just nine months after giving birth to her third child.

*  *  *  *  *

The women’s 1500 and men’s 800 finals are set for Sunday after semifinal rounds on Friday.

The 1500 was particularly fast. Nikki Hiltz pulled away from Elle St. Pierre with 200 to go to take the first section in 4:01.40. Knowing her qualifying position was secure, St. Pierre (4:02.14) cruised home in fifth, behind Sinclaire Johnson (4:01.68), Heather MacLean (4:02.09) and Cory McGee (4:02.09). St. Pierre and sixth-place finisher Sage Hurta-Klecker (4:08.07) were both given yellow card warnings for shoving. Hurta-Klecker, who had been fifth in Monday’s chaotic 800 final, did not advance.

“It would have been amazing to have a fairy tale ending in the 1500,” Hurta-Klecker wrote in an Instagram post, “but I found myself mentally and emotionally zapped going into the semifinal.”

The second heat was nearly as fast, with the top five tightly bunched down the homestretch. Emily Mackay (4:02.46) finished just ahead of Elise Cranny (4:02.56), Helen Schlachtenhaufen (4:02.68), Maggi Congdon (4:02.79) and Addi Wiley (4:02.92).

“This is my first time doing three rounds and how I felt today makes me feel really confident going into the final,” said Mackay, the bronze medalist at the world indoor championships in March. “It definitely helps having a day off between now and the finals. I think people were less timid and more likely to run harder today.”

The 800 featured a cutthroat format in which the top two in each of three semifinals advanced, along with three additional time qualifiers, and it produced a trio of sensational races. Josh Hoey (1:45.73) held off Clayton Murphy (1:45.76) in the first section. Isaiah Harris (1:46.21) and 2021 Olympian Isaiah Jewett (1:46.33) did not advance.

“My first year as a pro I wrote down a bunch of goals, the last one was to make the outdoor final and I’m here five years later,” said Hoey, a high school star who skipped the NCAA system and turned pro in 2018, but has struggled to find consistency prior to this season. “I made a lot of mistakes coming up to now, but I never gave up.”

In the second heat, Hobbs Kessler, who made the team in the 1500 on Monday, edged past Brandon Miller in the final strides to win in 1:43.71, a personal best by more than a second. Miller (1:43.73) also recorded the fastest time of his career. Abraham Alvarado (1:44.44) finished third and was rewarded with a time qualifier and the Paris Olympic standard (1:44.70 or better).

“I just wanted to run Brandon down, because we’ve really been working on going through the gears that last 150,” said Kessler. “That was a great opportunity to do it. I didn’t want to leave anything on the table.”

Two-time defending national champion Bryce Hoppel exuded confidence as he controlled the final section, winning in 1:44.01, with Jonah Koech (1:44.47) taking the second automatic spot. Shane Cohen, using the same late-race charge that got him an NCAA title on this track earlier in the month, stormed from sixth to third in the final stretch, trimming his personal best to 1:44.92, which was good enough to advance.

Crowd favorite Eric Holt clocked 1:45.05 and would have made it through on time, but he was disqualified for a lane infringement violation after taking three steps on the line.

 

PHOTO: Weini Kelati edges Parker Valby (2nd place) and Karissa Schweizer (3rd place) in the 10,000m at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000m (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

 

EUGENE, ORE. (27-Jun) — With the two standard bearers of American women’s steeplechasing out with injuries, the final at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Track & Field figured to be an evenly matched contest featuring several strong contenders. The race delivered on that promise, with Val Constien ultimately dominating an exceptionally deep event thanks to a blistering final lap of the Hayward Field track. She’ll be heading to her second Olympic Games, joined in Paris by second and third place finishers Courtney Wayment and Marisa Howard.

Annie Rodenfels was the early leader, opening a gap of as much as 40 meters on the pack through the 1000-meter mark (3:00.53). It wasn’t until about 1800 meters that the field finally swallowed her up, led by Wayment, Howard and Olivia Markezich, the recent Notre Dame grad. Wayment continued to press the pace, hitting the 2000 in 6:08.53 as the field began to string out.

Finally, with 300 meters to go, Constien swung wide and surged to the front. She was unstoppable from there, cruising home in 9:03.22, a meet record.

“I’m a pretty good closer, and so I knew if I knew if I was in the mix in the last 300 it would be tough to beat me,” said Constien, who missed most of the 2023 season with a knee injury. “I’m getting confident in my kick and so I knew I had it in me.”

In the battle behind her, Markezich stumbled off the final water barrier but regrouped and chased Howard and Wayment into the homestretch. Unfortunately, Markezich fell after clearing the last barrier and went down hard on her chest as Wayment (9:06.50) passed Howard (9:07.14) for the runner-up spot.  Markezich ended up sixth in 9:14.87.

The top nine finishers recorded personal bests, including Gabbi Jennings (9:12.08), Kaylee Mitchell (9:14.05), Markezich (9:14.87), Allie Ostrander (9:21.82), Rodenfels (9:22.66) and Lexy Halladay (9:22.77). Defending U.S. champ Krissy Gear dropped out after five laps.

The race saw major revisions made to the U.S. all-time list, led by Constien, who is now the third-fastest American behind Courtney Frerichs (8:57.77) and Emma Coburn (9:02.35). Frerichs, the Olympic silver medalist in Tokyo, and Coburn, the 2017 world champion who won 10 national titles between 2011 and 2022, both suffered freak injuries this spring and were forced to miss the meet.

“Emma and Courtney Frerichs paved the way. Without them we wouldn’t have such a high bar,” said Constien, who was a teammate of the duo at the 2021 Olympics. “Everyone’s inspired by them, and without them there’s no way that we could have done what we did here today.”

Constien’s performance capped a remarkable comeback from ACL surgery in May 2023 following an awkward landing at the Doha Diamond League race. She practiced patience with her recovery, resuming running last September, but as recently as April she didn’t even expect to be at the Trials, much less contend for an Olympic berth.  A personal best of 9:14.29 at the Prefontaine Classic on May 25, ultimately had her thinking she could actually be a factor in the race.

“I never pushed myself. I really just listened to my body, and I was extra picky, took it day by day, did my PT and it just came together at the right time,” Constien of her rehab. “But it was really patience. I didn’t have to do anything crazy to get here.”

Wayment, who finished fourth at the 2021 Trials, was confident in her ability to close out the race. “With 300 to go I really relied on my training and I knew we worked very hard to make sure that I could wind down the last couple of laps,” she said. “It was crazy to see that there were so many people still there. It’s exciting, definitely a fun last 300 meters.”

Earlier in the evening, all the key contenders in the men’s 800 advanced from the first round, with the top six in each heat (plus three time qualifiers) moving on to Friday’s semifinals. Part-time training partners Bryce Hoppel (1:46.83) and Hobbs Kessler (1:46.85) slapped hands in celebration after crossing the line first and second in the opening section. (Kessler had already qualified for Paris in the 1500.)

NCAA runner-up Sam Whitmarsh (1:46.13) of Texas A&M, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Clayton Murphy (1:47.05) and Tinoda Matsatsa (1:46.73) won the other sections.

Shane Cohen of the University of Virginia, who took the NCAA title on this track in early June, was seventh entering the homestretch of the fourth heat, but accelerated well to finish third.

“I felt strong. The race plan wasn’t exactly executed. I was confident with 200 meters I was gonna be fine to make it through to the next rounds,” he said. “Legs were definitely a little heavy from not racing for three weeks. It was definitely nice to be out there and get a good race under my belt.”

Advancing out of the women’s 1500 heats were all three members of the 2021 Olympic team: Elle St. Pierre, Cory McGee and Heather MacLean. Friday’s semifinals will also feature Nikki Hiltz, Sinclaire Johnson, Emily Mackay and Elise Cranny, who made the 5000 team on Monday along with St. Pierre.

Sage Hurta-Klecker, who finished fifth in Monday’s 800 after being thrown off balance in the wake of the collision that sent Athing Mu to the ground, finished second to McGee in the first section. “I knew right away that I was going to come back, but easier said than done, especially coming back to what feels like a secondary event to me, but just trying to bring that self-confidence from the 8 into what used to be my main event,” said Hurta-Klecker, who was the NCAA indoor mile champion in 2021 but has focused on the 800 over the past few years. The outpouring of support she’s received on social media and in person in Eugene have helped her regroup. “I can use all that positive energy,” she said.

Capping off the evening, the men’s 5000 heats featured the winners of the 1500 (Cole Hocker) and 10,000 (Grant Fisher) from earlier in the meet. Hocker languished in the back of the first section for most of the way before moving to the front at the bell. He covered the last lap in 53.11 to win in 13:33.45, followed by NCAA champion Parker Wolfe (13:33.96) of North Carolina, Cooper Teare (13:34.07), Morgan Beadlescomb (13:34.34), Olin Hacker (13:34.72) and Graham Blanks (13:35.00).

In the second heat, Fisher camped out in second place most of the way, until 2023 national champ Abdihamid Nur moved to the lead with two laps to go, shaking up the pack. Woody Kincaid (13:23.91), who already qualified for Paris in the 10,000, used his trademark closing speed to pass Nur (13:24.14) shortly before the line and take the win. Fisher (13:24.78), Dylan Jacobs (13:24.91), Sam Prakel (13:25.01) and Sean McGorty (13:25.05) took the remaining automatic spots for Sunday’s final.

 

PHOTO: Val Constien sprinting to victory in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

 

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission.

EUGENE, ORE. (24-Jun) — On a frenetic night at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Track & Field, Cole Hocker and Elle St. Pierre won their events to secure their second Olympic berths, while a chaotic women’s 800 saw a team of newbies book their spots for Paris.

The 800 was the final event of the evening at Hayward Field, a showcase for defending Olympic champion Athing Mu. But just as the pack reached the 200-meter mark, with Kristie Schoffield leading, Mu’s long legs tangled with Raevyn Rogers’s as she moved towards the rail and the New Jersey native fell to the track. By the time she got to her feet she was more than three seconds behind the leaders. Sage Hurta-Klecker had to sidestep the carnage, losing her balance, but staying upright.

“I just knew somebody went down, and I was just tunnel vision focused on finishing the race,” said reigning national champion Nia Akins who had fallen in the 2021 Olympic Trials.

Michaela Rose took control from Schoffield before 400 (57.68) and held the lead as they headed down the backstretch. Just before 600 meters Akins grabbed the lead and steadily pulled away. None of the other women could mount a challenge and the Penn grad won in a personal best of 1:57.36.

“I honestly wasn’t even thinking,” said Akins.  “I just felt it in my spirit to just go for it, and then went. I was like, I hope that works and we were able to pull it off.”

In the final 100 meters, Allie Wilson and NCAA champion Juliette Whittaker of Stanford battled for the runner-up spot, with Wilson prevailing, 1:58.32 to 1:58.45. Both women got under the Olympic qualifying standard (1:59.30) for the first time. Rose (1:59.32) finished fourth, while Hurta-Klecker (2:00.38) rallied for fifth.

Schoffield (2:01.04) finished sixth, ahead of Olympic bronze medalist Raevyn Rogers (2:01.12) and Kate Grace (2:02.37). Mu jogged the final 200 meters, crossing the line tearfully in 2:19.69.

In the men’s 1500 final, American-record holder Yared Nuguse used a front-running strategy he believed best suited his strength, pushing the tempo through 400 (56.64) and 800 (1:55.73). Behind him, Hobbs Kessler and Vincent Ciattei established –and protected– their positions.

Nuguse still led at 1200 (2:51.33), but moments later Hocker stormed down the backstretch and jumped to a lead he would not surrender. Hocker’s winning time of 3:30.59 smashed the meet record. Nuguse (3:30.86) and Kessler (3:31.53 PB) took the next two spots on the team.  Ciattei (3:31.78), Nathan Green (3:32.20), Henry Wynne (3:32.94), Joe Waskom (3:33.74) and Elliott Cook (3:33.84) followed, all setting PBs.

“I was kinda floating in the outside of lane one, I was comfortable there,” said Hocker, a former University of Oregon star who finished sixth in the Tokyo Olympics. “I was like, if this is the pace that we’re going, I’m happy being here.”

He defeated Nuguse for the first time since the 2021 Olympic Trials. “I like to win and I definitely want to be the fastest American at the very least,” said Hocker, who will contest the 5000 later in the week. “It just happens that one of the best guys in the world is American. But it feels good to win for sure.”

Nuguse had no regrets for his tactics, even if he couldn’t find the final gear needed to win. “I wanted to run a race that I felt like was my race, and I think just really going out and hammering it was the way to go,” said Nuguse, who qualified for the Tokyo Games but had to withdraw at the last minute due to a freak quadricep injury he suffered in Japan. “Today Cole got the better of me, but it just shows how good a team is going to be heading into Paris.”

Kessler, who competed at the 2021 Trials as a high school phenom, was grateful to fulfill the expectations that had followed him the past three years. “I just felt like ever since I signed pro, this is the race that we were all looking to, [that we] figured I would be developed enough and it was my time to start competing on the world stage,” he said. “It was a lot of pressure. I’m really proud of how I managed it. The race was hard, Vince was close, but I’m super happy, super relieved, couldn’t wait to get this over with.”

In the women’s 5000, NCAA standout Parker Valby set an honest early tempo through the 1000 (3:00.23) and 2000 (5:58.89), stringing out the field. By 3000 (8:57.57) the pack was down to six: Valby, Elle St. Pierre, Elise Cranny, Karissa Schweizer, Rachel Smith and Whittni Morgan.  They were on pace to all get below the Olympic Games qualifying standard of 14:52.00.

As the pace steadily picked up, Smith and Morgan drifted back and it was down to a four-woman race for three Olympic spots. Valby still led at 4000 (11:56.14), but less than 200 meters later, with two laps to go, St. Pierre surged to the front, pulling Cranny and Schweizer with her.

Cranny unsuccessfully tried to pass St. Pierre on the final backstretch, so she waited until the final 100 meters to try again. The pair ran side by side to the finish until St. Pierre (14:40.34) held on for the win by a mere two hundredths of a second.

“I was relying a bit on my 1500-meter speed,” said St. Pierre, who returned from a maternity break this season to resume her status as the top American miler. “I knew it was gonna be a sit-and-kick race, so I had confidence going into the last lap that I could be right there for the finish no matter how fast it went.”

In addition to her 1500/mile dominance, St. Pierre has flexed her distance muscles this year by winning the gold medal in the 3000 at the world indoor championships in March and lowering her 5000 personal best to 14:34.12 in May (making her the fifth fastest American of all time). Given that the 5000 and 1500 are spaced out at the Trials, a double is feasible.

“I had a bit of a change of heart, I didn’t originally want to (double),” she admitted. “I think it was a great opportunity. I made my first world team in the 5000 in Doha [in 2019] and to be able to do both here is pretty awesome. I didn’t want to give up the opportunity. I think it would have been hard to sit home and watch the 5000 go by. There are enough days to recover and I’m just happy to do both.”

Though Cranny’s string of three straight U.S. titles in the event came to an end, she was pleased to be on her second Olympic team. “It was incredible to race against her,” she said of St. Pierre. “We’ve been watching her run so fast earlier this year, and just the season she’s been having, getting the gold medal indoors I was excited to race her because she’s definitely elevating women’s distance running.”

Schweizer (14:45.12) held on to the third spot on the team, while Valby was rewarded for her hard work with a personal best (14:51.44). Significantly, she dipped under the Olympic qualifying time (14:52.00). Should any of the top three qualify in another event over the second weekend of the Trials, a spot in the 5000 could open up.

The women’s 3000-meter steeplechase prelims, also held on Monday, were without 10-time national champion Emma Coburn and Olympic silver medalist Courtney Frerichs, who suffered injuries earlier in the year. In their absence, all the key contenders in a well-matched field moved on to Thursday’s final.

Kaylee Mitchell won the first heat in 9:29.54, followed by 2021 Olympian Valerie Constien (9:29.61) and Courtney Wayment (9:29.66). Gabbi Jennings (9:23.88) took the second section, followed by Marisa Howard (9:26.38) and Olivia Markezich (9:26.67). Defending U.S. champion Krissy Gear finished sixth after fading mid-race, but grabbed one of the time qualifiers (9:30.92).

PHOTO: Cole Hocker winning the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500m in a Trials record 3:30.59 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission.

EUGENE, ORE. (21-Jun) -– Grant Fisher surged to the front with less than three laps to go to decisively break open the men’s 10,000 meters on the first night of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Track & Field. The American record holder was followed across the line at Hayward Field by Woody Kincaid and Nico Young, who will join him in Paris.

It was an honest race from the start with Conner Mantz –already on the Olympic team in the marathon– setting the tempo. He was followed by a single file procession of Young, Fisher, Kincaid, Paul Chelimo and Andrew Colley.  In the early laps, Mantz was towing the field at a sub-27:00 pace.

Chelimo briefly went to the lead after 4200 meters, but Mantz surged ahead half a lap later. By halfway the pace had slowed enough to allow the main chase pack of Sam Chelanga, Drew Hunter, Casey Clinger and Ryan Ford to latch onto back of the lead group.

Chelanga, 38, went to the lead at 6600 meters and opened up a small gap, but a kilometer later Young was up front. Chelimo briefly took control with three laps to go, but his challenge was short lived. With two and a half laps remaining, Fisher made his move and the field was unable to respond. As the pack broke apart, Kincaid, Young and Hunter remained in the hunt for the final two roster spots. Hunter, who does not have the Olympic qualifying standard, was the odd man out in the final half lap.

Fisher won in 27:49.47, well clear of a fast-closing Kincaid (27:50.74) and Young (27:52.40). Hunter, the former high school record holder in the indoor mile, was fourth in 27:53.35, followed by Clinger (27:59.71) and Mantz (28:00.90). Chelimo, a two-time Olympic medalist in the 5000, faded badly and came home 10th in 28:18.31.

“This definitely is validation,” Fisher said, referring to his decision to part ways with the Bowerman Track Club last year and reunite with his former high school coach, Mike Scannell. “When I mapped out the year with my coach, we had an indoor plan, we had an outdoor plan, the overarching goal was to get on the team.”

At last year’s USA championships, Fisher was fighting an injury and finished fourth, one spot off making the team for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. “I missed the team last year, super disappointing to watch Budapest from the couch. So to be back on the team feels really good. We targeted this race not as a qualifier, but I wanted to win. And I wanted to do it dominantly, and I wanted to show myself that I’m still the best guy in the country.”

He will also attempt to make the team in the 5000 meters when that event begins next week.

Kincaid said he missed about 10 days of training in late April with an injury, so wasn’t sure what to expect in this race. “Nobody likes coming into the Olympic Trials having not raced in three months,” he said. “Even at 31 I thought I would be more confident coming in, but nope, still nervous.”

Still, he knew his closing speed was his not-so-secret-weapon (he closed in 55.8 seconds). “I would like to have not relied on the kick, but that’s what it comes down to when you’re trying to make an Olympic team,” said Kincaid, the 2021 Trials champion. “When it got to 200 to go and I saw out of the corner of my eye on the screen who was still with me I was like, it’s time to burn it.”

Young, who like Kincaid is coached by Northern Arizona University’s Mike Smith, was pleased with his effort, capping off a year that saw him win NCAA indoor titles in the 3000 and 5000 and set collegiate records in the 5000 (12:57.14 indoors) and 10,000 (26:52.72). “I kinda wish I felt better out there today,” he said. “It was good enough for today, so I’m happy with that.”

Earlier in the evening there were first round heats in the women’s 800 and 5000 and the men’s 1500 and 3000-meter steeplechase.

Athing Mu, the defending Olympic champion in the women’s 800, looked comfortable in her first race since September. The New Jersey native, who had been struggling with hamstring issues, opened her 2024 season with a third-place finish in her heat (the top six advanced) in 2:01.73. “The main thing is just competing with other athletes,” she said. “Here being three rounds, that’s plenty of time to get acquainted with the event once again and just feel for what it’s like to be in a fast 800.”

Louisiana State University’s Michaela Rose had the fastest time of the day (1:59.57), running a blistering opening lap of 56.50 and holding on to win her heat easily. Also advancing were Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Raevyn Rogers (a crowd favorite thanks to her time at the University of Oregon), defending U.S. champion Nia Akins, two-time Olympian Ajee’ Wilson, reigning national indoor champion Allie Wilson, Sage Hurta-Klecker, and NCAA champion Juliette Whittaker of Stanford (representing On Running here).

Northern Arizona’s Colin Sahlman (3:38.67) and world road mile champion Hobbs Kessler (3:37.50) won the first two tightly bunched heats, while Cole Hocker asserted a bit more authority on his section, winning from the front in 3:34.54.

Kessler was at or near the lead for most of his race, with defending U.S. champion Yared Nuguse taking over in the second half. “I’m comfortable in the lead, especially at 60-second pace, it’s pretty chill,” said Kessler, who made his professional debut at the 2021 Trials at age 18, fresh out of high school. “Just trying to work on my positioning through these rounds. Happy with a little experience leading and happy that Yared took over for a little bit too, to practice my positioning relative to someone. I have a habit of getting stuck to the rail, and that leaves you with nowhere to go, so trying to break that habit.”

Matthew Centrowitz, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, was a late scratch. “Unfortunately I won’t be having the fairytale ending I was hoping to have this week at my fourth Olympic Trials,” he wrote in a social media post that revealed an illness after the Los Angeles Grand Prix in May, followed by a hamstring strain. “I ran out of time. My hamstring still won’t allow me to run race pace intervals. But I am able to jog now. It’s not goodbye. It’s see ya later.”

After letting NCAA champion Parker Valby do most of the leading in the first heat of the women’s 5000, world indoor 3000 champion Elle St. Pierre blasted to the front and won in 15:13.82, followed by Karisa Schweizer (15:15.42) and Valby (15:17.56). Though St. Pierre is heavily favored to make her second Olympic team in the 1500, she chose to do the double following an impressive personal best (14:34.12) in May.

“It was going to be hard to sit back and watch the 5K go by and then show up for the 15,” she said. “You should take every opportunity that you have, and I did well in the 5K this year and had fun doing it, and so I wanted to come out here and do the 5K and 15. It’s full circle, because I made my first world team in the 5K [in 2019] and then I went to the Olympics [in 2021] in the 1500.”

The second section was considerably slower, but Elise Cranny (16:02.33) looked impressive in covering the final 1600 meters in 4:29.32. That heat was also notable for the return of Katelyn Tuohy, who was racing for the first time since November’s NCAA cross country championships. The former N.C. State star advanced with a 16:09.22 clocking and was pleased with her effort after battling a series of injuries over the last eight months. “It was an interesting race, probably the hardest 16-minute 5K of my life,” she said. “I was happy with how I hung on. It’s hard to run that way. I’m still not sure what kind of shape I’m in.”

The men’s steeplechase semis were won by Matthew Wilkinson (8:20.61) and defending U.S. champion Kenneth Rooks (8:26.90). Also moving on was 2016 Olympic silver medalist Evan Jager and 2021 Olympian Benard Keter. NCAA champion Parker Stokes of Georgetown finished 10th in his heat and did not advance.

Mason Ferlic, an Olympian three years ago, was a late scratch, revealing a hamstring tear in an Instagram post.

“This is not the first time I’ve been knocked down,” he wrote, “and won’t be the last time I get back up.”

PHOTO: Grant Fisher wins the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000m title in Eugene, Ore. (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)