Image courtesy of Footwear News
On Sunday, November 5th, for the first time in 40 years, an American woman won the New York City Marathon. American distance runner, Shalane Flanagan, crossed the finish line with an unofficial time of two hours, 26 minutes and 53 seconds. Before this November, Flanagan had not competed in the NYC marathon since 2010, where she finished second (CBS, 2017). Flanagan came to the race on Sunday ready to take on competitor, Mary Keitany – solo female marathon world-record holder and three-time race champion from Kenya. Flanagan was also recovering from a lower back injury that kept her out of the Boston Marathon this past April.
Running is not only physically taxing, but it is an incredibly mental sport. It was clear Flanagan was more than mentally prepared on Sunday. She beat the world-class and three-time New York Marathon champion, Keitany, by about a minute, pulling away from her in the last three miles. She described Keitany as an “alpha runner” and was mentally prepared to deal with her unpredictability (CBS, 2017). Not only was she prepared to deal with Keitany’s unpredictable racing, but she had to deal with her lower back injury, a huge disappointment to the Massachusetts native.
As a runner myself, I have followed Flanagan’s career since before I can remember. Flanagan holds the American record in the 3000 meter (indoor), 5000 meter (indoor) and 15K road race. If this is not enough, she also as a silver medal from the 2008 Olympics in the 10,000 meter and a bronze medal from the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and is now an NYC marathon champion.
Image courtesy of WABC-TV
Her finish on Sunday was an emotional and memorable one. She ended the race with a victorious fist bump and broke the tape by blowing a kiss, soon after falling to her knees in tears. Flanagan’s joyous finish graced the audience and gave her loyal fans a reason to smile. Flanagan reflected on the win the following morning on Good Morning America, describing it as a “pinch me” moment. She had been dreaming of this moment since she was a little girl.
Not only did Flanagan run this race for herself, but she did it for New York. After the terror attack in Lower Manhattan just a few days earlier, Flanagan wanted to give New Yorkers a reason to smile. She was inspired by distance runner Meb Keflezighi; the American male winner of the first Boston Marathon after the 2013 bombing.
There has been talk that Flanagan’s win might be the grand finale to her career. Flanagan said on Good Morning America how she loved her sport, but she has other passions and things she wants to contribute to running. Flanagan’s thoughts on the end of her career are no surprise. The athlete has many talents and interests; she adopted two foster children, both of who are runners and is a co-author of the cookbook, Run Fast, Eat Slow. Her cookbook is a New York Times bestseller and her new book, Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow, is coming out soon.
Flanagan is not just a role model to female runners, but to all women. Her race on Sunday showed how one can achieve their dream with hard work and perseverance. Flanagan reflected how she needed the break that her injury gave her. Savoring her time off and honoring herself is a good reminder to athletes and everyone else of the importance of mental and physical health. Flanagan is a fighter, a world-class runner, talented cook and inspirational woman; she will certainly not be forgotten in the running world.
Image courtesy of The New York Times