2016 New York City MarathonNov 9, 2016 by Taylor Dutch
The Stories Behind The 10 Best American Female Marathon Debuts
The Stories Behind The 10 Best American Female Marathon Debuts
Molly Huddle's marathon debut in New York City lands her the No. 6 fastest debut made by an American woman. How does her performance stack up against other marathon greats?
On Sunday, Molly Huddle made her marathon debut and after a "long grind" placed third in a time of 2:28:13 at the New York City Marathon. Compared to other marathon greats, Huddle's performance ranks No. 6 on the list of the fastest marathon debuts by American women.
Huddle's performance ends a year in which the distance star won the 5K and 10K at the Olympic Trials and finished sixth in the 10K at the Olympic Games in Rio. In the same exciting race where Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana broke the world record to win gold, Huddle ran an American record of 30:13.17, which shattered Shalane Flanagan's previous mark. Huddle's race results from the year help tell the short story of how she accomplished her best Olympic result, an American record, and a podium finish in her first marathon. (All results courtesy of Tilastopaja).
Every year leading up to a marathon debut tells a specific story. For all of the women on the all-time debut list, their yearly race results helped lead to historic moments in the marathon distance.
Kara Goucher ran her debut at the 2008 New York City Marathon in a third-place finish of 2:25:53--the fastest marathon debut by an American woman. The result was first of many impressive 26.2 performances for Goucher, including three top-six Boston Marathon finishes, ninth place at the 2009 world championships, 10th at the 2012 Olympic Games, and fourth at the 2016 Olympic Trials. Prior to her debut, Goucher finished ninth in the 5K and 10K at the Olympic Games in Beijing. She went on to finish on the podium in New York City--the city where she was born and the site of a turning point in her career.
Watch: Kara Goucher DRIVEN Trailer:
"It totally changed my life. Running the marathon exposed me to a whole new fan base. I was able to relate to thousands more people. I entered into this community that I didn't really even know existed, even though I had already been running professionally for so many years. It gave me more notoriety in the sport. It opened a lot of doors," Goucher told Runner's World ahead of Sunday's race.
2008 Race Results:
2. Deena Kastor
Deena Kastor made her marathon debut in 2001, one year after competing in her first of three Olympic Games. During the summer of 2001, Kastor finished 11th in the 10K at the world championships and ended her season with a seventh-place finish of 2:26:58 in her debut at the New York City Marathon.
Kastor's performance proved to be a breakthrough moment in her career as she went on to earn bronze at the 2004 Olympic Games, claim 10 top-10 finishes at World Marathon Major races, and set the American record with a 2:19:36 victory at the 2006 London Marathon.
2001 Race Results:
3. Amy Hastings Cragg
Amy Hastings Cragg made her marathon debut at the Los Angeles Marathon in March 2011. She finished second in her first 26.2 attempt in 2:27:03, which still stands as her personal best in the event. That same year, Cragg made her first world championship team on the track when she finished second in the 5K at the USATF Outdoor Championships. She went on to place 14th in Daegu, South Korea, in September.
In the following years, Cragg continued to grow as one of the top marathoners in the United States. She finished a heartbreaking fourth at the 2012 Olympic Trials but was able to return and make the Olympic team on the track in the 10K. In 2013, Cragg competed in the 10K at the world championships in Moscow where she placed 14th. In 2014, Cragg tied her marathon personal best when she finished fourth at the Chicago Marathon.
2016 proved to be a breakthrough year for Cragg when she joined the Bowerman Track Club and began training with Shalane Flanagan. Together, the training partners qualified for the Olympic Games when Cragg won the Olympic Trials and returned to hug Flanagan as she crossed the line in third, exhausted from the heat.
2011 Race Results:
4. Marla Runyan
Marla Runyan, a legally blind Olympian who finished eighth in the 1500m at the 2000 Olympic Games, made her marathon debut two years later at the 2002 New York City Marathon with a fifth-place finish in 2:27:10. In the same year, Runyan ran a 1500m personal best of 4:02 at the Rome Diamond League meeting, a 8:39 3K PR at the Prefontaine Classic and won the 5K at the USATF Outdoor Championships.
After her debut, Runyan went on to place fifth at the 2003 Boston Marathon, seventh at the 2004 Chicago Marathon, and ninth in the 5K semifinal of the 2004 Athens Olympics, her second and final Games.
2002 Race Results:
5. Renee Metivier Baillie
Renee Metivier Baillie catapulted onto the all-time list when she finished sixth at the 2012 Chicago Marathon in 2:27:17. A known cross country talent, Baillie has competed on five world cross country teams. In the same year, she won the USATF 20K championships and placed fourth at the USATF Cross Country Championships. Unfortunately, Baillie suffered an Achilles injury and underwent surgery in 2013 to repair it. She returned to the competitive racing scene in 2014 when she placed fourth at the California International Marathon. She hasn't competed in a marathon since.
2012 Race Results:
7. Laura Thweatt
Laura Thweatt shocked the world when she made her debut at the 2015 New York City Marathon with a seventh-place finish in 2:28:23. The performance marked a happy end to a tumultuous year.
Prior to New York, the cross country talent captured the USATF championship title and finished 29th at the world championships despite suffering from a stress reaction in her foot. After the world championships, Thweatt injured her knee as a result of a car accident and was forced to sit out for the majority of the 2015 track season. She regained her health throughout the summer and started to build her fitness with road races leading up to New York, highlighted by a half-marathon victory in Virginia Beach.
In 2016, Thweatt returned to the track where she claimed a then world leading and 10K personal best of 31:52 at the Stanford Invitational. She went on to place fifth in the 10K at the Olympic Trials.
2015 Race Results:
8. Kellyn Taylor
The NAZ Elite stunner only has two marathon races to her name, but she has been consistent in both. Taylor made her marathon debut with a sixth-place finish in 2:28:40 at the 2015 Houston Marathon. Her second marathon took place at the 2016 Olympic Trials when she finished sixth in 2:32:49, battling hot conditions on the Los Angeles course.
The year of Taylor's first marathon began with an attempt at the 26.2-mile distance and started a series of breakthroughs. After January's race, Taylor went on to set a 10K PR of 32:29, finish seventh in the 5K at the USATF Outdoor Championships, and claim a half-marathon personal best of 71:01.
2015 Race Results:
9. Shalane Flanagan
Prior to making her marathon debut in 2010, Shalane Flanagan competed in two Olympic Games, highlighted by an Olympic bronze medal and then-American record in the 10K at the 2008 Games in Beijing. By 2010, Flanagan was ready for a new challenge in the form of 26.2 miles.
"When I expressed that I maybe wanted to leave the track behind and take the marathon more seriously, people said I was crazy, because I had just won a bronze medal," Flanagan told Runner's World. "But I thought, 'How am I going to top that? I just set a personal best, an American record, and won a medal. I can't top that. I'd be chasing a unicorn.' The marathon seemed like a great challenge. I felt deep down I was meant to be a marathoner more so than a track runner."
Watch: Shalane Flanagan DRIVEN Series Trailer:
In her first marathon, Flanagan placed second in 2:28:40 on the streets of New York City. It was the first of many historic runs for the four-time Olympian. In 2012, Flanagan placed ninth at the Olympic Games. From 2013 to 2015, she clocked three top-10 finishes at the Boston Marathon. In 2014, she hit a personal best of 2:21:14 on her way to finishing third in Berlin. Most recently, she finished sixth at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
2010 Race Results:
10. Clara Grandt Santucci
Clara Grandt Santucci ran her first marathon at the 2011 Boston Marathon where she placed 16th in 2:29:54. Santucci's run took place just one year after she graduated as an All-American from West Virginia. It was a performance that eventually led to a seventh-place finish at the 2012 Olympic Trials and two top-seven finishes at the Chicago Marathon.
2011 Race Results:
| Rank | Athlete | Time | Place/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kara Goucher | 2:25:53 | New York 2008 |
| 2 | Deena Kastor | 2:26:58 | New York 2001 |
| 3 | Amy Hastings Cragg | 2:27:03 | Los Angeles 2011 |
| 4 | Marla Runyan | 2:27:10 | New York 2002 |
| 5 | Renee Metivier-Baillie | 2:27:17 | Chicago 2012 |
| 6 | Molly Huddle | 2:28:13 | New York 2016 |
| 7 | Laura Thweatt | 2:28:23 | New York 2015 |
| 8 | Kellyn Taylor | 2:28:40 | Houston 2015 |
| 9 | Shalane Flanagan | 2:28:40 | New York 2010 |
| 10 | Clara Grandt Santucci | 2:29:54 | Boston 2011 |
Huddle's performance ends a year in which the distance star won the 5K and 10K at the Olympic Trials and finished sixth in the 10K at the Olympic Games in Rio. In the same exciting race where Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana broke the world record to win gold, Huddle ran an American record of 30:13.17, which shattered Shalane Flanagan's previous mark. Huddle's race results from the year help tell the short story of how she accomplished her best Olympic result, an American record, and a podium finish in her first marathon. (All results courtesy of Tilastopaja).
| Molly Huddle | | Finish | Event | Site | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 m | | |||||
| 9:00.82 SB (43) | 1 | Millrose | New York NY | 20 Feb | ||
| 5000 m | | |||||
| 14:57.31i PB (2) | 2 | Millrose | New York NY | 20 Feb | ||
| 14:48.14 SB (22) | 11 | Pre | Eugene OR | 27 May | ||
| 15:26.33 | | 1h2 | NC | Eugene OR | 7 Jul | |
| 15:05.01 | | 1 | NC | Eugene OR | 10 Jul | |
| 10000 m | | |||||
| 31:41.62 SB | | 1 | NC | Eugene OR | 2 Jul | |
| 30:13.17 AR PB (6) | | 6 | OG | Río de Janeiro | 12 Aug | |
| 5 km | | |||||
| 15:14 SB | | 1 | BAA | Boston MA | 16 Apr | |
| Half Marathon | | |||||
| 67:41 PB (13) | | 1 | New York NY | 20 Mar |
Every year leading up to a marathon debut tells a specific story. For all of the women on the all-time debut list, their yearly race results helped lead to historic moments in the marathon distance.
1. Kara Goucher
Kara Goucher ran her debut at the 2008 New York City Marathon in a third-place finish of 2:25:53--the fastest marathon debut by an American woman. The result was first of many impressive 26.2 performances for Goucher, including three top-six Boston Marathon finishes, ninth place at the 2009 world championships, 10th at the 2012 Olympic Games, and fourth at the 2016 Olympic Trials. Prior to her debut, Goucher finished ninth in the 5K and 10K at the Olympic Games in Beijing. She went on to finish on the podium in New York City--the city where she was born and the site of a turning point in her career.
Watch: Kara Goucher DRIVEN Trailer:
"It totally changed my life. Running the marathon exposed me to a whole new fan base. I was able to relate to thousands more people. I entered into this community that I didn't really even know existed, even though I had already been running professionally for so many years. It gave me more notoriety in the sport. It opened a lot of doors," Goucher told Runner's World ahead of Sunday's race.
2008 Race Results:
| Kara Goucher | Finish | Event | Site | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1500 m | |||||
| 4:06.17 SB (34) | 1r1 | Jerome | Burnaby | 21 Jun | |
| One Mile | |||||
| 4:36.03i PB (20) | 1 | Millrose | New York NY | 1 Feb | |
| 3000 m | |||||
| 8:57.53i PB (26) | 6 | Norw Union | Birmingham | 16 Feb | |
| 9:00.53 SB (54) | 4 | Adidas | Carson CA | 18 May | |
| 5000 m | |||||
| 15:33.25 SB | 1r2 | OregonR | Eugene OR | 25 Apr | |
| 14:58.10 SB (22) | 3 | Pre | Eugene OR | 8 Jun | |
| 15:32.22 | 1h2 | NC | Eugene OR | 30 Jun | |
| 15:01.02 | 1 | NC | Eugene OR | 4 Jul | |
| 15:00.98 | 7h2 | OG | Beijing | 19 Aug | |
| 15:49.39 | 9 | OG | Beijing | 22 Aug | |
| 10000 m | |||||
| 31:26.48 SB | 1 | Border Duel | Portland OR | 31 May | |
| 31:37.72 | 2 | NC | Eugene OR | 27 Jun | |
| 30:55.16 PB (12) | 9 | OG | Beijing | 15 Aug | |
| 10 miles | |||||
| 53:16 PB | 1 | NC | St. Paul MN | 5 Oct | |
| Marathon | |||||
| 2:25:53 PB (27) | 3 | ING | New York NY | 3 Nov |
2. Deena Kastor
Deena Kastor made her marathon debut in 2001, one year after competing in her first of three Olympic Games. During the summer of 2001, Kastor finished 11th in the 10K at the world championships and ended her season with a seventh-place finish of 2:26:58 in her debut at the New York City Marathon.
Kastor's performance proved to be a breakthrough moment in her career as she went on to earn bronze at the 2004 Olympic Games, claim 10 top-10 finishes at World Marathon Major races, and set the American record with a 2:19:36 victory at the 2006 London Marathon.
2001 Race Results:
| Deena Kastor | Finish | Event | Site | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 m | |||||
| 5:42.76 PB (5) | 4 | NA | Heusden | 14 Jul | |
| 3000 m | |||||
| 8:45.77 (30) | 9 | Herc | Monaco | 20 Jul | |
| 5000 m | |||||
| 15:08.02 (28) | 5 | DNG | Stockholm | 17 Jul | |
| 10000 m | |||||
| 32:05.14 (47) | 1 | NC | Eugene OR | 23 Jun | |
| 32:18.65 | 11 | WC | Edmonton | 7 Aug | |
| Half Marathon | |||||
| 70:08 PB (34) | 1 | Virginia Beach VA | 2 Sep | ||
| Marathon | |||||
| 2:26:58 PB (38) | 7 | New York NY | 4 Nov |
3. Amy Hastings Cragg
Amy Hastings Cragg made her marathon debut at the Los Angeles Marathon in March 2011. She finished second in her first 26.2 attempt in 2:27:03, which still stands as her personal best in the event. That same year, Cragg made her first world championship team on the track when she finished second in the 5K at the USATF Outdoor Championships. She went on to place 14th in Daegu, South Korea, in September.
In the following years, Cragg continued to grow as one of the top marathoners in the United States. She finished a heartbreaking fourth at the 2012 Olympic Trials but was able to return and make the Olympic team on the track in the 10K. In 2013, Cragg competed in the 10K at the world championships in Moscow where she placed 14th. In 2014, Cragg tied her marathon personal best when she finished fourth at the Chicago Marathon.
2016 proved to be a breakthrough year for Cragg when she joined the Bowerman Track Club and began training with Shalane Flanagan. Together, the training partners qualified for the Olympic Games when Cragg won the Olympic Trials and returned to hug Flanagan as she crossed the line in third, exhausted from the heat.
2011 Race Results:
| Amy Cragg | Finish | Event | Site | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 m | |||||
| 15:19.61 PB | 1 | Portland OR | 11 Jun | ||
| 15:14.31 PB (40) | 2 | NC | Eugene OR | 24 Jun | |
| 15:15.30 | 10 | Areva | Saint-Denis | 8 Jul | |
| 15:15.56 | 5 | KBC-Nacht | Heusden | 16 Jul | |
| 15:29.84 | 3 | Lignano | 19 Jul | ||
| 15:17.22 | 7 | Aviva | London | 6 Aug | |
| 15:29.49 | 6h1 | WC | Daegu | 30 Aug | |
| 15:56.06 | 14 | WC | Daegu | 2 Sep | |
| 5 km | |||||
| 16:34 SB | 5 | BAA | Boston MA | 17 Apr | |
| 16:07 PB (45) | 6 | New York NY | 5 Nov | ||
| 10 km | |||||
| 34:20A SB (370) | 4 | Dick's | Boulder CO | 30 May | |
| Half Marathon | |||||
| 74:07 SB | 8 | NC | Houston TX | 29 Jan | |
| 71:22 SB (107) | 2 | Zappos.com | Las Vegas NV | 4 Dec | |
| Marathon | |||||
| 2:27:03 PB (84) | 2 | Honda | Los Angeles CA | 20 Mar | |
| 12 km | |||||
| 40:54 PB | 10 | Bloomsday | Spokane WA | 1 May |
4. Marla Runyan
Marla Runyan, a legally blind Olympian who finished eighth in the 1500m at the 2000 Olympic Games, made her marathon debut two years later at the 2002 New York City Marathon with a fifth-place finish in 2:27:10. In the same year, Runyan ran a 1500m personal best of 4:02 at the Rome Diamond League meeting, a 8:39 3K PR at the Prefontaine Classic and won the 5K at the USATF Outdoor Championships.
After her debut, Runyan went on to place fifth at the 2003 Boston Marathon, seventh at the 2004 Chicago Marathon, and ninth in the 5K semifinal of the 2004 Athens Olympics, her second and final Games.
2002 Race Results:
| Marla Runyan | Finish | Event | Site | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1500 m | |||||
| 4:07.86 SB | 9 | Gaz | Saint-Denis | 5 Jul | |
| 4:02.95 PB (19) | 6 | GGala | Roma | 12 Jul | |
| 3000 m | |||||
| 8:39.36 PB (14) | 1 | Pre | Eugene OR | 26 May | |
| 8:46.67 | 2 | Norw Union | Sheffield | 30 Jun | |
| 5000 m | |||||
| 15:13.96 SB | 2 | Adidas | Portland OR | 18 May | |
| 15:07.19 SB (28) | 1 | NC | Stanford CA | 22 Jun | |
| 15:18.36 | 4 | NA | Heusden | 20 Jul | |
| 10 miles | |||||
| 53:37 PB | 5 | Washington DC | 7 Apr | ||
| 5 km | |||||
| 15:27 PB (16) | 1 | Albany NY | 1 Jun | ||
| 10 km | |||||
| 31:46 PB (22) | 1 | NC | Boston MA | 14 Oct | |
| Half Marathon | |||||
| 71:19 PB (74) | 2 | Philadelphia PA | 15 Sep | ||
| Marathon | |||||
| 2:27:10 PB (47) | 5 | New York NY | 3 Nov |
5. Renee Metivier Baillie
Renee Metivier Baillie catapulted onto the all-time list when she finished sixth at the 2012 Chicago Marathon in 2:27:17. A known cross country talent, Baillie has competed on five world cross country teams. In the same year, she won the USATF 20K championships and placed fourth at the USATF Cross Country Championships. Unfortunately, Baillie suffered an Achilles injury and underwent surgery in 2013 to repair it. She returned to the competitive racing scene in 2014 when she placed fourth at the California International Marathon. She hasn't competed in a marathon since.
2012 Race Results:
| Renee Baillie | Finish | Event | Site | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 m | |||||
| 8:59.39 PB (56) | 10 | Pre | Eugene OR | 2 Jun | |
| 5000 m | |||||
| 16:04.51 OTi SB (31) | 2 | Wash Inv | Seattle WA | 27 Jan | |
| 15:28.56 SB (82) | 1 | Track Fest | Portland OR | 9 Jun | |
| 16:01.47 | 9h1 | OT | Eugene OR | 25 Jun | |
| 10 km | |||||
| 32:31 PB (62) | 5 | Cape Elizabeth ME | 4 Aug | ||
| 20 km | |||||
| 67:08 PB | 1 | NC | New Haven CT | 3 Sep | |
| Marathon | |||||
| 2:27:17 PB (77) | 6 | Bank of Am | Chicago IL | 7 Oct | |
| Cross Country 8.0 km | |||||
| 27:22.4h | 4 | NC | St. Louis MO | 11 Feb | |
| 7 miles | |||||
| 37:43 PB | 8 | Falmouth MA | 12 Aug |
7. Laura Thweatt
Laura Thweatt shocked the world when she made her debut at the 2015 New York City Marathon with a seventh-place finish in 2:28:23. The performance marked a happy end to a tumultuous year.
Prior to New York, the cross country talent captured the USATF championship title and finished 29th at the world championships despite suffering from a stress reaction in her foot. After the world championships, Thweatt injured her knee as a result of a car accident and was forced to sit out for the majority of the 2015 track season. She regained her health throughout the summer and started to build her fitness with road races leading up to New York, highlighted by a half-marathon victory in Virginia Beach.
In 2016, Thweatt returned to the track where she claimed a then world leading and 10K personal best of 31:52 at the Stanford Invitational. She went on to place fifth in the 10K at the Olympic Trials.
2015 Race Results:
| Laura Thweatt | Finish | Event | Site | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 miles | |||||
| 53:14 PB | 4 | NC | Minneapolis MN | 4 Oct | |
| 10 km | |||||
| 33:19 SB (172) | 7 | Cape Elizabeth ME | 1 Aug | ||
| 15 km | |||||
| 50:50 PB | 2 | Jacksonville FL | 15 Mar | ||
| Half Marathon | |||||
| 72:59 SB (293) | 1 | Virginia Beach VA | 6 Sep | ||
| Marathon | |||||
| 2:28:23 PB (106) | 7 | TCS | New York NY | 1 Nov | |
| Cross Country 6.0 km | |||||
| 19:52 | 2 | Club Ch | San Francisco CA | 12 Dec | |
| Cross Country 8.0 km | |||||
| 27:42A | 1 | NC | Boulder CO | 7 Feb | |
| 28:49 | 29 | WC | Qingzhen | 28 Mar |
8. Kellyn Taylor
The NAZ Elite stunner only has two marathon races to her name, but she has been consistent in both. Taylor made her marathon debut with a sixth-place finish in 2:28:40 at the 2015 Houston Marathon. Her second marathon took place at the 2016 Olympic Trials when she finished sixth in 2:32:49, battling hot conditions on the Los Angeles course.
The year of Taylor's first marathon began with an attempt at the 26.2-mile distance and started a series of breakthroughs. After January's race, Taylor went on to set a 10K PR of 32:29, finish seventh in the 5K at the USATF Outdoor Championships, and claim a half-marathon personal best of 71:01.
2015 Race Results:
| Kellyn Taylor | Finish | Event | Site | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 m | |||||
| 15:42.24 SB | 1 | Shoreline WA | 27 May | ||
| 15:32.04 SB (94) | 7 | NC | Eugene OR | 28 Jun | |
| 15:52.78 | 3 | PAG | Toronto | 21 Jul | |
| 16:24.86A | 1 | NACAC | San José | 9 Aug | |
| 10000 m | |||||
| 32:29.88 PB (98) | 22 | Jordan | Stanford CA | 2 May | |
| 10 miles | |||||
| 54:37 SB | 7 | NC | Minneapolis MN | 4 Oct | |
| 10 km | |||||
| 33:21 SB | 1 | Richmond VA | 28 Mar | ||
| 33:50 | 3 | Green Bay WI | 13 Jun | ||
| 34:15 | 4 | Northport NY | 19 Sep | ||
| 33:14 SB (160) | 11 | Tufts | Boston MA | 12 Oct | |
| 15 km | |||||
| 52:20 SB | 10 | Jacksonville FL | 15 Mar | ||
| Half Marathon | |||||
| 71:46 PB | 4 | San Diego CA | 31 May | ||
| 71:01 PB (112) | 4 | Philadelphia PA | 31 Oct | ||
| 73:20 | 5 | San Antonio TX | 6 Dec | ||
| Marathon | |||||
| 2:28:40 PB (113) | 6 | Aramco | Houston TX | 18 Jan | |
| Cross Country 6.0 km | |||||
| 21:33 | 2 | Barranquilla | 22 Feb | ||
| Cross Country 8.0 km | |||||
| 28:40A | 8 | NC | Boulder CO | 7 Feb |
9. Shalane Flanagan
Prior to making her marathon debut in 2010, Shalane Flanagan competed in two Olympic Games, highlighted by an Olympic bronze medal and then-American record in the 10K at the 2008 Games in Beijing. By 2010, Flanagan was ready for a new challenge in the form of 26.2 miles.
"When I expressed that I maybe wanted to leave the track behind and take the marathon more seriously, people said I was crazy, because I had just won a bronze medal," Flanagan told Runner's World. "But I thought, 'How am I going to top that? I just set a personal best, an American record, and won a medal. I can't top that. I'd be chasing a unicorn.' The marathon seemed like a great challenge. I felt deep down I was meant to be a marathoner more so than a track runner."
Watch: Shalane Flanagan DRIVEN Series Trailer:
In her first marathon, Flanagan placed second in 2:28:40 on the streets of New York City. It was the first of many historic runs for the four-time Olympian. In 2012, Flanagan placed ninth at the Olympic Games. From 2013 to 2015, she clocked three top-10 finishes at the Boston Marathon. In 2014, she hit a personal best of 2:21:14 on her way to finishing third in Berlin. Most recently, she finished sixth at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
2010 Race Results:
| Shalane Flanagan | Finish | Event | Site | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1500 m | |||||
| 4:10.24 SB | 3 | High Perf | Eagle Rock CA | 22 May | |
| 4:08.03 SB | 2 | Eugene OR | 29 May | ||
| 4:06.44 SB (41) | 9 | adidas | New York NY | 12 Jun | |
| 4:11.94 | 2h1 | NC | Des Moines IA | 24 Jun | |
| 4:19.56 | 11 | NC | Des Moines IA | 26 Jun | |
| 5000 m | |||||
| 15:04.23 SB | 2 | Jordan | Stanford CA | 1 May | |
| 14:49.08 SB (19) | 2 | Pre | Eugene OR | 3 Jul | |
| Half Marathon | |||||
| 69:41 PB | 1 | NC | Houston TX | 17 Jan | |
| 68:37 PB (18) | 4 | ING | Philadelphia PA | 19 Sep | |
| Marathon | |||||
| 2:28:40 PB (80) | 2 | ING | New York NY | 7 Nov | |
| Cross Country 8.0 km | |||||
| 25:10 | 1 | NC | Spokane WA | 13 Feb | |
| 25:20 | 12 | WC | Bydgoszcz | 28 Mar |
10. Clara Grandt Santucci
Clara Grandt Santucci ran her first marathon at the 2011 Boston Marathon where she placed 16th in 2:29:54. Santucci's run took place just one year after she graduated as an All-American from West Virginia. It was a performance that eventually led to a seventh-place finish at the 2012 Olympic Trials and two top-seven finishes at the Chicago Marathon.
2011 Race Results:
| Clara Santucci | Finish | Event | Site | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 m | |||||
| 16:25.19i SB (63) | 1 | SFG | Morgantown WV | 22 Jan | |
| 10000 m | |||||
| 33:27.04 SB (183) | 2 | Bloomington IN | 29 Oct | ||
| 15 km | |||||
| 50:34 PB | 4 | NC | Jacksonville FL | 12 Mar | |
| 20 km | |||||
| 69:05 SB | 2 | NC | New Haven CT | 5 Sep | |
| Half Marathon | |||||
| 73:13 PB (239) | 6 | NC | Houston TX | 29 Jan | |
| Marathon | |||||
| 2:29:54 PB (131) | 16 | BAA | Boston MA | 18 Apr | |
| 7 miles | |||||
| 39:36 PB | 8 | Davenport IA | 30 Jul | ||
| 38:18 PB | 10 | Falmouth MA | 14 Aug |