Fast Women: Redefining what's possible in the 1500m
Whittni Morgan is headed to Paris.
Issue 302, sponsored by Brooks
Faith Kipyegon lowers her 1500m world record
I remember having a moment during high school when my PRs were falling so dramatically and rapidly that I realized I had no idea what kind of times I could ultimately run. And that’s how I feel about the women’s 1500m right now. I used to think I had a sense of what was possible in the event, but now it seems like pretty much anything could happen.
This feeling has been building for some time, but the past eight days have provided further supporting evidence. First it took running 3:55 to make the U.S. Olympic team. Then one week later, at the Paris Diamond League meet, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon ran 3:49.04 and shaved 0.07 seconds off of the world record she set last year. Kipyegon running fast is not new. But Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay running 3:50.30 in April and Australia’s Jess Hull running 3:50.83 in Sunday’s race shows that others are starting to catch up.
Hull shaved 5.14 seconds off of her personal best in a single race and lowered the Oceanian record by the same amount. Behind her, Laura Muir lowered the British record to 3:53.79. Ten of the 13 athletes in the race set personal bests, and four broke national records. (In addition to the top three, Agathe Guillemot, who finished eighth, lowered the French record to 3:58.05.)
Kipyegon said afterward that she knew she was in world record shape when she ran 3:53.98 at altitude at the Kenyan Trials. And an ecstatic Hull said she knew she was going to go with Kipyegon, no matter what. “I was like, ‘I’m going to die trying, I don’t want to die wondering,’” she said.
This race didn’t rewrite the all-time list as much as one might expect, though. Hull is now fifth, and Muir is 13th. But the women’s 1500m has a higher-than-average number of suspicious performances from the past. That’s not to say everyone is clean now. I have no idea who is and isn’t, but there’s more drug testing in place now. And the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the list mostly rewritten within the next couple of years.
I think there’s a fair amount of, “If they can do it, so can I” going on. Nikki Hiltz talked about that a bit in an episode of the Ali on the Run Show released yesterday. And Hull benefited immensely from being able to follow Kipyegon the whole way.
I also think super shoes are absolutely helping athletes go faster, recover faster, and train more. Athletes are doing smarter training right now, and there’s more emphasis on physical and mental health. And that includes fueling well and getting strong, rather than focusing on shrinking oneself. Athletes know more about recovering well now, too. This shift in times is happening in all events, but I also think a lot of the best talent is concentrated in the 1500m right now, because if you can be good at running 3.75 laps, why run more?
I’m recalibrating my thinking around what kinds of times it might take to make the Olympic final and earn a medal. Yes, there won’t be pacers, and running rounds at a championship leads to cumulative fatigue, plus Kipyegon will be taking on an ambitious 5,000m/1500m double. But I still think the races are going to go fast.
There’s still quite a bit of season left, so I’m prepared for my mind to be blown a few more times in this event, even if it shouldn’t come as a surprise at this point. (1500m results, with splits | Race replay)
Whittni Morgan is headed to Paris, too
When Elle St. Pierre decided just to do the 1500m, and not the 5,000m, at the Olympic Games, that gave Parker Valby the option to run both the 5,000m and 10,000m in Paris. But Valby has already done that double at her last three meets, so there seemed to be a good chance that she would want to focus on just one event.
On Friday night, a post from one of Valby’s coaches, Samantha Palmer, implied Valby would run just the 10,000m in Paris, and she confirmed that the following day. That opened up another spot in the 5,000m, which will go to Taylor Made Elite’s Whittni Morgan. Coach Diljeet Taylor posted a video of the moment she broke the news to Morgan.
Valby wrote in a text to Runner’s World that she was “excited another American distance runner has the opportunity to be an Olympian and live out her dream.” And I’m with her. While everyone has the right to double, I think it’s more fun with different athletes on the 5,000m and 10,000m teams. This time out, only Karissa Schweizer will double.
Morgan’s road to Paris has been an unusual one. Last November, she underwent surgery to repair her patellar tendon. (If you start at that link and scroll through her Instagram, you can follow some of her progress.) According to this Deseret News article, her surgeon was Olympic speed skating legend Eric Heiden. She cross trained her way back to fitness and did her first run on land on February 6. Taylor told the Deseret News that because Morgan has dealt with so many injuries during her career, she’s used to doing this kind of unconventional build.
Her first race back was a 4:11.66 1500m in April at the Bryan Clay Invitational. And when she ran a 15:06.11 5,000m at the Oxy Invitational three weeks later, it became clear she was making good progress. At the Trials, Taylor and Morgan discussed fighting for every spot, knowing that opportunities might trickle down. And now it has paid off.
Thanks to Brooks for sponsoring Fast Women this month
Through its Future Run program, Brooks is a proud supporter of Students Run Philly Style, a Philadelphia-based youth running program that pairs volunteer mentors with teams of students to inspire them to push themselves further than they imagined.
Each year the program hosts their Leadership Camp, a three-day overnight camp that’s rooted in working as a collective to develop leadership skills that the students can bring back to their teams in the fall. This year, Hansons-Brooks ODP athlete Maddie Offstein and Brooks athlete Colin Bennie joined the group and led workshops around “finding balance with running and life” along with “the benefits of strong team culture and traits it takes to be a good teammate.”
Brooks Future Run supports the young runners of today and future leaders of tomorrow, through a $10 million commitment over the next five years, reaching running clubs, teams, coaches, and mentors nationwide.
SPRINT brings track & field to the mainstream
Netflix’s six-episode docuseries SPRINT, which follows athletes including Sha’Carri Richardson, Shericka Jackson, Noah Lyles, and Marcell Jacobs, launched last week, and it’s well done. As I write this, it’s the No. 4 Netflix show in the U.S. The series might be a little less exciting for people who are already track fans, because we know how the 2023 season ended in the 100m and 200m. But I appreciated getting some extra context around the things we see from these athletes on the track and seeing more of their personalities.
I don’t know that the series is going to be a game-changer for track & field, but it should definitely get some new people interested and inspired. American sprinters are among the best in the world, but year-round, the storytelling and coverage in the distance events is much better in this country. (Case in point: During the Olympic Trials, Lyles tweeted, “Where is the post meet podcast [that] is gonna talk about the sprints?”) There’s nowhere near the same depth of coverage. SPRINT helps level the field.
I’ve seen some complaints that the series focuses too heavily on the U.S. vs. Jamaica rivalry and mostly ignores athletes from other countries. But I imagine it’s hard to choose your stars at the beginning of the season, when no one knows how things will turn out. Fortunately for Netflix producers, they chose well. I admit that at times, watching SPRINT felt like work. I’m not sure I would have voluntarily chosen it over all of the other things available on streaming services. But by the last episode, I was ready to watch season two, which is coming this fall. And I’m grateful to Netflix for giving track & field this kind of attention.
Other News and Links
The uniform rules in track & field can be extremely frustrating at times. The morning of her 100mH semifinal race at the Olympic Trials, Christina Clemons learned that she would have to cover the Doritos logos on her uniform. But—this is one of the best things I’ve seen all week—she pulled off a masterful pivot and still found a way to advertise the brand. Clemons finished seventh in the 100mH final.
This was a good post from Nikki Hiltz about the psychological side of preparing for the Olympic Trials. And if you haven’t seen this Instagram post from them, it’s a tearjerker.
As if she didn’t have enough other things going on, Olympic Trials 800m champion Nia Akins released a new song, Petals to the Fire, on Sunday.
After the Olympic Trials, Karissa Schweizer revealed that the week of the Trials was her first week of running on the ground every day, post-injury. “Shoutout to cross training,” she wrote.
I appreciated this piece from James Rhodes about 17-year-old Phoebe Gill, who will represent Great Britain in the 800m at the Olympic Games.
West Virginia University coach Sean Cleary had Ceili McCabe redshirt the cross country and outdoor track seasons this past academic year so she could make Olympic qualifying her priority. She secured her spot on Canada’s Olympic steeplechase squad by running 9:20.58 to win the LA Grand Prix, and then winning a national title. She still has a full year of eligibility remaining in the NCAA.
If I had more time, I would write about how frustrating it is when athletes are eligible for Olympic selection, but their national federations decide not to send them. I appreciated this post from Great Britain’s Amelia Strickler.
Additional Results
Bahrain’s Winfred Mutile Yavi won an exciting steeplechase at the Paris Diamond League meet. Many of this season’s steeples have broken up pretty early, with a few athletes out front racing, and a chase pack essentially running a separate race. This time, the front pack went out quickly but slowed in the middle kilometer, which allowed some of the chasers to get back in the race. Yavi hung on well to run an unevenly-split 9:03.68. Alice Finot moved up from the chase pack to take second in a French record of 9:05.01. Great Britain’s Lizzie Bird ran a strong race to take third (9:09.07), and Olivia Markezich finished fourth in 9:14.67, shaving 0.2 seconds off of her PR. Gabbi Jennings, the other U.S. entrant, was reportedly a last-minute scratch. (Results with splits)
Also in Paris, Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh cleared 2.10m (6’ 10.75”) in the high jump and broke the world record that stood for 37 years. (Video)
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson comfortably won the 800m at the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games in the Netherlands, running 1:57.36. Melissa Courtney-Bryant, also of Great Britain, won the 1500m in 4:03.58, and Dani Jones finished second in 4:03.78. And the previous day, Ethiopia’s Lemlem Nibret won the 10,000m, a rare women’s track race with male pacers, in 30:32.42. (Results | Video of the 1500m finish)
After the FBK Games, I’m curious about what’s going on with Sifan Hassan. Saturday’s 10,000m was reportedly set up specifically for her. According to the commentators, the male pacesetters were shooting for 29:00. But minutes before the race, Hassan pulled out, reportedly deciding it was too windy to race. She lined up for the following day’s 1500m, but she faded to fifth place in 4:04.83. After the race, she said she thought she did her warmup too early and then cooled off before the race. “I don’t think it says anything about the shape I’m in,” she said. “I still have three weeks to [put in] good training, and then I will decide which distances I will run in Paris.”
Burundi’s Francine Niyomukunzi won France’s Fast 5000 in a PR of 14:42.77. Vanessa Fraser was the top American, taking 10th in 15:23.39. (Results)
Christina Aragon won the 1500m at last week’s British Milers Club Grand Prix by more than five seconds, running 4:06.96. Logan Jolly won the 2,000m steeplechase in 6:12.18. It’s still not clear to me whether this is an American record. Last year, Madie Boreman ran 6:09.81, but it apparently hasn’t been ratified. Australia’s Holly Campbell won the 3,000m (8:53.63), and Great Britain’s Ava Lloyd won the 800m in 2:03.56, with Emily Richards close behind (2:03.81). (Results)
Kenya’s Mary Ekiru won the 1500m at France’s Meeting Sotteville-lès-Rouen in 4:06.45, and Eleanor Fulton finished second in 4:07.42, just 0.01 off of her best time so far this season. Fulton’s times are trending in a positive direction as she returns from back-to-back injuries. Cuba’s Daily Cooper Gaspar, 22, won the 800m in 1:59.50. She’ll be one to keep an eye on as she has made a big jump this year, and she recently ran a 1:58. (Results)
Australia’s Leanne Pompeani won the Gold Coast Half Marathon in 1:09:20. Fellow Australian Jess Stenson took second (1:10:08), and Sara Hall finished third (1:10:54). Canadians Natasha Wodak (1:11:21) and Andrea Seccafien (1:11:34) took fourth and fifth. (Results) Japan’s Yuki Nakamura won the marathon (2:24:22), and Ethiopia’s Kumeshi Sichala took second (2:25:25). (Results)
Canada reclaimed the women’s 100 x 1 mile world record at an event in Hamilton, Ontario, on Sunday. Their unofficial time was 8:57:26, and 2021 Olympian Madeleine Kelly anchored the relay.
Some Fourth of July Results
Some towns have Independence Day races that aren’t that difficult to win, but you never know when someone fresh off of racing in the Olympic Trials might show up. Here’s a non-comprehensive list of some of the races that were a bit tougher to win:
Stacy Ndiwa edged out Irine Cheptai in a dramatic sprint finish to win the Peachtree Road Race (10K), 31:12 to 31:13. Kenyans swept the top nine spots. Susanna Sullivan was the top American finisher, placing 10th in 32:40, two seconds faster than she ran at the Olympic Trials five days earlier. Betty Lindberg, 99, was the race’s oldest finisher, completing the course in 3:08:45. Susannah Scaroni won the wheelchair race for the third year in a row and fourth time overall, in 21:39. (Results)
Jess McClain won the Crown City Classic 12K, on California’s Coronado Island, for the fourth year in a row, running 39:27 (5:17/mile). McClain finished third overall, and I appreciated her post-race quote, after two fourth-place Olympic Trials finishes this year. “I’m glad I could pull out a top-three finish today and not get another fourth place,” she joked. (Results)
Annie Rodenfels won the Great Buffalo Chase 5K, in Frankfort, Kentucky, in 15:38. In addition to winning prize money, she also earned a large bourbon barrel lid. (Results)
Emily Durgin won the Bridgton (Maine) 4 on the Fourth, covering the four-mile course in 20:42. (Results)
Aubrey Frentheway won the Freedom Run 5K in Provo, Utah, running 16:07, and Kodi Kleven won the 10K in 33:23. (Results)
After doubling at the Olympic Trials, Jenn Randall won the Butte to Butte 5K, in Eugene, Oregon, in 16:06, and Melissa Berry won the 10K in 34:52. (Results)
The FireKracker 5K in Fort Collins, Colorado, had a very deep field. Ethiopia’s Mahlet Mulugeta won in 16:09, and Laura Thweatt (16:14) and Rachael Rudel (16:15) weren’t far behind. (Results)
Katie Izzo won the Scripps Ranch (California) Old Pros 10K in 34:17. (Results)
Katrina Spratford-Sterling won the L.L. Bean 4th of July 10K in Freeport, Maine, running 34:35. Joan Benoit Samuelson dominated the 65–69 age group, running 43:08. (Results)
Maggi Congdon won the Flagstaff Downtown Mile (4:44), and Annika Reiss (4:50) and Stephanie Bruce (also 4:50) finished second and third. (Results)
Alsu Lenneman won the Clawson (Michigan) Firecracker Mile in 4:46.40, and Dot McMahan, 47, finished second in 4:46.93, just ahead of Natalie Cizmas (4:47.44). (Results)
Ryen Frazier won the Rotary Club of Kernersville (North Carolina) 4th of July 5K Run in 17:12. (Results)
Grayson Murphy won the Heber Valley Main to Main 10K in 36:16, but she was just running with her fiancé, who PRed. (Results)
Maura Lemon won the WTOL River Run 10K in Toledo, Ohio, in 36:35. (Results)
Rachel McArthur won the Freedom Firecracker 5K in Manassas, Virginia, in a slow-for-her but still-fast 17:46. Her partner, Cooper Teare, who was also running at a submaximal effort, finished two seconds back. (Results)
Kenya’s Joyce Kimeli, who won the 2021 NCAA Indoor 5,000m title while at Auburn, finished second at the Independence Day 5K in Virginia Beach, Virginia, running 19:38. (Lily Schlossberg won in 18:56.) I don’t know what she’s been through since graduating, but I appreciate how happy she seemed to be back to racing, at any speed. (Results)
Podcast Highlights
Last week was a big one for running podcasts, and there are so many good episodes to choose from. Some highlights:
I already mentioned it above, but I loved the level of detail in Ali Feller’s interview with Nikki Hiltz and Emma Gee, on the Ali on the Run Show. Feller also did a great post-Trials episode with Keira D’Amato, and I particularly appreciated the inside view at what participating in the Trials was like.
It was great to hear from Marisa Howard on I’ll Have Another after she made the Olympic steeplechase squad. Howard hasn’t been on many podcasts so I enjoyed getting more of her story. She talked about the financial side of being an unsponsored runner. “I think we wrote off $17,000 in expenses (last year) and I only technically made $10,000,” she said.
Olympic Trials 400m champion Kendall Ellis was also on I’ll Have Another and I appreciated this quote: “My job is to run fast and to win races. My job is not to be a source of entertainment outside of that. I shouldn’t have to dance and do all these things and be funny on Twitter. That’s not what you’re paying me to do. If you want me to do that, put [some] extra dollars in there.”
Tatyana McFadden has an incredible story on so many levels, but I particularly appreciate how much advocacy work she has done along the way to create opportunities for other athletes with disabilities. I thought her appearance on NYRR’s Set the Pace was really good. She’ll try to make Paralympic history later this summer. (If you prefer text, there’s a transcript here.)
I loved hearing from Dr. Jessica Gall Myrick on the Keeping Track podcast. She is a communications professor at Penn State and was a three-time All-American at Indiana University. She had a lot of interesting insights about women’s sports, media, and social media, including the LetsRun message boards. This episode is tough to recap, but I highly recommend listening.
Mark Coogan provided some interesting insights about coaching Team New Balance Boston on The Real Science of Sport Podcast. (I thought this one got better after the 17:40 mark.)
Additional Episodes: Elvin Kibet on Women’s Running Stories | Parker Valby on Citius Mag | Weini Kelati on Citius Mag | Marta Pen Freitas on Flame Bearers | Jess O’Connell and Malindi Elmore on the Run Canada Podcast | Dot McMahan on Suite Run | Michaela Rose on Running in Circles | Emily Venters on The Running Effect
This was a bit of a busier week than I was expecting, but I think I’ve finally recovered from the Olympic Trials. Thanks to Brooks for sponsoring Fast Women, and thanks to all of you who support this newsletter via Venmo or Patreon. I hope you all have a great week.
Alison
I love the part about all of the smaller races last week!