5 Things To Know About Shalane Flanagan: First American Female NYC Marathon Winner in 40 Years
An American woman hasn’t won the New York City Marathon since Miki Gorman did it in 1977, until Sunday, when Oregon native Shalane Flanagan crossed the finish line first.
Kenyan runner Mary Keitany broke the tape first in the women’s NYC marathon for each of the past three years, but it was Flanagan won came out ahead Sunday after posting a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes and 53 seconds. She not only became the first U.S. female to win this race since 1977, but she also was the first American, male or female, to win the race since Meb Keflezighi won in 2009.
5 Things To Know About Shalane Flanagan: 2017 NYC Marathon Winner!
After such an amazing effort from Flanagan, we thought we’d share a handful of very interesting things about her for your trivial pursuit.
1. Flanagan Holds 3 Long-Distance Running Records
Flanagan holds the American record times in the 3000-meter (indoor) race, the 5000-meter (indoor) race and the 15K road race. She also won the bronze medal in the 10,000-meter race in Beijing, China, when she was 27 years old.
2. It Took 10 Years To Turn a Bronze Medal Into a Silver Medal!
Just a few months ago, Turkish runner Elvan Abeylegesse retroactively failed a doping test on a sample taken at the 2007 World Championships. That brought a two-year ban, and she had to relinquish her results from between 2007 to 2009, which included her silver medal win in the 10,000-meter race. That allowed Flanagan, who had won the bronze, to move up one spot on the podium to receive a silver medal instead, retroactively.
Elated to receive this news.heard this was possible 2 years ago. I still have never been contacted by @iaaforg or IOC about next step… https://t.co/IJNo6Xjyjy
— Shalane Flanagan (@ShalaneFlanagan) March 29, 2017
3. She’s Truly an “All-American” Woman
Flanagan was born in Boulder, Colorado, but she grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she participated in cross country, swimming, soccer and track. She would go on to attend college at the University of North Carolina, where she would win 2002 and 2003 national cross country titles. She would move to Portland, Oregon, in 2009, where she serves as an assistant cross country coach at Portland State University.
4. Flanagan Wrote a Best-Selling Cookbook For Athletes in 2016
Last year, Flanagan wrote the cookbook, “Run Fast. Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes For Athletes,” which is available on Amazon. With 331 customer reviews – and an amazing five-star rating – it is the No. 1 best-selling book on Amazon under the “Running & Jogging” category.
5. This Could Be Flanagan’s Last March!
On Saturday, FLoTrack posted an interview with Flanagan where she said she thinks she’d retire if she won Sunday’s race. Now that she won, she’ll have to make that decision – but big endorsements are sure to come, which means the 36-year-old might get talked into running a little longer.
This was just Flanagan’s second appearance in the New York City Marathon, and she became the sixth U.S. women’s champion at this event, with the second-best time by a U.S. woman.