A race previously dominated by Ethiopians and Kenyans ended with a surprising American victory. 36 year-old, Shalane Flanagan, crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon with tears of joy after 2 hours 26 minutes and 53 seconds of sheer determination. Racing next to Mary Keitany, 3-time defending champion of the NYC Marathon from Kenya, Flanagan was able to hold her off and finish one minute ahead of the 35 year-old decorated runner.
Flanagan felt it was her responsibility to bring America some joy after the devastating events that had happened in New York about a week prior. “I was thinking I had to put a smile on a New Yorker’s face today. I’ve got to do this.”
Flanagan’s inspiring race reminded her, and many others, of Meb Keflezighi, an American male runner who had won the Boston Marathon in 2014 a year after the bombings. Keflezighi and Flanagan are good friends, and Flanagan was seen shouting, “That’s for Meb,” after crossing the finish line, overwhelmed with emotion. Keflezighi said he had been texting her throughout her training sending words of encouragement. “I just couldn’t be happier for her,” he said. “She deserves one of those, whether it’s here or Boston, and I’m so delighted for her.”
In preparation for this race, Flanagan had focused on doing more lengthy runs and fewer workouts in between those runs. An alteration in her normal race preparation may have been due to the stress fracture in her back she experienced last winter, which caused her to be out of running for ten weeks. But this didn’t stop her, as she came back hungrier, stronger and smarter. Flanagan said, “My coaches told me that it was possible — the training I put in was the best I’ve ever put in. These are the moments we dream of as athletes. This is going to feel good for a really long time.”
Flanagan says her dedication to running is what allowed her to finally accomplish her dreams. The daughter of Cheryl Bridges, a former world record holder in the marathon, she has been running since she was young. “I’ve been dreaming of a moment like this since I was a little girl. It means a lot to me, to my family. Hopefully it inspires the next generation of women to just be patient. It took me seven years to do this. A lot of work went into this one moment.” This one moment is meaningful for both her and America. In a time many would describe as dark, Flanagan’s memorable race sheds some light.
