Shalane Grace Flanagan (born July 8, 1981) is an American

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

, Olympic medalist and New York City Marathon champion. She was the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon since 1977. She holds the NACAC area records in both the 10k and 15k road races. She won the silver medal at the

2008 Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nati ...

in the 10,000 m (after an upgrade from bronze) and the bronze medal at the

2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 20, 2011. The races were held at the Polideportivo Antonio Gil Hernández in Punta Umbría, Spain. Reports of the event were given for the IAAF. Preparation The Unite ...

. She won the Women's

2017 New York City Marathon The 2017 New York City Marathon was the 47th running of the annual marathon race in New York City, United States, which took place on November 5, 2017. The women's race was won by Shalane Flanagan, the first American woman to do so since Miki Gorm ...

, the first American woman to do so since

Miki Gorman Michiko "Miki" Suwa Gorman (August 9, 1935 – September 19, 2015) was an American marathon runner of Japanese ancestry. Gorman did not begin running competitively until she was in her mid-30s, but rapidly emerged as one of the elite marathoning ...

in 1977.

Personal life

Flanagan grew up in

Marblehead, Massachusetts Marblehead is a coastal New England town in Essex County, Massachusetts, along the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore. Its population was 20,441 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town lies on a small peninsula that extends ...

. She attended

Marblehead High School Marblehead High School is a public high school located in Marblehead, Massachusetts. History The school has approximately 970 students. The current campus began construction in 2001, and opened for the 2002–2003 school year. In 2002, Natio ...

, where she excelled in cross country and track. She also participated in soccer and swimming, and was an artist and painter in the art major program. Flanagan is married to Steven Ashley Edwards, a former track and field star at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

. Together they are foster parents to Breauna and Keauna. While training for the Rio Olympics, one of her teammates from Bowerman Track Club Team emailed asking to find a foster home during their senior year of high school. Flanagan and her husband immediately welcomed Breuna and Keauna into their home. Flanagan's parents are both accomplished runners. Her mother, Cheryl Treworgy, is a former

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

world record holder (as Cheryl Bridges – 1971) and a five-time U.S. World Cross Country Championship participant. Her father, Steve Flanagan, was also a U.S. World Cross Country Champion participant and marathon runner (PR 2:18). He raised Shalane and her sister Maggie in Marblehead with his second wife Monica. In the fall of 2009, Flanagan volunteered as an assistant coach for the cross country team at her alma mater, the

. In the fall of 2013, Flanagan volunteered as an assistant coach for the women cross country team at

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...

. On August 6, 2016, Flanagan and longtime college friend Elyse Kopecky published their first cookbook ''Run Fast.Eat Slow''. Flanagan and Kopecky met in 2000 as teammates of the cross country team while attending the University of North Carolina. After they graduated from college, they both moved to Portland, Oregon, where Flanagan went to run for Nike and Kopecky went to work in marketing for Nike. Kopecky left her marketing career to pursue culinary nutrition school in New York City. In 2013, Flanagan and Kopecky reunited in Portland where they came up with Run Fast Eat slow to prove that food could be both nourishing and delicious. Their book went on to become a New York Times Best Seller. They toured together in Oregon, San Francisco and New York City, where their events included running, inspirational talks and a chance to meet and get to know the authors better. Due to Flanagan's New York City Marathon Training and the birth of Kopecky's baby, they had to limit the number of stops on their book tour. After doing their book tour they had a better understanding of the impact their ''Run Fast.Eat Slow'' book had on the running community. The fan feedback was that they wanted Flanagan and Kopecky to write a second cookbook which would be best suited for people with busy lifestyles. Flanagan and Kopecky went on to write their second cook book ''Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow'' which focused on less time-consuming recipes whilst not compromising nourishment or flavour. Flanagan Flanagan & Kopecky, Shalane & Elyse (August 6, 2016). Run Fast.Eat Slow (1st ed.). Rodale Books. p. 256. Retrieved 15 November 2018. Their second cook book Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat slow was published August 18, 2018. On April 29, 2020, Flanagan announced she and Edwards had adopted a baby boy, Jack Dean Edwards.

Track and field career

High school

As a student at

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, Flanagan's accomplishments included three-time All-State cross country performances, a first-place All-State outdoor track finish in the mile in 4:52.38 and the two-mile in 10:24.21 (state meet record still stands as of 2017); her 4:46.91 mile won the

National Scholastic Indoor Championships The National Scholastic Indoor Championships or "NSIC" are, along with Nike Indoor Nationals, one of two American high school national championship indoor track and field meets. High school participants from across the country compete for the hono ...

College

Flanagan attended the

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

, where she won national cross country titles in 2002 and 2003—becoming the first individual champion in the sport in Tar Heel history—and numerous track accolades, with best times of 4:11.24 in 1500 m (7th in the U.S. at any level in 2003), 9:00.22 in the 3000 m and 15:20.54 in the 5000 m. She won the

Honda Sports Award The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Sports Award are automatically in th ...

as the best female collegiate cross country runner in the nation in both 2003 and 2004.

Professional career

Early professional career (2004–2007)

Early in her professional career, Flanagan was very successful. Since advancing to the professional level in 2004, by 2007, Flanagan lowered her 3000 m time to 8:33.25 and her 5000 m time to 14:44.80, the latter an American record at the time; she made a slight improvement to her 1500 m time of 4:05.86. She became a two-time outdoor track national champion in the women's

5000 meters The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stand ...

and an indoor track national champion in the 3000 m. She won the short course competition at the

USA Cross Country Championships The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, as ...

in 2004 and 2005. Flanagan has been a Nike-sponsored athlete since graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel hill in 2004.

2008

Flanagan became the long course national cross country champion for the first time in February 2008. She ran the 10,000 for the first time at the 2008

Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...

Payton Jordan Payton Jordan (March 19, 1917 – February 5, 2009) was the head coach of the 1968 United States Olympic track and field team, one of the most powerful track teams ever assembled, which won a record twenty-four medals, including twelve golds. ...

invite meeting, in a time of 30:34.49 to beat

Deena Kastor Deena Michelle Kastor (née Drossin; born February 14, 1973) is an American long-distance runner. She was a holder of American records in the marathon (2006-2022) and numerous road distances. She won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at t ...

's American record of 30:50.32. Flanagan credited her American record to the help of New Zealand's Kim Smith. Flanagan and Smith traded the lead position during the race, and Smith finished in 30:35.54. At the Summer Olympic Trials held in Eugene, Flanagan competed in both the 5000 and 10,000 m. She won the 10,000 m final in a time of 31:34.81. This guaranteed her a spot on Team USA for

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. Flanagan also finished third in the 5000 m final with a time of 15:02.81. On August 16, Flanagan finished third in the Olympic 10,000 m finals in Beijing, capturing the bronze medal ( later upgraded to silver). It was later upgraded to silver after Turkish runner Elvan Abeylegesse tested positive for a banned substance. Flanagan also set a then American record in 30:22.22, shattering her own record set earlier in the year. She is only the second American woman to receive an Olympic medal in the 10,000 m.

2009

In 2009, Flanagan split with coach John Cook and moved to

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, to begin working with new coach

Jerry Schumacher Jerry Schumacher is an American coach for the University of Oregon track and field and cross country program, specializing in distance running. He has coached Olympic silver medalist and the former American women's 10k record holder Shalane Flanaga ...

. She finished second to

Amy Yoder Begley Amy Yoder Begley (née Yoder; born January 11, 1978 in Topeka, Indiana) is an American middle and long-distance runner and a US Olympian in the 10,000 meter event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Yoder Begley lives in Atlanta, Georgia, w ...

in the 10,000 m at the 2009 USA Track & Field Championships. At the

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, Flanagan finished in 14th place in the 10,000 m with a time of 31:32.19.

2010

Flanagan won her first half marathon in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

at the USA Half Marathon Championships on January 17. She set the course record in a time of 1:09:45. She added a second national championship with a victory at the USA Cross Country Championships. At the World Cross Country Championships, Flanagan finished the individual race in 12th place with a time of 25:20. She was a member of the Team USA squad that earned a bronze medal. In June 2010, it was announced that Flanagan would make her marathon debut in the New York event in November 2010. Her preparations boded well for the event as her mark of 1:08:36 at the

Philadelphia Half Marathon The Philadelphia Distanced Run is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States on the third Sunday of September. The competition was established in 1978 as the Philadelphia Distan ...

was just two seconds off Deena Kastor's American record at the event. Flanagan's time in Philadelphia brought her fourth place some 45 seconds behind winner

Meseret Defar Meseret Defar Tola (Amharic: መሠረት ደፋር; born 19 November 1983) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes chiefly in the 3000 metres and 5000 metres events. She has won medals at top-tier international competitions including Ol ...

. In her marathon debut, Flanagan finished in second place in a time of 2:28:40. It was the best finish for an American woman in 20 years at the New York City Marathon. Flanagan captured the U.S. Marathon championship in the race. She took her fifth title at the National Cross Country Championships and asserted herself as the clear number one in the discipline, winning by a margin of 41 seconds.

2011

At the World Cross Country Championships on March 20, 2011, Flanagan improved on her 12th place from the year before to place third, with a time of 25:10. She led the Team USA squad to a bronze medal. Flanagan was the first non-African born medalist in the event since 2004. She competed in the June 2011 USA Championships in the 10,000 m and won with a time of 30:59.57, qualifying her for the 10,000 m at the

. On August 27, 2011, Flanagan finished seventh at the

10,000 m with a time of 31:25.57 minutes (the first non-East African born athlete to finish). Flanagan said in June 2011 that she was leaning towards running the marathon at the

2012 London Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. With this in mind, she ran at the first Miami Half Marathon in December and won in a

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

state record time of 1:09:58 hours.

2012

On January 14, 2012, Flanagan won the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Houston, setting the event record at 2:25:38. She moved on to represent Team USA at the Olympic women's marathon in London, finishing 10th with a time of 2:25:51. She defeated a high class field at the

Lisbon Half Marathon EDP Lisbon Half Marathon is an annual international half marathon competition which is contested every March in Lisbon, Portugal. It carries IAAF Gold Label Road Race status. The men's course record of 57:31 was set by Jacob Kiplimo in 2021, whi ...

in March, recording a time of 1:08:52. She came in 25th at the

2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Kavarna, Bulgaria on 6 October 2012. Detailed reports on the event and an appraisal of the results were given. Complete results were published for the men's race, for the wome ...

2013

On February 2, 2013, in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, she won the 8k national cross country title in 25:49.0, just ahead of

Kim Conley Kim Conley (born 14 March 1986 in Slough, United Kingdom) is an American track and field athlete, who competes in middle and long distance track events. She finished in third place at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials to qualify for the 2012 Olym ...

and

. Then on February 24, 2013, Flanagan set a half marathon best of 1:08:31 as runner-up to

at the Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. Flanagan qualified for the 2013

USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport. Since the year 1992, in the years which feature a Summer Olym ...

with the top American time of the year at the 2013

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

Invitational 10 km, where she ran 31:04 without competition for the 2nd half of the race. In June 2013, Flanagan won the 10,000 meters to claim her fourth

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

outdoor track title. On August 11, 2013, Flanagan finished 8th at the IAAF world championship.

2014

On March 15, 2014, in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

, Flanagan won the USA 15K Championships ( Gate River Run), setting a new women's American Record of 47:00 to take down Deena Kastor's previous record of 47:15 that was set in 2003. On April 21, 2014, Flanagan led the

2014 Boston Marathon The 2014 Boston Marathon took place in Boston, Massachusetts, on Monday, April 21 (Patriots' Day). It was the 118th edition of the mass-participation marathon. The race is organized by the Boston Athletic Association. On account of the 2013 Bo ...

female competitors through 19 miles, ultimately finishing seventh ( later upgraded to sixth) in a personal record of 2:22:02, making her the third fastest female American marathoner ever, after Kastor and 1984 Olympic champion

Joan Benoit Samuelson Joan Benoit Samuelson (born May 16, 1957) is an American marathon runner who was the first women's Olympic Games marathon champion, winning the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She held the fastest time for an American woma ...

. On September 28, 2014, Flanagan placed third in the

Berlin Marathon The Berlin Marathon (german: Berlin-Marathon, ) is a marathon event held annually on the streets of Berlin, Germany on the last weekend of September. Held annually since 1974, the event includes multiple races over the marathon distance of , inclu ...

, with a personal best of 2:21:14. It was the second fastest time ever by an American woman at the time, 7 seconds ahead of Joan Benoit's 1985

Chicago Marathon The Chicago Marathon is a marathon (long-distance foot race) held every October in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the six World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also a World Athletics Label Road Race. The Chicago Marathon is the fourth-largest r ...

in 2:21:21 and 98 seconds behind

's 2006

London Marathon The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London, United Kingdom, and is the 2nd largest annual road race in the UK, after the Great North Run in Newcastle. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically held ...

in 2:19:36. Her Berlin run now ranks third on the US all-time list after

Jordan Hasay Jordan Melissa Hasay (born September 21, 1991) is an American distance runner. She grew up in Arroyo Grande, California, and attended Mission College Preparatory High School in San Luis Obispo. She was unanimously selected 2008 Girls High School A ...

's 2:20:57 at the 2017

2015

Flanagan ran a time qualifier for the

2015 World Championships in Athletics The 2015 IAAF World Championships ( zh, 第十五届世界田径锦标赛), the fifteenth edition of the IAAF World Championships, were held from 22 to 30 August at the National Stadium in Beijing, China. Forty-three nations won medals, 144 of ...

and

with the top American time of the year at the 2015

Invitational 10 km, where she ran 31:08, pacing race winner

Gelete Burka Gelete Burka Bati (sometimes misspelled ''Burika'', Oromo: Galate Burqaa Baati, Amharic: ገለቴ ቡርቃ; born 23 January 1986) is an Ethiopian middle-distance and long-distance runner. She was born in Kofele in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia ...

in her 10 km debut. On April 20, 2015, Flanagan placed ninth in the Boston Marathon, with a season best of 2:27:47. Flanagan finished 2nd to

Molly Huddle Molly Huddle (born August 31, 1984) is an American long-distance runner who competes in track and cross country running events. Huddle set the American record in the 5000 m at the 2014 Herculis Diamond League meet in Fontvieille, Monaco (14:42.6 ...

in the 10,000 meters in 31:42.29 at the

2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Hayward Field, University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Organized by USA Track and Field, the four-day competition took place June 25–28 and served as the national championships in ...

on June 25. On August 24, Flanagan placed 6th in 31:46.23 in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

in the

10,000 meters The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...

. On September 6, Flanagan set the American record and placed 2nd in the road

Rabobank Rabobank (; full name: ''Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A.'') is a Dutch multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands. The group comprises 89 local Dutch Rabobanks (2019), a central organisation (Raboban ...

Tilburg Ladies Run 10 km in

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in 31:03, one place ahead of

Betsy Saina Betsy Saina (born 30 June 1988) is a Kenyan athlete in long distance running. Early life Saina was born in Kenya on 30 June 1988. She began running as a teenager in Eldoret, Kenya with hopes to pursue education at Itigo Girls High School. Her ...

. Flanagan beat the national records of

Lynn Jennings Lynn Alice Jennings (born July 1, 1960) is a retired American long-distance runner. She is one of the best female American runners of all time, with a range from 1500 meters to the marathon. She excelled at all three of the sport's major discip ...

and Molly Huddle.

2016

On February 13, 2016, Flanagan placed third, behind

Amy Hastings Amy Cragg (née Hastings; born January 21, 1984) is an American track and field athlete, specializing in long distance running events. She is the 2015 American champion in the Marathon, the 2012 American champion in the 10,000 meters, and a qual ...

(Cragg) and

Desiree Linden Desiree "Des" Nicole Linden (née Davila; born July 26, 1983) is an American long-distance runner. She represented the United States in the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics women's marathon. In 2018, she won the Bosto ...

, at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, finishing in 2:29:19 on a warm day in Los Angeles. On June 5, 2016, Flanagan placed first, setting a new PR in the half marathon, at the Suja Rock'n'Roll San Diego Marathon and half Marathon, with a time of 1:07:51.

ran a 1:07:41 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in March, while the American record is 1:07:34, set by

in Berlin in 2006. On June 26, 2016, Flanagan set an American record and won the road Boston Athletic Association 10K in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

in 30:52. She lowered her national record by 11 seconds and beat the previous B.A.A. 10K event record by 12 seconds (31:04, held by Mamitu Daska since 2014). On August 14, 2016, Flanagan placed 6th at the 2016 Summer Olympics women's marathon in 2:25:26. On December 12, 2016, Flanagan was upgraded from seventh to sixth in the

results after winner

Rita Jeptoo Rita Jeptoo (born 15 February 1981) is a Kenyan marathon runner. Originally a winner of the Boston Marathon three times, including setting the then course record at 2:18:57 in 2014, she had also won marathons in Chicago, Stockholm, and Milan ...

was disqualified for doping offenses.Buzunesh Deba Named 2014 Boston Marathon Champion - Ethiopian athlete also becomes the current course record holder
. Boston Athletic Association (Dec 12 2016). Retrieved 2017-11-08.

2017

In February 2017, Flanagan announced that she had suffered a fracture in her lower back and would be withdrawing from the

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...

. In March 2017, her 2008 Olympic bronze medal in the 10,000 meters was upgraded to silver after runner up

Elvan Abeylegesse Elvan Abeylegesse, (also formerly: Hewan Abeye (አልቫን አበይለገሠ, Amharic) and Elvan Can ( Turkish); born September 11, 1982) is an Ethiopian-born naturalized Turkish middle and long-distance running athlete who competes over d ...

had her silver medal stripped due to a positive result for banned substances found in a retroactive test. ;New York City Marathon On November 5, 2017, Flanagan won the Women's

New York City Marathon The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor) is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 finishe ...

in 2:26:53. With about 3 miles to go, she pulled ahead of 3-time defending champion and women's-only marathon world record holder

Mary Keitany Mary Jepkosgei Keitany (born 18 January 1982) is a Kenyan former professional long distance runner. She is the world record holder in a women-only marathon, having won the 2017 London Marathon in a time of 2:17:01. As of November 2022, she plac ...

of Kenya and finished ahead of her by 1:01. It was Flanagan's first win in a major marathon and the first win by an American woman at the NYC Marathon in 40 years since

won in 1977. Beforehand, Flanagan hinted a possible retirement with a win in NYC. In this marathon, she finished just 5 minutes 39 seconds behind her personal record. The marathon started out slow and then proceeded with increases in intensity throughout. The first 5 km averaged 3:51/km. The pace then proceeded to steadily average about 3:33/km for the next 20 km. After the 25 km mark, the pace averaged 3:23/km for about 10 km; after the 32 km mark, competitor Daska made a move to assure the pace was at least maintained. At about the 34 km mark is where Shalane made a move, where her significant change and maintained intensity in pace left her competitors Keitany and Daska behind just after the 37 km mark. Her average pace from the 35 km to finish (over which the course averages a slight uphill) was 3:11.4/km, which was faster than the women's-only marathon world record pace of 3:14.8/km (2:17:01). Coming into the marathon, Mary Keitany was the favorite having won the NYC Marathon three times in the past averaging 2:24 to 2:25, and having a personal record setting 2017 year in the 10k road, half marathon, and marathon (30:41+, 1:05:13, and 2:17:01 respectively) leading up to the NYC Marathon. Although the average pace from the 2:26:53 Shalane ran was slower than NYC Marathon winners in the prior years since 2011, the overall difficulty of the course (as can be inferred by the list of winning times) along with Shalane's sustained surge in pace during the last 5-7k appeared to be one of the main reasons she won the race.

2018

Shalane Flanagan went to defend her title and finished third in the

2018 New York City Marathon The 2018 New York City Marathon was a marathon race held in New York City, United States, which took place on November 4, 2018. It was the 48th edition of the New York City Marathon, which is organised by New York Road Runners. The men's race was ...

, finishing in 2:26:22 behind winner

in 2:22:38 and close behind

Vivian Cheruiyot Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot (born 11 September 1983) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in track and cross country running. She represented Kenya at the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016, winning a silver medal at the 5 ...

who finished in 2:26:02 and just 22 seconds ahead of

in fourth. Flanagan sat in fifth at the halfway point but was able to maintain her pace while those ahead of her were slowing down trying to keep up with Mary Keitany. Flanagan was able to secure herself in a podium position during the race after passing two women ahead of her.Strout, Erin. "Shalane Flanagan Fights for Third at the 2018 New York City Marathon". Runner's World. Retrieved 15 November 2018.

2019

Shalane Flanagan announced her retirement from professional running on October 21, 2019, via Instagram. Flanagan, in her retirement statement, said she will be one of the head coaches for the Bowerman Track Club.

2021

Because the

World Marathon Majors The World Marathon Majors (WMM) (known for sponsorship reasons as the Abbott World Marathon Majors) is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. A points-based competition founded on six major marathon races recog ...

had all been rescheduled for the Fall in 2021, Flanagan registered for all 6, attempting to run all 6 Abbot World Marathon Majors, each in under 3 hours, in 6 weeks. Because Tokyo was canceled, she substituted her own marathon run in Oregon, and still completed her goal of "6 in 6", albeit with only 5 of them being majors. On September 26, she finished the

2021 Berlin Marathon The 2021 Berlin Marathon was a marathon race held on 26 September 2021. It was the 47th edition of the annual Berlin Marathon. It was the first edition of the Berlin Marathon to take place after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. The 202 ...

in 2:38:32 (17th in the women's division); On October 3 she finished the

2021 London Marathon The 2021 London Marathon was the 41st running of the annual London Marathon on 3 October 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race was postponed from April until October to maximise the chances of a mass participation event. The elite even ...

in 2:35:04 (1st woman from the "mass start", 30 minutes after the elite women's start, to finish); On October 10, she completed the 2021 Chicago Marathon in 2:46:39 (25th in women's division); On October 11, she finished the 2021 Boston Marathon in 2:40:34 (33rd in women's division); On October 18, in place of the canceled Tokyo Marathon, she ran in her own marathon in Oregon in 2:35:14; On November 7 she finished the

2021 New York City Marathon The 2021 New York City Marathon, the 50th running of that city's premier long-distance race, was held on November 7, 2021. Around 30,000 people ran in the event, of whom 25,020 finished. The race followed its traditional route, which passes th ...

in 2:33:32 (12th in women's division)

Personal bests

Competition record

USA National Championships

Road

Track and field

Cross country

NCAA championships

Track and field

Cross country

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Flanagan, Shalane 1981 births Living people People from Marblehead, Massachusetts Track and field athletes from Massachusetts Sportspeople from Boulder, Colorado Track and field athletes from Colorado American female middle-distance runners American female long-distance runners American female cross country runners American female marathon runners Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States North Carolina Tar Heels women's track and field athletes USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners Marblehead High School alumni Sportspeople from Essex County, Massachusetts

Personal life

Track and field career

High school

College

Professional career

Early professional career (2004–2007)

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2021

Personal bests

Competition record

USA National Championships

Road

Track and field

Cross country

NCAA championships

Track and field

Cross country

See also

References

External links