Molly Huddle Wins and Sets Course Record at 2013 NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5k

By Chris Lotsbom, @ChrisLotsbom
(c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
November 2, 2013

NEW YORK (02-Nov) — A pair of course records were set here at the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5-K, as New Zealand’s Nick Willis and America’s Molly Huddle broke the finish tapes first in 13:46 and 15:27, respectively. Racing from the United Nations building to Central Park, Willis and Huddle prevailed over a field that included 16 Olympians.

Women’s story below, men’s here.

HUDDLE BREAKS FROM INFELD, FLANAGAN TO EARN TITLE

Molly Huddles Wins 2013 NYRR Dash to the Finishline (click for photo gallery) Molly Huddles Wins 2013 NYRR Dash to the Finishline (click for photo gallery)

Molly Huddle waited and waited and waited to make her sprint to the finish. In fact, the 29-year-old waited until the finish line was visible in Central Park to separate from training partners Emily Infeld and Shalane Flanagan.

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“I didn’t want to kick until I could see the finish, cause it was a pretty painful pace for me and I wanted to have that in my sight before I used what I had left,” said a happy Huddle, speaking to members of the media shortly after winning the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5-K.

From the start adjacent to the United Nations headquarters, Huddle, Infeld, and Flanagan asserted themselves out front. Though American Kim Conley and Kenya’s 2012 Olympic silver medalist in Sally Kipyego tagged along through the opening mile in 4:55, the trio would break away by the halfway point.

Trading the lead, the three Americans pressed the pace by iconic Radio City Music Hall. Sometimes it was Huddle, other times Flanagan. Infeld seemed content sitting a step behind.

“I just knew I wanted a good, hard effort for whatever I could do today,” said Flanagan, speaking of her decision to push in the middle mile. “I think that first mile was faster than I’ve run in like three months. I knew I was in for some trouble.”

Though Flanagan was hurting, she remained with Huddle and Infeld through a 4:57 second mile, totaling 9:52 through two miles. Little did Flanagan –or Infeld– know that Huddle was feeling the pace as well.

Traversing the hills of Central Park to Flanagan and Infeld’s right, Huddle was focused on one thing: kicking close to the finish. For roughly 300 meters leading to the finish line, flags of many countries around the world line either side of the street. In between them, Huddle made her move.

“I felt kind of on the edge of going lactic much of the way, so I wasn’t sure how long I could kick for,” she said. “I did start to slow down the last few steps so I think I timed it as close as I could.”

Just as the move began to catch up to her and with the feeling of lactic acid building in her legs, Huddle broke the finish tape in a new course record of 15:27. She had barely fended off Infeld, who recorded the same time for second.

Molly Huddle, Emily Infeld, and Shalane Flanagan Battle (click for photo gallery) Molly Huddle, Emily Infeld, and Shalane Flanagan Battle (click for photo gallery)

“It feels great to win. The field was phenomenal with Olympic and World medalists out there, and Emily’s having a fantastic year,” she said. “To win today was a big confidence booster.”

In third came Flanagan, who like Infeld is coached by Jerry Schumacher. Flanagan said it was fun racing in New York for the first time since finishing second at the 2010 ING New York City Marathon, and tough competing after taking time off.

“It feels really good to be back. It’s a bit nostalgic just to make it to Central Park. I was kind of having some flashbacks of some really great moments for me here,” she said. “It’s a great way to celebrate the weekend. It hurt really bad today; my legs are burning right now.”

Sally Kipyego of Kenya, healthy and racing for the first time in 14 months, finished fourth in 15:49, followed by Julia Bleasdale of Great Britain one second later. Kim Conley wound up sixth in 15:55, the last finisher under 16:00.

More: *Women’s Results, Video of finish and Post race interviews
Men’s Recap
: Nick Wills Puts in Late Surge to Take Down Chelanga and Braun in Course Record Time

Overall
Place
First Name Last Name Sex/
Age
Team City State Country Net
Time
Pace
per
Mile
AG
Time
AG %
1 Molly Huddle F29 SAUC Providence RI USA 0:15:27 04:59 0:15:27 95.89 %
2 Emily Infeld F23 NIKE Portland OR USA 0:15:27 04:59 0:15:27 95.88 %
3 Shalane Flanagan F32 NIKE Portland OR USA 0:15:40 05:04 0:15:38 94.72 %
4 Sally Kipyego F27 OTC Eugene OR KEN 0:15:49 05:06 0:15:49 93.62 %
5 Julia Bleasdale F32 Teddington . GBR 0:15:50 05:07 0:15:48 93.70 %
6 Kim Conley F27 NEWB West Sacramento CA USA 0:15:55 05:08 0:15:55 93.05 %
7 Nicole Schappert F27 NYAC Piscataway NJ USA 0:16:06 05:12 0:16:06 91.99 %
8 Sara Hall F30 ASIC Flagstaff AZ USA 0:16:08 05:12 0:16:07 91.85 %
9 Lauren Penney F23 OIS Highland Park NJ USA 0:16:10 05:13 0:16:10 91.64 %
10 Amanda Winslow F23 OIS Highland Park NJ USA 0:16:15 05:15 0:16:15 91.13 %
11 Betsy Saina F25 NIKE Ames IA KEN 0:16:20 05:16 0:16:20 90.68 %
12 Alexi Pappas F23 OTC Eugene OR USA 0:16:23 05:17 0:16:23 90.37 %
13 Charlotte Browning F26 RME Charlottesville VA GBR 0:16:23 05:17 0:16:23 90.36 %
14 Chelsea Reilly F24 BATC Oakland CA USA 0:16:25 05:18 0:16:25 90.17 %
15 Renee Tomlin F24 NIKE Ocean City NJ USA 0:16:28 05:19 0:16:28 89.95 %
16 Rebeka Stowe F23 NJNY Clinton NJ USA 0:16:29 05:19 0:16:29 89.86 %
17 Nicol Traynor F24 NJNY Clinton NJ USA 0:16:33 05:21 0:16:33 89.43 %
18 Sarah Groff F31 NYAC Enfield NH USA 0:16:43 05:24 0:16:42 88.66 %
19 Neely Spence Gracey F23 HBDP Rochester MI USA 0:16:47 05:25 0:16:47 88.18 %
20 Brie Felnagle F26 ADID Seattle WA USA 0:16:49 05:26 0:16:49 88.02 %
21 Lisa Uhl F26 NIKE Des Moines IA USA 0:16:55 05:28 0:16:55 87.57 %
22 Catherine Beck F28 CPTC Newark NJ USA 0:16:56 05:28 0:16:56 87.47 %
23 Liz Costello F25 NYAC Hoboken NJ USA 0:17:09 05:32 0:17:09 86.37 %
24 Jane Vongvorachoti F29 CPTC Woodside NY USA 0:17:10 05:33 0:17:10 86.26 %
25 Shannon Miller F29 NEWB Ponte Vedra Beach FL USA 0:17:12 05:33 0:17:12 86.10 %
26 Genna Hartung F22 NJNY Morrisonville NY USA 0:17:28 05:38 0:17:28 84.79 %
27 Denise Van Amerom F54 London ON CAN 0:17:28 05:38 0:14:40 101.02 %
28 Anna Lopez-Abadal F17 El Papiol ESP 0:17:31 05:39 0:17:09 86.35 %
29 Andrea Bradshaw F25 CPTC New York NY USA 0:17:34 05:40 0:17:34 84.25 %
30 Stephanie Herrick F26 CPTC New York NY USA 0:17:52 05:46 0:17:52 82.86 %
31 Caitlin Phillips F31 NYAC New York NY USA 0:18:00 05:49 0:17:59 82.35 %
32 Lauren Salisbury F25 GCTR New York NY USA 0:18:00 05:49 0:18:00 82.25 %
33 Lise Ogrodnick F26 GCTR New York NY CAN 0:18:29 05:58 0:18:29 80.08 %
35 Cara Costich F22 GCTR New York NY USA 0:18:35 06:00 0:18:35 79.66 %
36 Sarah Lesko F44 OIS Mercer Island WA USA 0:18:42 06:02 0:17:35 84.23 %
37 Megan Lessard F26 New York NY USA 0:18:55 06:06 0:18:55 78.28 %
38 Taeya Konishi Schogel F33 NBR Brooklyn NY PER 0:18:57 06:07 0:18:52 78.46 %
39 Heidi Hullinger F31 NYAC New York NY USA 0:18:58 06:07 0:18:56 78.17 %
40 Samantha Snukis F27 NBR Brooklyn NY USA 0:19:14 06:12 0:19:14 77.00 %

Molly Huddle, Shalane Flanagan, and Emily Infeld Discuss the Race

Shalane and Emily Talk About Emily Beating Shalane

 

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