Molly Huddle Slowing Down

She turns 37 in August. Many distance runners (especially Americans) are finished well before that.

If you were really a fan you'd know she's had injury issues recently and has said the carbon plated shoes give her lower leg/foot problems. It's amazing anonymous posters try to put down an injured athlete by calling it "excuses". Have some respect. Molly Huddle is a legend.

I am a big Molly fan but unfortunately she has wasted the last 5 years or so trying to do the marathon when it is clearly not something she is well suited for (same thing Ritz did). That marathon work has sapped her leg speed and then with her sponsor she is without appropriate footwear for the year 2021. I don't really see a path back for her but obviously she has had an incredible career.

For last 25 years 5K/10K track, I'd say 1) Deena, 2) Shalene, 3) Molly, 4) Kara, and then 5) Infeld?

Not a fan anymore wrote:

I used to be a big fan of Molly Huddle, for whatever reason. But the past year and a half when she started complaining about the new shoes and basically making that an excuse to why she didn't win races, I started to not like her. The first big instance was probably after the 2020 Houston half marathon when I believe she got beat by some Americans and had others hot on her heels, and was no longer the dominant American. So now she runs what, 15:24 for a track 5k in good conditions to run fast? What's her excuse now? She has obviously run waaaaaay faster than that with spikes from several years ago. So that can't be an excuse. Seems she is just slowing down. Not all because of the shoes. Poor excuses.

not sure where you are getting any of that. maybe she has raised questions about the shoes but I've never heard it in the way you're suggesting.

Still a fan here, but sad to see Father Time come for her.

And where would you put Lauren Fleshman then?

Yeah you're going to have to provide some support if you want me to join you in slandering one of America's distance running legends who by all accounts is a nice person.

Seems like she is just battling injury/old age. Something relatable.

asdadasfasfas wrote:

I am a big Molly fan but unfortunately she has wasted the last 5 years or so trying to do the marathon when it is clearly not something she is well suited for

When you place top-3 in a WMM in your debut marathon and then break Kastor's Half Marathon American Record it is not "wasted" time in the marathon. Everything pointed toward her crushing the distance but things just did not work out right for some reason. I don't think her switching to the marathon had any effect on her current 10,000 times. Like someone else said, she turns 37 in a few months. Can't do anything about time catching up with you.

I'd imagine any track race at this stage of her career is more speed work/tune up for her only real option: The marathon. Not all races are run to win. Some are used as indicators for fine tuning.

Even doing marathons, you still need to put in this type of effort occasionally.

She said she was aiming for 15:10 on IG which won't get her in the top 3 for the 5k. Clearly the 5,000m at trials is not her goal, the 10k is which makes sense. I'm going to hold my comments until I see her race the 10,000m at trials. I don't expect her at 36 to be super fast at the 5k especially after injuries. I think most female distance runners right now are easy to like, except for Gwen Jorgensen. I still can't bring myself to like her especially after her husband admitted she gossips all the time. I digress...

Not a fan anymore wrote:

I used to be a big fan of Molly Huddle, for whatever reason. But the past year and a half when she started complaining about the new shoes and basically making that an excuse to why she didn't win races, I started to not like her. The first big instance was probably after the 2020 Houston half marathon when I believe she got beat by some Americans and had others hot on her heels, and was no longer the dominant American. So now she runs what, 15:24 for a track 5k in good conditions to run fast? What's her excuse now? She has obviously run waaaaaay faster than that with spikes from several years ago. So that can't be an excuse. Seems she is just slowing down. Not all because of the shoes. Poor excuses.

This is such an absurd post. It’s like you haven’t heard that runners slow down as they age. With fans like you, who needs haters?

Meb and Bernard Lagat have had tremendous success well past 35. Look at Abdi! There is a lot you can do to continue to perform at a high level, past 35.

Can you give us a example of where she is complaining about the new shoes, and making excuses of why she is not winning?

Molly did a interview prior to the 2018 TCS NY marathon and was asked about the new shoes, but she never complained about athletes wearing them. She did say it was a wait and see example if the shoes would be banned similar to the wetsuits in swimming.

Iron Bars wrote:

Meb and Bernard Lagat have had tremendous success well past 35. Look at Abdi! There is a lot you can do to continue to perform at a high level, past 35.

And there are substantially more examples of athletes who could no longer run at the professional level by 35.

The Endorphin Pro has different characteristics from the VaporFly, and consequently does not perform in the same manner.

Edit: "from"??? >>> "than"

Here is an analogy:

In a far-east country, four corporate teams soup-up their cars for the Grand Prix car races. The best race car drivers earn a lot of their paycheck from their specific corporate sponsor; contract bonuses are tied to their performances in these races, and the drivers' contract confers these drivers have to race in the car produced by their sponsor. Indeed, it is understood that for a driver to even found practicing in a competitor's car is grounds for termination of their contract.

Then, one year, something unusual happens. One company comes out with radically different race tires, called the 'Wankel-mee-doo's'; subsequently, drivers on that team start winning, and/or consistently placing high in all of the Grand Prix races. The media has a hey-day: "Is it the new tires?" "Are they even legal? "blah, blah, blah..."

Drivers on the other teams are really starting to get concerned, yet their sponsors keep telling them, "Hey, it's not the tires, our cars have tires with better features. They get better gas mileage, and our car's tires are more durable. And we have already done tests to show our tires are just as fast! Maybe you drivers need to step up your game, or we will find other drivers!"

Nonetheless, these drivers keep losing to drivers on the team with the new 'Wankel-mee-doo' tires, even though they used to beat these drivers before the 'Wankel-mee-doo' tires came onto the market.

So I ask you, would it not make sense that those drivers on other teams now losing to drivers in cars with the 'Wankel-mee-doo' tires, would at least find the means, even in a clandestine manner, to try out the new 'Wankel-mee-doo' tires? If indeed, after doing so, they find out for themselves that the 'Wankel-mee-doo' tires may actually be faster, and run smoother....then they come to a juncture in their career...

Give her a break wrote:

She turns 37 in August. Many distance runners (especially Americans) are finished well before that.

This. She’s had a great career, but she’s old and well past her prime.

I don't think the door is closed on Huddle's career. OP here, apologies for this post.

I will correct myself:

Molly will factor at the 10k trials, the end

It's fair that she isn't 5000m sharp, but Molly was always a front runner. As a fan, it is unsettling that she couldn't run 15:10 pace. Unfortunately this doesn't bode well for the 10,000 since all the top contenders in the 10 can run under 15 right now.

Regarding footwear, the higher stack/plated shoes gave her trouble. Unfortunately, it seems anyone who can't run in Dragonflys will be at a disadvantage on the track. And anyone who can't wear a plated shoe with modern foam (not traditional Eva) will be at a disadvantage on the roads.