For the last roughly eight years for these two, fall has meant cross country. And while we can debate the merits of the NCAA system and whether it’s good for athletes’ development, for these two I think it was essential. Valby’s dominant fall of 2023 gave her the strength and confidence to get her to Paris and run well at the Olympics. Tuohy’s commitment to her team and impressive fall college seasons look like they were some of the most important races to her in her career. (Acknowledgment that we had that weird spring covid xc season.)
But what do new American pro distance runners do in the fall as post-collegiates? When will they race next? How will they stay motivated? If flourishing in programs that see frequent, intense competition is the mark of a successful collegiate career, is putting them into a program that races sparsely only in carefully-selected outings really the best model for their development?
This question isn’t really just about these two, but their cases are prime examples. Fall cross country makes strong distance runners. Why do we almost completely abandon the season as pros? And what do new post-collegiate pros do in the fall instead?