Mackay is now one of only 15 US women to have won multiple world medals on the track in the Olympics, World Outdoor, and World Indoor.
She is also one of only three Americans to run sub-4 for 1500m and sub-1:58 for 800m (others are Decker and Wiley), and she has the fastest combined 800/1500m times of any US athlete.
It always surprised me that she doesn't get more love on letsrun. She's a nice, humble and cool underdog who finds a way to beat runners who are much better on paper. Hopefully this performance makes her a letsrun favorite!
Mackay is now one of only 15 US women tho have won multiple world medals on the track in the Olympics, World Outdoor, and World Indoor.
She is also one of only three Americans to run sub-4 for 1500m and sub-1:58 for 800m (others are Decker and Wiley), and she has the fastest combined 800/1500m times of any US athlete.
Factor in her 8:30/3000 & 14:45/5000 prs, you now have Emily & Shelby & ESP to choose from for the most versatile US female mid-d/distance runner ever.
Shelby is still has the 3:54/1500 AR, has 8:26/3000 & 14:23/5000 prs, but is a couple seconds slower in the 800 @ 1:59. And, has her first 10,000 track race coming up next week.
ESP has never broken 2-flat for the 800 but has the 8:20/3000 AR and a 14:34/5000.
ESP has an indoor gold & indoor silver in the 3000, Shelby an indoor silver in the 3000, Emily an indoor silver in the 3000 & indoor bronze in the 1500.
Big factor in Emily's favor is age. Only 27 -- turns 28 next month. Shelby just turned 33 last month while ESP just turned 31 last month.
All-in-all, pretty remarkable for a woman who graduated from SUNY/Binghamton in 2021 with a 4:17/1500 pr.
Factor in her 8:30/3000 & 14:45/5000 prs, you now have Emily & Shelby & ESP to choose from for the most versatile US female mid-d/distance runner ever.
Most versatile of the current crop. Remember, Mary Decker Slaney once held every American Record from the 800m to the 10000m ... simultaneously! That will never happen again.
Agreed! I'm super impressed with Mackay since she was able to snag that silver despite being easily the heaviest in the whole 3k field. I'm curious just what her full potential is in the 800m because she definitely reads as a half miler and always kicks super well.
This post was edited 4 minutes after it was posted.
Agreed! I'm super impressed with Mackay since she was able to snag that silver despite being easily the heaviest in the whole 3k field. I'm curious just what her full potential is in the 800m because she definitely reads as a half miler and always kicks super well.
Prefer not to venture into physical looks talk, but agree Emily looks like a strong, muscular 400 woman who moved up in distance. All the way up to a 14:45/5000 -- astounding.
Biggest take-a-way from today's race was how far ahead Emily was of so many world class distance runners then outkicking Ms-3:50 down the stretch.
Time for Shelby's 3:54.99/1500 AR to be broken. As well as Johnson's 4:16.32/mile record. There should be multiple DL races this late spring/summer for MacKay to get a record or two for herself.
Factor in her 8:30/3000 & 14:45/5000 prs, you now have Emily & Shelby & ESP to choose from for the most versatile US female mid-d/distance runner ever.
Most versatile of the current crop. Remember, Mary Decker Slaney once held every American Record from the 800m to the 10000m ... simultaneously! That will never happen again.
Yes, of course.
Guess Mary's somewhat abrasive personality, then ending her career with the drug ban, makes her easier to not want to be remembered.
But as an athlete, in her prime, can't deny she was like Pre, the best US distance runner of their generation.
Mackay is now one of only 15 US women tho have won multiple world medals on the track in the Olympics, World Outdoor, and World Indoor.
She is also one of only three Americans to run sub-4 for 1500m and sub-1:58 for 800m (others are Decker and Wiley), and she has the fastest combined 800/1500m times of any US athlete.
Factor in her 8:30/3000 & 14:45/5000 prs, you now have Emily & Shelby & ESP to choose from for the most versatile US female mid-d/distance runner ever.
Shelby is still has the 3:54/1500 AR, has 8:26/3000 & 14:23/5000 prs, but is a couple seconds slower in the 800 @ 1:59. And, has her first 10,000 track race coming up next week.
ESP has never broken 2-flat for the 800 but has the 8:20/3000 AR and a 14:34/5000.
ESP has an indoor gold & indoor silver in the 3000, Shelby an indoor silver in the 3000, Emily an indoor silver in the 3000 & indoor bronze in the 1500.
Big factor in Emily's favor is age. Only 27 -- turns 28 next month. Shelby just turned 33 last month while ESP just turned 31 last month.
All-in-all, pretty remarkable for a woman who graduated from SUNY/Binghamton in 2021 with a 4:17/1500 pr.
ESP rarely runs the 800 but her PR is a hair under 2:00
Time for Shelby's 3:54.99/1500 AR to be broken. As well as Johnson's 4:16.32/mile record. There should be multiple DL races this late spring/summer for MacKay to get a record or two for herself.
For some reason, Mackay rarely runs DL meets. She has only done three in her entire career - Xiamen in '23 and Eugene in '24 and '25.
Time for Shelby's 3:54.99/1500 AR to be broken. As well as Johnson's 4:16.32/mile record. There should be multiple DL races this late spring/summer for MacKay to get a record or two for herself.
For some reason, Mackay rarely runs DL meets. She has only done three in her entire career - Xiamen in '23 and Eugene in '24 and '25.
She probably had trouble getting invites, but this silver should help a bit
I know almost nothing about her, and I don’t even like the women races as much, but how does this woman not have a thread? Am I missing something?
I am a huge fan of women’s t&f, and she bores me. Her running form is the female equivalent of Eric Holt, and she exudes very little personality. I am glad for her to have gotten silver yesterday for team US, but I have been watching her run for years now and can’t think of a single notable detail about her.
She has no fire or edge. She plays it safe and races smart every time. I guess I enjoy the gutsy red-liners even if they falter sometimes. I feel the same way about Nikki Hiltz. Not for the reasons often harped on about on this board, but because her racing bores me to death. She sits. She kicks. It works, but if you’ve seen her run one race you essentially have seen them all.
Factor in her 8:30/3000 & 14:45/5000 prs, you now have Emily & Shelby & ESP to choose from for the most versatile US female mid-d/distance runner ever.
Most versatile of the current crop. Remember, Mary Decker Slaney once held every American Record from the 800m to the 10000m ... simultaneously! That will never happen again.
Have to add Rowbury and Simpson into the "most versatile mid-d woman" list. Both were sub-2*, sub-4, sub-8:30, sub-15 women, in pre super-shoe era, with global medals.
*Note: I don't think Simpson never officially broke 2 in an open 800 race, but I'm 99% sure she broke 2 in the last 800 of either the 2016 Olympics or 2017 World Championships.