Does Molly regret running the 10k and 5k instead of the marathon

Bib #1 wrote:

She probably would have contended for the win

She looked very broken, and lacking confidence throughout the WC, especially after getting caught in the 5000m heat. I think she realized that her track ability is no longer there, and that she is a pure marathon girl now.

I give her credit for going out strong and fast to qualify for the 5000m final, and I do believe that was the right tactic, but it was obvious that she had no chance of winning a medal, and she knew it. Plus, I think her early celebration in the 2015 WC Women's 10000m final, which cost her the bronze medal, haunted her even more during this year's WC. That realization of knowing that your medal possibilities are nonexistent, and that you lost a bronze because you celebrated something that was yet to be accomplished, can leave a huge mental scar....It will not affect her at the marathon level. She is confident as hell on that level, but her track days are over, in the sense of being a top 5 or top 10 runner.

Now she can focus on her marathon training, and go run the New York Marathon. She came in 3rd last year, with Mary K being the winner.

I think she has a chance of coming in 2nd place this year, because Mary k , more than likely, is going to run NY again.

I don't believe she can run with Cragg right now. Something was wrong with Molly, her stride looked shortened and she appeared to be favoring her left leg.

Bleu wrote:

I don't believe she can run with Cragg right now. Something was wrong with Molly, her stride looked shortened and she appeared to be favoring her left leg.

She would run the wig of Cragg ...Cragg ran the NY marathon in 2:42, and that was her second marathon. Molly ran NY, her first marathon, in 2:28, and came in third place. Plus she won 3 straight New York Half Marathons. I just feel that Molly is the better talent. She is a combination of speed and toughness. Destorying africans three years in a row is no joke.

I love Cragg, but I think Molly would have won the gold or silver had she competed in the WC marathon.

I would normally agree with you but Cragg has run 2:27 and obviously NY was a bad race. Molly may end up being a much better marathoner but last week head to head and in the heat I would have bet on Cragg.

Bleu wrote:

I would normally agree with you but Cragg has run 2:27 and obviously NY was a bad race. Molly may end up being a much better marathoner but last week head to head and in the heat I would have bet on Cragg.

From a confidence point, you might be right. Molly does seem a bit unnerved currently.

She must have had some type of injury. Something wasn't right. Hoping she takes time to heal up before a marathon build up. She was in amazing shape in Rio last fall.

Bleu wrote:

She must have had some type of injury. Something wasn't right. Hoping she takes time to heal up before a marathon build up. She was in amazing shape in Rio last fall.

She had that calf injury and I think was wearing tape over it at World's so maybe she wasn't fully healed

I think after running 30:13 last year (and splitting a ridiculous 14:56 first half) she thought she'd give it one last go before an off year to concentrate on the marathon, but it seems like the wheels just fell off a year sooner than expected. I still support her decision to stick to the track for one last year. it will pay off in her Spring marathon!

Huddle, Hasay, Flanagan, Cragg, and linden all running Boston next year would be a treat!

I think Sisson said she won't debut till 2019, but with her women's marathoning will be great!

I think she would have flopped in the marathon.

But I'm not a fan so probably biased.

I agree the world championship early celebration is a devastating mental scar that can linger and resurface. I had a friend in Las Vegas who would wager on that type of thing and little else. He always wanted to know which team or individual was devastated, to use the pet term from this site.

She a pure marathon girl, 20th place pure.

Bleu wrote:

She must have had some type of injury. Something wasn't right. Hoping she takes time to heal up before a marathon build up. She was in amazing shape in Rio last fall.

She did say she wasn't going to run a marathon until spring.

The logical thing would be to use her track speed to run a fall marathon. I, too, believe she needs a rest.

She does a great job of representing the USA- no excuses in interviews and she is classy.

Save the marathons for pay days.

Why she did not continue her transition to the marathon after 2016 New York debut I have no idea. She was never going to replicate her fantastic performance in the 10k at Rio and should have been all in on marathon going forward. Watching her run at this years W.C's. I kept asking myself "why is she out there?"

She said in multiple interviews she missed some training due to that calf injury. She should have run through the line at the Olympics. She'll never get over missing that medal and it will hinder her running in the future.

ever have a bad race? ever not feel your best every race? re-think your thinking.

She smashed everyone in the 10 at USA's so obviously had something come up between then and worlds

Logik wrote:

She smashed everyone in the 10 at USA's so obviously had something come up between then and worlds

There is a huge difference between USAs and international meets. USA does not have any talented runners at the 10k level right now, so Molly destroying everyone is a foregone conclusion.

She would have prematurely celebrated her medal, and got passed by hard-charging Cragg.

Molly has run one marathon. Cragg has run several. Molly could be a bit more talented, but has next to no experience in the event. Plus how could Molly contend for a medal when she hadn't been training for the marathon this year (especially given her talk of running a 3k in Birmingham). Unlikely story, maybe in 2 years. But she would have gotten destroyed by Cragg.

PrZ wrote:

Molly has run one marathon. Cragg has run several. Molly could be a bit more talented, but has next to no experience in the event. Plus how could Molly contend for a medal when she hadn't been training for the marathon this year (especially given her talk of running a 3k in Birmingham). Unlikely story, maybe in 2 years. But she would have gotten destroyed by Cragg.

Rupp won the OT in his first marathon, and medaled in Rio in his second marathon.