Molly Huddle Completes 10k/5k Double; Houlihan, Conley, D’Agostino Going to Rio

By LetsRun.com
July 10, 2016

EUGENE, Ore. — Molly Huddle reaffirmed her status as America’s premier female distance runner on Sunday afternoon, winning the 5,000 at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in 15:05.01 to complete the distance double (she won the 10,000 back on July 2). It was Huddle’s fifth U.S. title on the track, and her third at 5,000 meters.

Right now, one thing is certain: both Shelby Houlihan — who ran a tremendous race to take second in 15:06.14 — and Kim Conley — who bounced back from heartbreak in the 10,000 to take third — will run the 5,000 in Rio. As for who will join them on the start line, well, as of early Sunday evening, that had yet to be decided. Huddle said she will only run the 10,000 in Rio, leaving the door open for the fourth placer today to make the team. But the fourth placer was Emily Infeld, who may also only run the 10k at the Olympics. Should Infeld scratch, that would hand an Olympic spot to Abbey D’Agostino, whom Infeld held off in the home straight for fourth. Update: Infeld is only going to run the 10000 in Rio, meaning D’Agostino is on the team.

The Race *Video here

If a distance event were to be conducted in daylight, most runners would want cloudy and cool conditions with little or no wind. At race time, the temperature was 60 degrees under cloudy skies with a light breeze as the runners headed to the start line.

It was not a fast pace early, however, and all of the contenders deferred to American 5K record-holder and 10K Trials champion, Molly Huddle and 10K Trials runner-up Emily Infeld. The duo brought the field through in 76.7 for 400 meters and would be in lock-step for the next 8 laps.

Tucked in behind them were Shelby Houlihan and Kim Conley, followed closely by Abbey D’Agostino.

Things continued to dawdle through 1000 as they crossed in 3:11.92. But the pace soon began to increase as Huddle began to edge ahead a bit; a 73.2 third lap brought them through 1200 in 3:47.8.  

The pace continued to intensify as they crossed 1600 in 5:00.2 off a 72.4 lap, both Huddle and Infeld essentially stride for stride. But just before 1800, defending USATF 5K champion Nicole Tully fell to the track, apparently while trying to move up. She would continue for a few laps before dropping out.

A 72.0 lap led to 6:12.2 at 2K (a 3:00.3 second 1000) as things began to spread out. Houlihan, Conley, D’Agostino and Jordan Hasay were best positioned although Marielle Hall lurked in seventh.

Many of the key players from the 10K (and 12 in all) were in contention here as several 72-second laps led to a 3K split of 9:14.30. But by 3200 it was already down to 8. The 3200 split was 9:49.5, a 4:49.3 1600.

All the key players were in the hunt with a mile to go: Huddle and Infeld continued to lead, followed by Houlihan, Hall, Allie Ostrander, Conley, D’Agostino, and Katie Mackey.

With 3 to go, Huddle finally surged to an out-right lead, running the fastest 400 of the race, 71.80.

With 1000 to go, it was Huddle, Infeld, Houlihan, a surging Conley, Hall, Mackey, and D’Agostino.

At 800 meters to go, Conley made her move to get in the top three as Huddle slowed to a 72.40 lap.

With 600 to go, it was six in contention as Hall and Ostrander had been dropped. D’Agostino seemed to be laboring to hang in as they hit the bell but refused to be dropped.

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A 71.26 lap going into the bell gave Huddle a sizeable lead for the first time but Houlihan separated from the pack and was in pursuit. Also just before the bell lap, Conley passed Infeld into third and with 100 to go, D’Agostino came up on Infeld to try to get into the top four. They battled down the final stretch but Infeld held her off.

Huddle closed in an impressive 63.22 to win in 15:05.01, having run her final 3K in 8:53.

Houlihan closed in 63.89 to get second and a berth on Team USA in 15:06.14. After the heartbreak of stopping to tie her shoe in the 10k (she would ultimately drop out), Conley was able to regain a spot on team USA with a fine third place run, finishing in 15:10.62.

Infeld held on for fourth in 15:13.87 while D’Agostino was fifth in 15:14.04, her 71.10 final 400 a bit better than Infeld but not enough to catch her. Luckily for D’Agostino, fifth was as good as fourth today as far as Olympic selection was concerned.

QT: Huddle is the Queen of US Track Distance Running

Huddle dominated the 10,000m last Saturday, leading wire to wire. She was equally impressive tonight in the 5000 with her last lap .63 faster than anyone else. There’s only one woman in America who might be able to challenge Huddle at 10,000m, and that’s Shalane Flanagan, who opted not to run the 10,000m here. Huddle is the best long distance track runner in America right now and that’s an impressive accomplishment.

Huddle said, “I wasn’t sure how it was going to go… If you told me I was going to be doing that back in 2008 I wouldn’t have believed you.”

QT: Shelby Houlihan, 5000m Olympian with 2 5000m Under Belt

Shelby Houlihan was a miler until this year. Heck, her Twitter handle is @shelbo800 (she was 7th in the 800 at USAs two years ago). Coach Jerry Schumacher convinced her that her best chance for Rio was the 5000m and the results have been great this year but very limited. She ran 15:06 in her only 5000m indoors and then didn’t run another one until the Olympic Trials. Now she’s going to the Olympics. She said, “I just trusted the process.”

QT: Kim Conley Gets Redemption

Conley’s focus this year was on making the team at 10,000m. That all came to a halt when she had to stop and put back on her shoe in the 10,000 last Saturday. Conley tried to catch the leaders, but then said, “I made the decision on the track that the gap was too big to close” so she decided to “save myself for the 5000.” That paid off in a big way today as she made her second 5000m Olympic team.

QT: Emily Infeld Wanted to Make Sure to Fight All the Way to the Line

Infeld looked at pictures of her finish in the 10k and saw one where she had both feet on the ground– literally walking it in for second. Her coach Jerry Schumacher always tells her to fight in the home stretch and Infeld did not want to get into a bad habit. So she battled tooth and nail with D’Agostino for fourth, even though she was already on the Olympic team.

Infeld ultimately decided, after our interview, to only run the 10,000 in Rio. Mark Coogan, D’Agostino’s coach, made a point of telling us how grateful they were to Infeld for ceding her place when she didn’t have to. The 5k is after the 10k (Infeld’s best event), so there was no reason for her not to double.

QT: Abbey D’Agostino Was Fifth In Two Consecutive Trials, But This Time, She’s Going to the Olympics

D’Agostino was diagnosed with a stress reaction on May 1 and was forced to cross-train for several weeks after that; she didn’t race outdoors this year until June 11. Many people in D’Agostino’s situation wouldn’t be able to rebound this quickly to make the Olympic team, but she’s had experience dealing with several injuries since turning pro in 2014 and that allowed her to carry over much of her great fitness from indoors, where she was 5th at Worlds.

Four years ago, as a sophomore at Dartmouth, D’Agostino was fifth at the Trials and missed out on the team in agonizing fashion. After the race, she came through the mixed zone in tears. Her growth from then to now was evident as she was composed and at peace with the fact that she might not be on the team (we spoke to her when the outcome was still in doubt).

QT: Katie Mackey Was Devastated Not To Make The Team

This is the drama of the Olympic Trials and why every four years all the track fans in the country stop to watch this meet. Every race and every battle for top three is so important and represents a lifetime dream becoming a reality or not. While fans love to celebrate with the victors, it’s heartbreaking to watch those who came up short. Today in the post-race mixed zone, Katie Mackey was one of those people. Mackey was very distraught as through tears she said:

“That goal. But everyone else out there has seen themselves achieving that goal in their head a thousand times. And everybody believes it’s going to be them. You have to believe it’s going to be you, like 100% with all of your being. And when it doesn’t happen it’s like the elation from celebrating your goal is equal to the devastation of it slipping through your fingers. … I just thought it was going to be me.”

Mackey added that she thought she did everything possible to make this team and that she still “loves [running] more than anything” and it brings her joy. Her emotional interview is a Recommended Watch:

QT: Allie Ostrander Wasn’t Happy WIth Her Race But Was Happy To Have Experienced The Trials

One would think that a college freshman, whose last race prior to the Trials was a DNF way back at NCAA indoors, would be happy to have hung with the leaders until three laps remained and end up eighth, but that wasn’t the case with Ostrander. Even though she finished within 3 seconds of her PB, Ostrander said she hoped to be more even more competitive.

Ostrander did say it was totally worth it to do the Trials, which are a once-every-four-years experience, instead of the annual July 4th Mount Marathon race she usuallydoes.

QT: Jordan Hasay “It gives me a lot of motivation to come back in four years. Four years is a long time to wait, but that’s okay, I’m only 24.”

Hasay didn’t have a great meet here with 9th in the 10K and only 13th in this race. Hasay said that she knew her best shot was in the 10K and felt lucky to have another opportunity in the 5K. Even though it wasn’t her best event she “convinced [herself] she had an outside chance”, but the “pace was too hot” for her. She wasn’t crushed by it though saying, “That’s okay. It gives me a lot of motivation to come back in four years. Four years is a long time to wait, but that’s okay, I’m only 24.”

Asked if she thought she’d stick with the track or consider moving up to the roads, Hasay said that she thought she’d stay on the track. She said if she had had this result with a perfect build up she’d think about moving up, but since she was coming back from injury the last year, she knows she can do better. Her next race will probably be Beach to Beacon.