Winning the 5000m at the Masters World Championships representing Team USA was a truly unique experience. The level of competition and the camaraderie between competitors is astounding and one of the most meaningful aspects of participating in the Championships. Finland is a beautiful country, with parks throughout the city, and crushed cinder paths everywhere that make for top notch running in between race days. Finnish people are really lovely, and seem to go above and beyond to be helpful. I look forward to competing in the next Outdoor World Championships (2024 in Sweden), and hopefully returning to Finland next year.
This trip to Finland to race in the Masters World Championships is the first time I have ever been able to wear the “USA” on my chest, something I have dreamed about since I saw the Olympics on television. Competing internationally is a unique experience and adds an extra layer of excitement to the racing atmosphere. Coming into the meet I set personal lifetime bests in the mile (4:03.55), 3000m (8:07.85), and the 5000m (14:07.83) this year. Trying to compete in the 800m, 1500m, and 5000m in a single meet looked to be a daunting task, both with having the endurance for the rounds and the speed for a quality kick. My goal was to bring home three medals and be in the lead pack while competing for the win. The 800m was my first event and I was able to stay controlled in the qualifying rounds while making it to the finals. Relying on my strength, I wanted to make sure the final's race pace was honest so I took the lead until the final curve and fought hard down the home stretch but came up a little short with a 4th place finish. After the race I could not dwell on the close miss on the podium because I had to focus on the 5000m the following day. The 5k started with a light rain with a variable paced tactical race. I took the lead with a lap to go and never let off the gas with my final 200m in 26 seconds for the win and I was all smiles. The 1500m was another tactical race with constant accelerating over the second half of the race. I was glued to the shoulder of the leader and knew it was going to be tough kicking into the windy finish. I took the lead with 100m to go and another British running followed in my slip stream. We were neck and neck for the final 50m and I came up just short to get the silver. Overall, I am very happy with my fitness and stamina in all of my races being in a position to medal. After each of the races, I had a great time cooling down with my competitors and talking about each other’s training lifestyles. All the athletes had a lot going on with each of their lives, but still had love for the sport and competed at their best. Some of us exchanged uniform tops and everyone was full of excitement and positive energy. The host nation of Finland was extremely welcoming and even one of the top Finish runners had me over for dinner and a sauna. I wanted to also thank USA Track & Field for giving me a travel grant to help with some of the costs to compete in Finland.
Going in to my first Worlds competition I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had never traveled to Europe nor competed on such a large stage. There were 4500+ athletes from all over the world proudly representing their country. I was nervous but very excited going in to my first race. I ended up having an incredible ride, making finals in both the 100m & 200m and walking away with personal records in both. We got to spend time exploring Tampere and Helsinki. Finland is beautiful, food was delicious and the people were very friendly. It is an honor to be on team USA. The support amongst the American athletes is the best. We cheer, celebrate and lift each other up. I hope this was my first of many World competitions. Poland indoor championships anyone?!?
Full meet results