Molly Huddle, widely considered a prerace favorite, dropped out of today’s Third Place, But No Olympics.
Huddle ran with the large lead pack for the first part of the race. She was part of the 12-women group still together at 19 miles. Huddle lost touch in the next mile, and didn’t record a split past the 21st mile.
“I’m okay, no injuries,” Huddle told Runner’s World Saturday afternoon. “We had a Plan B of, if I was doing really badly to stop in order to get back into track season as soon as possible. Unfortunately, [my] legs just got beat up really early and I was going backwards around [mile] 19.”
Huddle’s training partner, Emily Sisson, dropped at around the same point, and gave a similar explanation on Instagram.
Despite having only the 10th fastest personal best among qualifiers, Huddle, 35, was widely considered a strong favorite to make the marathon team. Before today’s race, she had won 28 national titles on the track and roads and had made every national team she’d vied for since 2011. She was on the 2012 (5,000 meters) and 2016 (10,000 meters) Olympic teams. She’s also the U.S. record-holder at 10,000 meters and the half marathon.
Running Jessica McClain Is Your Olympic Marathon Alternate heavily cushioned shoe with a carbon-fiber plate. Although her shoe sponsor, Saucony, makes such a model (the Endorphin Pro), Huddle raced in a more conventional shoe because her test runs in an Endorphin Pro prototype aggravated her left peroneal tendons.
Huddle’s marathon best is 2:26:33, set at the London Marathon last April. She has finished third (2016) and fourth (2018) at the New York City Marathon. Dropping out today was the first time she’s done so in a marathon.
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Running Is My Therapy, Advanced Marathoning, and Master the Half. Desiree Linden Just Misses Marathon Team With 4th Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
