U.S. Olympian Molly Huddle to make marathon debut in New York
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U.S. Olympian Molly Huddle will make her marathon debut at the New York City Marathon on Nov. 6, race organizers announced on Thursday morning.
“It's with excitement that I am going to run my first marathon this fall, and I am honored and delighted to do so at the TCS New York City Marathon,” Huddle said in a press release. “As a native New Yorker and someone who has watched my training partners race through the city many times in the past, I felt like New York has been calling to me for many seasons. It feels like running a marathon is a rite of passage as a distance runner, and with my strength work going better than ever, I finally feel ready to tackle that distance on a course and in a city whose grit and vibrancy inspire me.”
Huddle did not rule out the possibility of running a marathon after the Olympics when she spoke to SI in March after winning the NYC Half in 1:07:41.
The Notre Dame alumna joins a class of elite U.S. marathoners like Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan as athletes that have made their 26.2-mile debut through the five New York City boroughs.
Huddle has won 21 U.S. national championships, including last year’s 10,000 meters on the track. She went on to place fourth at the 2015 world championships as she was just barely nipped at the finish line by compatriot Emily Infeld after prematurely celebrating and missing the bronze medal.
• Molly Huddle talks 2015 heartbreak and her road to Rio
Huddle will focus on the 10,000 meters at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials which will be held in Eugene, Ore. from July 1 to 10. She looks to make her second U.S. Olympic team after competing in the 5,000 meters, an event in which she holds the American record of 14:42.64, at the 2012 Summer Games in London.
- Chris Chavez
