Emily Infeld has many accolades to her name: world championships bronze medalist and Olympian, for starters. But the 27-year-old was oddly missing “national champion” on her list of honors, until Saturday, when she won the USA Track & Field cross-country championships in Tallahassee, Florida.
By halfway through the women’s 10K race, the leaders had dwindled to four contenders. Infeld was joined by her Bowerman Track Club teammate Courtney Frerichs, the 2017 world championships silver medalist in the 3,000-meter steeplechase; Molly Seidel, 2015 NCAA cross-country champion; and Northern Arizona Elite’s Stephanie Bruce, currently training for the London Marathon.
After the 6K mark, Frerichs dropped back as Infeld and Seidel took the lead with Bruce on the duo’s heels. Bruce hung on until 8K, as the two leaders threw in surges. With less than 800 meters to go, Infeld had one more gear that put her over the top, breaking the tape in 33:18.7. Seidel was second in 33.22.1 and Bruce was third in 33:34.1.
RELATED: It’s Time to Love Off-Road Racing Again
“Each year I think the U.S. women are just getting better and better, and there’s new girls that are super tough and going to be around for a while,” Infeld said in a finish-line interview with USATF, adding, “I’ve been on the cusp for a bit so it feels really nice to finally win one.”
The men’s race didn’t sort itself out as quickly as the women’s. It featured heavy hitters like Olympians Galen Rupp, Evan Jager, and Leonard Korir in the pack, but it was Scott Fauble, of Northern Arizona Elite, who put in the first surge around 5K to bring a pack of 20 down to 16 men.
Watch: Emily Infeld talks about her love of the Cleveland Cavaliers and friendship with Molly Huddle.
By 7K, the group continued to press the pace, and 10 athletes remained in contention. Soon after that, Rupp, who is training for the Boston Marathon, pressed the gas to cut the possible win down to himself and Korir. It wasn’t until the final 200 meters that Korir left no doubt that he’d take his second national cross-country title in 29:16.6. Rupp was second in 29:17.9.
Jager and Stanley Kebenei battled for third place in Jager’s first cross-country race since high school. Kebenei had the slightest edge at the finish, placing third in 29:31.4 to Jager’s 29:31.5.
