Running News Daily

Former American middle-distance running star Suzy Favor Hamilton has shared heartbreaking news about her health, revealing that she has been diagnosed with stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer (NET), a rare form of cancer that can be difficult to detect.

The 58-year-old former Olympian made the announcement on November 10, coinciding with World NET Cancer Day, disclosing that she received the diagnosis earlier this year after the disease had already spread.

However, amid the difficult news, there is a reason for optimism. Favor Hamilton has undergone surgery at UCLA, where doctors successfully performed a debulking procedure to remove as much of the cancer as possible. She is also continuing to receive medical care.

Sharing an update on her condition, the former American track star expressed gratitude to her medical team and offered an encouraging outlook on the road ahead.

"So far my cancer looks slower-growing, and after a successful debulking surgery by the amazing doctors at UCLA, they expect I still have many good years ahead. I plan to make the most of them!" she wrote.

Beyond sharing her personal battle, Favor Hamilton hopes her experience will help raise awareness about neuroendocrine tumours, commonly known as NETs. These cancers develop from neuroendocrine cells and can be particularly challenging to identify because their symptoms may resemble those of other medical conditions.

Her decision to speak publicly is also a reminder of the importance of listening to one's body, taking persistent or unusual symptoms seriously and seeking medical attention when something does not feel right. She is encouraging people to remain proactive about their health, ask questions and continue seeking answers when concerns remain unresolved.

While her latest announcement marks an unexpected and deeply personal chapter, Favor Hamilton has already experienced an extraordinary journey in athletics, establishing herself as one of America's most accomplished middle-distance runners.

During her collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin, she won an impressive nine individual NCAA track and field championships, including four consecutive outdoor 1500m titles. She also collected 23 Big Ten championships and earned 14 All-American honours.

On the international stage, she proudly represented the United States at three Olympic Games, making appearances at Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. She competed in the 1500m at Barcelona and Sydney, while taking on the 800m at the Atlanta Games.

Her professional career was equally distinguished, with seven U.S. national championships to her name, including multiple indoor and outdoor titles in the 1500m.

Now, the former track and field star faces a challenge far removed from the familiar battles of the athletics arena. Yet, her determination to share her story and encourage others demonstrates a willingness to turn a deeply personal experience into something that could make a difference in other people's lives.

As messages of support continue to reach her, the athletics community will be hoping for the very best for Favor Hamilton as she navigates treatment and the journey ahead.

Cory McGee, Dani Jones and Emma Coburn took advantage of racing at sea level for the first time outdoors this year and achieved history by becoming the first American trio to all run under 4 minutes, 24 seconds in the same race Saturday at the Team Boss Indiana Mile at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion.

McGee, a New Balance professional, surged with 250 meters remaining and never relinquished control, clocking a lifetime-best 4:21.81 to elevate to the No. 8 all-time American outdoor performer.

Jones (4:23.33), a first-year professional, and Coburn (4:23.65), also a New Balance athlete, achieved significant personal bests to ascend to the Nos. 10 and 11 outdoor performers in U.S. history.

Tripp Hurt won the men’s mile in a world-leading 3:56.18, just off his 3:56.02 lifetime best, with Nick Harris running a personal-best 3:57.11 and Mason Ferlic achieving a sub-4 clocking for the first time in his career to place third in 3:58.87.

McGee also achieved a 1,500-meter personal best en route of 4:03.82 to run the fastest female mile time ever on Indiana soil. Jones also ran 4:05 to lower her 1,500 personal best as well.

Canadian talent Nicole Sifuentes clocked 4:30.50 in the mile on the oversized indoor track at Notre Dame in 2016, to move just ahead of Suzy Favor Hamilton’s 4:30.64 on a standard 200-meter indoor banked track from 1989 in Indianapolis.

But thanks to the aggressive pacing of South African Dom Scott Efurd, an adidas professional who brought the group through 440 yards at 1:03.2 and the midway point in 2:10.08, all of her teammates benefited to post the top three outdoor marks in the world this year.

Coburn, who ran 4:32.72 at 4,583 feet elevation June 27 to win the Team Boss Colorado Mile at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, held the advantage with one lap remaining Saturday at 3:16.30, followed closely by McGee (3:16.56) and Jones (3:16.85).

On four previous occasions, a pair of Americans had both run under 4:24 in the same mile race, but never a trio of athletes. The most recent occurrence came at the 2018 Muller Anniversary Games, the annual London Diamond League Meeting, with Jenny Simpson placing fourth in 4:17.30 and Kate Grace taking eighth in 4:20.70 behind winner and Dutch star Sifan Hassan in 4:14.71.

Grace and Shannon Rowbury were the only tandem to achieve the feat indoors at the 2017 Wanamaker Mile at the NYRR Millrose Games, finishing second and third behind World 1,500-meter gold medalist Hassan.

The other two races where two Americans have run under 4:24 outdoors occurred at the 2015 Diamond League final in Belgium – with Rowbury and Simpson taking third and fourth behind Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon and Hassan – along with the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York, where Regina Jacobs and Favor Hamilton took second and third behind Ireland’s Sonia O’Sullivan.

The last country to achieve the feat of three athletes running sub-4:24 in the same mile race was Ethiopia, which had Gudaf Tsegay (4:18.31), Axumawit Embaye (4:18.58) and Alemaz Samuel (4:23.35) at last year’s Diamond League Meeting in Monaco.

Russia at the 1993 Golden Gala in Rome and Great Britain at the 2017 Muller Anniversary Games in London are the only other countries to accomplish the sub-4:24 trifecta in the same race.

Australian talent Morgan McDonald paced the men’s race through 440 yards in 58.9 and the midway point in 1:58.87. He brought his teammates through 1,000 meters at 2:28, before moving out wide to give way to Hurt just before the bell lap at 2:57.25.

Harris surged with 300 meters remaining to take a brief lead, but Hurt responded to regain the advantage with 200 left, as the athletes achieved the top two outdoor times in the world this year, with Ferlic elevating to the No. 4 global performer.

The fastest men’s mile time on Indiana soil remains a 3:54.48 from Irish star Marcus O’Sullivan in Indianapolis in 1993.