2015 USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships

Eugene, Oregon

After a jostling start, Shalane Flanagan and Emily Infeld – already Beijing-bound after their 2-3 finish in the w10,000m – quickly jumped to the front. 3:02 at 1 kilo, a lead pack of Flanagan, Infeld, Nicole Tully, Abbey D’Agostino, Murielle Hall, Katie Mackey, and Kellyn Taylor was edging away from the field. The grind was on. Flanagan’s metronome-like pacing eventually sent Taylor out the back door as the remaining six split 3K in 9:07 with 5 laps remaining.

Flanagan’s unwavering cadence kept the heat on as the 6-pack – intact – split 4K in 12:12. These leaders – all weathering the subtle but steady tempo increases and looking game – now buckled down for the final two laps. At the end of the penultimate backstretch, Mackey survived a brief stumble just before Hall pushed into the lead with 600 remaining – a move immediately covered by D’Agostino while the stoic Flanagan was tucked in on the rail in 3rd. Mackey – seemingly energized by her stagger – took the lead at the bell. Infeld flew to the front on the final backstretch with Tully now in 2nd and Hall on her shoulder. All world team berths were still up for grabs as the leaders rounded the Bowerman curve. Tully’s magnificent – and well-timed – stretch drive gave her the 5K crown in 15:06.44 by the slimmest of margins over Hall [15:06.45]. A hard-charging D’Agostino [15:06.59] crossed 3rd with a big PR to claim the final Beijing ticket. Just like that, three younger emerging stars had earned first-time membership on a senior USA global team.

After the race, the new champion displayed joy and poise. "I feel amazing. I am so pleased and proud to be a part of a group of such elite women who were in that race to the very last lap,” noted Tully in acknowledging the 5 other front runners. “The entire race included women I have looked up to and competed against for a number of years. It's cool to be a part of it. I am so pleased that I had it in the last lap and was able to come home strong and pull it out in that last 30 meters." Her feelings on making the world team? “I’m beyond ecstatic,” Tully beamed.