The Champion Returns 

Published by NYRR on March 15, 2016

When Molly Huddle won the United Airlines NYC Half last year in 1:08:31, tying the course record, she didn’t just become the first American woman champion of the event in its 10-year history. She also set an American mark for a women-only race and kicked off a season which most athletes can only dream about.

In the midst of all this came her worst nightmare.  

On August. 24 at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, Huddle walked off the track sobbing, her head in her hands. Moments before, the 10,000-meter bronze medal had been within her grasp. But in a stunning and uncharacteristic lapse, she eased up just before the finish, allowing teammate Emily Infeld to pass her.

Even Infeld felt bad for Huddle, saying in a post-race interview how much she looked up to her.