Shalane Flanagan Retires Is She One of The Best US Runners of All Time?

Shalane Flanagan has announced her retirement from running and is accepting a job with Bowerman Track Club. I am hopeful that the success she had has a runner will translate over to her coaching career.

Erik van Leeuwen = www.erki.nl

She has a pretty long career spanning from 2004 to 2019 and she had some huge moments a runner.

1. 2017 New York City Marathon
This was a huge moment from her, not her fastest time, but a huge win over Mary Keitany who happened to have an off day. Flanagan won the race in 2:26.53 beaten second-place finisher Keitany (2:27.54)

2. Olympic Silver Medal in the 10,000 in 2008
She ran her fastest 10,000 of her life placing third in 30:22.22 which placed her third. Sometime after second play, Elvan Abeylegesse was stripped of her medal after being caught doping).

I think these two moments were her biggest achievements as a runner. She had many other ones but there are probably the two that most people will remember.

Flanagan is one of the most successful overall distance runners that the United States has ever had. She isn’t the most successful track runner, cross country or marathoner. But she was good at all 3 of then which honestly isn’t common amongst runners.

List of achievements
1 Olympic Medal
1 World XC Medal
1 Abbot World Marathon Major
3 NCAA Titles
2 USA Outdoor Track Title
6 UXC Cross Country Crowns
4th Fastest US women’s at 3,000 and 5,000 meters
2nd Fastest Us women’s at 10,000 Meters
5th Fastest US women’s half marathon
3rd Fastest US women’s marathon

I’ll leave you with a quote from her Instagram retirement message as it is one that I like.

My personal motto through out my career has been to make decisions that leave me with “no regrets”.....but to be honest, I have one.
I regret I can’t do it all over again.

I think this is a great outlook and one that many of us should adopt!