Shalane Flanagan - The Lover
MARATHONER - RUNNER
ARCHETYPE: THE LOVER
Day 11/135
Athletic Accomplishments
Her name is Shalane Flanagan. You think I'm not going to put her up on St. Patrick's Day?
Since 2002, Shalane Flanagan has been one of the biggest names and performers in women’s distance running. At the University of North Carolina, she won national titles for cross-country in both 2002 and 2003, and the Honda Sports Award as best female collegiate cross-country runner in 2003 and 2004.
As a pro, she started scaling up her race miles and continued to see success. In 2008, she competed in the Beijing Olympics in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, taking home the *silver in the 10,000m. (*she was originally awarded the bronze medal, which was upgraded to silver after the original silver medal winner tested positive for a banned substance.)
Then in 2010, she won her first half marathon at the USA Half Marathon Championships, setting the course record (1:09:45) and announced she’d make her marathon debut at NYC that same year.
Flanagan placed second (2:28:40) in the NYC Marathon, the best performance of an American woman at the event in 20 years. She then competed in 2012 and 2016, for the U.S. Olympic marathon team.
In 2014, Flanagan—who grew up in neighboring Marblehead, Massachusetts—had hoped to win some hometown glory and set her sights on winning the Boston Marathon. She led the race through 19 miles, but couldn’t hold the lead. It was devastating to watch, but the loss only served to further motivate Flanagan.
In 2017, against a stacked field, Flanagan went on to get her win at a World Major marathon. The romantic quest for a marathon win ended right back where she started—at the New York City Marathon. As she ran down the final stretch toward the finish line in Central Park, Flanagan was overcome with emotion. She celebrated her victory the way anyone from the Northeast would: by pumping her fists and screaming FUCK YES. She was the first American to win the NYC Marathon in 40 years.
Character Archetype: The Lover
There are two crystal clear images of Flanagan:
Collapsing at the finish line of the 2016 marathon trials, placing third and securing her spot on the Olympic team; and
Pumping her fists in Central Park screaming FUCK YES! before winning the 2017 New York City Marathon.
Shalane Flanagan has passion. Heart. Fire. She’d put it all on the line, go through hell and back, for just the CHANCE at winning. And she'd tell you outright what she wanted: To win the Boston Marathon.
In 2014, she led the pack through 19 miles at Boston, only to blow up and fall to 7th place. When her heart broke at Heartbreak Hill, our hearts broke too. But then we watched her pick up the pieces and get her win at New York.
A true champion puts it all on the line. She achieves more because she wants more, is not afraid to want more. To push her body, mind, and heart to the limit. "