It Takes Two To Make The Rio Olympics

Every athlete aspires to make it to the Olympics. It is the dream, the pinnacle of success. For Amy Hastings Cragg, 32, a runner from Kansas, that dream was realized in 2012; though not in the event she had hoped. Having achieved national success at Arizona State University, this cross country runner had her dreams set on an Olympic marathon qualification, though those hopes were dashed as she fell short by one spot, finishing 4th at the 2012 trials. Only the top 3 go on. Cragg did qualify in the 10,000M, and finished 11th; however, the sting of defeat was felt months after the Olympics. “The marathon is my dream event. It’s something I love and can’t let go of…” She said. “I still feel it can be my best event.”

With encouragement from her peers and coaches, Cragg chose to get back on the saddle. She moved to Providence, Rhode Island and trained with fellow marathoner Kim Smith. She would partake in marathons in New York and Chicago. In 2014, she married another track and field star, Irish Olympian, Alistair Cragg, and things were looking bright.

In April of 2015, Cragg entered into her first Boston Marathon, but the fast finishes surprised her, and she needed something to bolster her courage. Enter Shalane Flanagan. At 34 years old, Flanagan grew up in Marblehead,  Massachusetts and, like Cragg, had personal running connections. Both of her parents had participated in the World Cross Country Championships and in 1971, her mother, Cheryl Treworgy, even held a marathon World Record. Shalane’s husband, Steven Ashley, was a track and field star at their alma mater, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Hopes of qualifying for a fourth Olympics were on the horizon, and she had a Bronze medal from Beijing 2008 in the 10,000M. On top of all that, Shalane owned the fastest American marathon time of 2:21:14, which she had earned in Berlin, 2014 … And the two connected, and discussed training opportunities. However, they were stationed at opposite sides of the country.

It wasn’t until November of 2015, when Cragg’s husband, Alastair, was offered work in Portland, that the women’s partnership was realized. Shalane had lived in Portland since 2009, and training together, with the local Bowerman Track Club, became convenient and productive. The two automatically set their sights on qualifying for Rio–this time, together.

“I just knew, training with Shalane, would give me all the confidence I need,” said Hastings Cragg.

And so for 4 months, they trained together, going on 20-mile runs every 7 days, and doing speed training on another. Running on dirt roads and away from bears in Flagstaff, Arizona, and doing altitude training and pace work, alongside Alistair in Phoenix. They even shared a house; you could say their relationship was electric.

Finally, the L.A. Olympic Trials on February 13th. From the get-go, Cragg and Flanagan had set the pace, and gained a minute lead on the 202-person field. But at mile 17, Cragg began to wane.

At that point her partner looked to her and said, “You’ve got this, we’re going to be right there for each other.” That encouragement, coupled with the determination sprouted from 2012’s bitter defeat, led Cragg to a first place finish. Flanagan qualified at 3rd, and sandwiched in between was Cragg’s former college teammate, Desiree Linden. Together they had achieved their goal and shared vision.

Building on this success, the two have continued to train together and will push each other until Rio de Janeiro. For a bit of fresh air, you can follow them on Twitter. Amy Cragg is @HastyHastings (referring to her maiden name), and Shalane can be found @ShalaneFlanagan.

Portland must be the hotbed of the running world. Galen Rupp, the top male Olympic marathon qualifier, also resides here (born and raised), and it is the center of this month’s IAAF World Indoor Championships, taking place March 17-20, at the Oregon Convention Center. The Track and Field Olympic Trials will be held in Eugene in July.