By Chiann Nobrega
Shelby Houlihan let the adrenaline kick in on the final lap Saturday and chased down the leaders to win the women’s 1,500 meters at the Prefontaine Classic.
“Going into the last 300, I was kind of visualizing what we do in practice where we’re just cutting down every 100 meters and accelerating and switching gears,” Houlihan said. “That’s what I was trying to do, and I felt really good going into the last 100.”
Houlihan earned a new PR with a time of 3 minutes, 59.06 seconds, ahead of Scottish runner Laura Muir, who took second with a time of 3:59.30, and American Jenny Simpson, who was third in 3:59.37.
This was Simpson’s first 1,500 of the season, and she was in a consistent front spot until the end. But she is happy with her sub-4 race and proud of the hard work she put in.
“There is some fun in that, to see how hard you can push,” Simpson said. “There is a bit of a disadvantage putting yourself out there, to say I’m going to put myself in the most vulnerable spot. But I am really proud of that.”
Muir, who holds the British national record in the 1,500, made her outdoor debut. She’s a future veterinary doctor who recently passed her finals, and she had a rough past couple of months juggling both school and running. But she said she trained through it and is “very pleased” with the race.
“I think I timed it really well,” Muir said. “Shelby was really strong in the finish, and it was a close finish.”
Houlihan is off to a great start for the outdoor season and believes she is in the best shape possible. Consistent training has been very important, and she has been doing that at Mammoth Lake for the past month. The high altitude leaves her feeling fresh and ready for events like this. Having Jerry Schumacher as a coach is also helpful.
“You can tell he believes in you and tries to put you in the best position that he can,” Houlihan said. “And you’ve just got to go do it. Also just having teammates that are as good as me or if not better around me. We’re just making each other better every day. That is a huge thing.”
Houlihan and her teammates have a fun relationship off the track. She and Colleen Quigley have created a social media competition between Quigley’s “French braid Friday” and Houlihan’s “French bread Friday.”
“It is kind of funny,” Houlihan said. “Colleen actually started French braid Friday. She wanted to do it as a motivational thing for young girls and building confidence, and I kind of had the idea to do French bread Friday just as kind of mocking it a little bit and poke fun a little bit.”
“French bread Friday” has now become popular among fans, and the two athletes often collaborate together on their posts. Quigley, who was entered in the race, withdrew due to a stress related injury in her foot.
