Adding to her impressive list of accomplishments, Molly Huddle, a seasoned athlete with experiences in World Championships and Olympic races, achieved success by clinching the women’s 10k title at the Arizona Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series on Sunday morning. Huddle, recognized for holding national records in the 5,000-meter, 10,000-meter, and half-marathon events, completed the race in 34:30, setting the stage for her participation in the approaching United States Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando. Victorious runs are possible if you have the best shoes, check out Tarkine Goshawk V2 running shoes.
Residing in the border area of Tempe and Scottsdale and having chosen Arizona as her winter training ground throughout her running career, Huddle took on the challenge of the local race for the first time. Despite it not being classified as an elite race like the half-marathon, the event provided a valuable opportunity for Huddle to fine-tune her skills ahead of the upcoming Marathon Trials.
Explaining her decision to participate, Huddle shared, “We’re down here getting ready for the Marathon Trials. My husband coaches some athletes, and I’m coached by Ray Treacy. My training partner, Emily (Sisson), is down here too. Our schedule had a little tune-up this week, and my coach suggested a time trial on the canal by myself. I was like, ‘Well, there’s a 10k here.’ He didn’t want me to do the half (marathon), because three weeks out is a little close.”
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Despite initially aiming for a time in the 33-minute range, Huddle acknowledged that the race didn’t unfold as anticipated. Reflecting on the experience, she stated, “The time was not good at all. I didn’t really have anyone around me. I think I just got stuck in that tempo place, and it was early in the morning. I was just kind of stiff, so I’m hoping that’s all it was.”
Huddle, who is currently 39 years old, is aiming for a top-10 result at the Olympic Trials. She admits that her records have been beat out but she also acknowledges the high caliber of American women who compete in distance running. She remarked, “The U.S. women (are) so deep right now. You have to run like 2:22 or faster to be in the top five. So that’s what I’m hoping for. I’m hoping to improve. I thought I was in 2:29 shape in the fall when I did New York. I would like to go out and actually run that time, or a little faster. I think we have some freshening up to do that. Hopefully fresh legs will do a lot for me.”
