Hasay returns to top form to claim USATF 20K title

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

NEW HAVEN, Ct. -- Coming into Monday’s USATF 20-kilometer championship race, Jordan Hasay admitted she was a little nervous.

After a breakthrough performance in April at the Boston Marathon where she finished third, clocking the fastest U.S. debut ever, Hasay experienced some frustration in a few shorter distance races.  

“I was almost a little bit more nervous than usual, just saying, ‘You know, I hope I still have it,’” Hasay said. 

She definitely still has it. Hasay, 25, put on a dominating performance, as she won the women’s New Haven Road Race title in 1 hour, 6 minutes, 35 seconds – a minute faster than runner-up and defending champion, Aliphine Tuliamuk (1:07.49). 

“It’s sort of a relief, this will fuel my training,” said Hasay, who will run Sept. 17 in the Rock ‘N’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. “It was an honor coming out here. Great race. Great setup.”

For the first five or six miles Monday, the 20K played out as many expected.

Tuliamuk led the women’s pack with Hasay a step behind. The two were mixed in with a few of the male runners as New Haven has a joint start. But then mile seven hit, Hasay took off and Tuliamuk could not keep up. 

“I was planning on waiting longer, but when we came through past the start, everyone is cheering, ‘Go Jordan,’ and then I saw this guy up ahead and I thought you know what, I talked to Alberto (Salazar) last night and he said, ‘If you feel good, just like test it,’” Hasay said. “I thought, ‘Well, I’m just going to go up and run with him, and if (Tuliamuk) comes, she comes, and if not, I know I can keep that pace.’ And then I caught up to him and she didn’t come. Then he stopped, about after nine miles, so I was sort of by myself from that point.”

Tuliamuk said she tried to go with Hasay, but realized she’s not at that level right now, and just hung on for second place. 

“With the longer stuff you have to be mentally engaged,” Tuliamuk said. “I think I may have lost that concentration a little bit today, maybe at around mile eight I was getting tired.”

Once a star on the track, Hasay has found a new passion and zest for running at the longer, more grueling distances. She is gearing up to run Oct. 8 at the Chicago Marathon. 

“It felt really tough the last couple miles but nothing that I haven’t done in practice,” Hasay said.

A veteran of the roads, Sara Hall, finished third, clocking 1:07.53, and almost catching up to Tuliamuk. Hall, who resides in Redding, Calif., came out to New Haven with her sophomore daughter, Hana, who ran in the 5K race. Hall said Hasay’s move to the longer distances has been a welcomed addition. 

“Jordan, you know, is Californian just like me. I was the first one to win all four state (CIF) titles, she was the second, so it’s fun to have her doing so well, definitely raising the bar with her (marathon) debut,” Hall said. “It’s really exciting where American distance running is right now, just watching worlds, where we’re almost medaling in every event. I think that encourages me to keep raising my own game.”