Top upsets in running of 2017
A list of underdogs pulling through in the clutch
Expect the unexpected in running.
In 2017, some of the world’s top runners and event favourites couldn’t deliver when it mattered the most, opening the door for exciting upsets and the rise of the underdog. We’ve compiled several from both the national running scene while other moments come from the international scene including major championships and marathons.
RELATED: Best new running reads and films of 2017.
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Shalane Flanagan wins New York City Marathon
40 years later, we have an American women champion at the #TCSNYCMarathon. Understandably, @ShalaneFlanagan just overwhelmed with joy.?? pic.twitter.com/PSnAcz63GR
— TCS New York City Marathon (@nycmarathon) November 5, 2017
Facing Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat and London Marathon champion Mary Keitany, American Shalane Flanagan took advantage of the slow early-race pace and won the New York City Marathon in November. Flanagan became the first American woman to win NYC in 40 years.
No happy ending for Usain Bolt
Americans Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman beat Usain Bolt in the final individual race of the Jamaican’s career in London at the world championships. Bolt, the 100m and 200m world record holder, settled for bronze after getting out of the starting blocks slowly.
Sarah Inglis wins UA Eastside 10K
An accomplished university athlete with Trinity Western, Sarah Inglis upset IAAF World Championships qualifier Rachel Cliff, Canadian marathon record holder Lanni Marchant and Canadian 10,000m record holder Natasha Wodak to win the Under Armour Eastside 10K in Vancouver.
Who’s the Bosse?
France’s Pierre-Ambroise Bosse won the men’s 800m in a wide open race at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in August. Though the French athlete had one of the better PBs of the field, the fact that the three Olympic medallists from Rio were out of the race made for a widely exciting final.
Claire Sumner wins 10K at senior cross-country nationals
The 2016 Canadian university champion beat out Victoria Coates and Rachel Cliff to win her first national senior cross-country title in November in Kingston, Ont.
Down goes Mo
Four-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mo Farah was racing on his home country’s track at the IAAF World Championships in August for the final time. During his last major championships before transitioning to the marathon, Farah lost to Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris in a thrilling 5,000m. Farah got the better of Edris shortly after the world championships at the Diamond League in Zurich, Switzerland.
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