April 18, 2022, 9:22 a.m. ET
April 18, 2022, 9:22 a.m. ET Natasha Vodak, center, and Malindi Elmore, right, congratulate Molly Seidel on her bronze medal at last year’s Tokyo Olympics marathon. Vodak, 40, and Elmore, 42, want to compete in the 2024 Olympics. Credit … Giuseppe Cacache / AFP via Getty Images
Last summer, Natasha Vodak exceeded expectations when she went through melted conditions to finish 13th in the women’s marathon at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing just behind Malindi Elmore, her Canadian teammate, in ninth. At the time, Vodak was considering running into the streets of Sapporo to end her career. Perhaps, she thought, this was the time to move on. A two-time Olympian, she was a few months old when she turned 40. And her life in the sport was fulfilling.
But when Vodak shared her feelings with Elmore, her plans suddenly changed.
“No, we will try to make Paris,” Elmore told her, referring to the 2024 Olympics.
On Monday, 40-year-old Wadak and 42-year-old Elmore will be together again on the starting line for the Boston Marathon. Their paths have been intertwined for decades, dating back to the time they were teenagers competing for high school championships in British Columbia. Now they are two of the women who are once again proving that marathoners with a more refined harvest can compete at the highest level.
In addition to fighting for the crown of the master division for runners over 40, Vodak and Elmore expect to be in the mix of elites and for good reason. Set of – how do I put this? – More experienced runners have been doing great things lately. In January, Sarah Hall, now 39, set a U.S. record for the women’s half marathon, while Keira D’Amato, a 37-year-old mother of two, broke the long-running U.S. record for the women’s marathon, both in Houston. A few weeks later, 38-year-old Nick Willis ran less than four minutes for the 20th year in a row, breaking his own record.
“I think it used to feel like there was a ‘best before’ meeting, and once you reach that age, you move on – especially in many cases for women,” Elmore said. “But you don’t have to reach your age limit. And if things are going well and you are doing well, why stop? ”
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