Molly Huddle may now be a marathoner, but she’s still the class of the U.S. 10,000m field.
Huddle, the American record holder and two-time Olympian, won the national title in the 25-lap race for the fourth straight time, clocking 31 minutes, 52.32 seconds in Des Moines on Thursday night. Huddle owns 27 national titles between track and road races.
Lopez Lomong, the 2008 U.S. Olympic flag bearer who was among the Lost Boys of Sudan, surged past Shadrack Kipchirchir to win the 10,000m by 1.29 seconds in 28:58.38. Lomong, who ran the 1500m and 5000m at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, was racing the 10,000m for the second time in his career. The field lacked eight-time U.S. champion Galen Rupp for the first time since 2006. Rupp is now focused on the marathon.
For Huddle, it was a much more pleasant experience than on April 16, when she finished 16th with hypothermia in the most dreadful Boston Marathon weather in at least 30 years. Huddle was to undergo a root canal the following day, then finished third at a 10K in Central Park on June 9.
“I wasn’t sure if I’d be fit enough yet, but I’m glad that when I needed to pick it up, I could,” Huddle told media in Des Moines.
So Huddle entered the U.S. Championships having been beaten by countrywomen in her last two races. Before Boston, Huddle had been the top American in all of her road races the previous five years.
The 33-year-old led after every lap on Thursday and pulled away from Olympic teammate Marielle Hall at the bell, winning by 4.36 seconds. Gwen Jorgensen, the Rio Olympic triathlon champion transitioning to the marathon, finished seventh, 31.77 seconds behind.
“The goal is always to come in and try to win, and I don’t think I was in it for the win,” said Jorgensen, who gave birth to a son, Stanley, on Aug. 17. “I didn’t think I’d be running any track races.”
Huddle would normally be a contender for her first major international medal, but this is the only year in the Olympic cycle without a world championships or Olympics. Huddle plans to race marathons in the fall, next spring and at the 2020 Olympics, but wants to run the 10,000m at the 2019 World Championships.
USATF Outdoors: TV Schedule | Results | Women’s Preview | Men’s Preview
Also Thursday, the female headliner of the meet, Sydney McLaughlin, withdrew before the first round of the 400m after feeling tightness in her quad in warm-up.
McLaughlin, who at 16 became the youngest U.S. track and field athlete to compete at an Olympics in 44 years, just turned professional after her freshman season at the University of Kentucky. She ranks No. 1 in the world this year in the 400m hurdles and No. 5 in the 400m.
All of the favorites advanced out of the 100m first round, including 200m world leader Noah Lyles, two-time Olympian Mike Rodgers (in 9.89 seconds, fastest time in the world this year) and Pre Classic winner Ronnie Baker. World gold and silver medalists Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman are sitting out nationals.
The men’s and women’s 100m semifinals and finals are Friday. Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA has live coverage from 6-9 p.m. ET.
Defending 1500m champion Robby Andrews failed to qualify for Saturday’s final.
Keturah Orji and Tori Franklin traded meet records in the triple jump final, with Orji prevailing with a 14.59-meter leap to Franklin’s 14.52. Franklin holds the American record of 14.84 meters with Orji ranking No. 2 all-time.
MORE: Lyles, Norman, green teens at Olympic Trials, now stars at USATF Champs
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