By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2024, all rights reserved, used with permission.
NEW YORK (Oct-31) – After finishing a close second to compatriot Helen Obiri in the Boston Marathon last April, Sharon Lockedy hoped she had done enough to earn selection for the Paris Olympic marathon. But when Athletics Kenya announced their team later that month, Lokedi was passed over. Former world record holder Brigid Kosgei finished third, joining Obiri and reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir. The news hit Lokedi hard. I was just broken that day,” Lockedy told Race Results Weekly in an interview today. “Part of me was like, I might make it, and I might not. But then deep down I had hopes. After Boston, I thought maybe it was something. I seem to have a hard time for a few weeks.”
Little did he know that Kosgei would leave the team due to injury in early July and Lockedi would be called up as a reserve. The 30-year-old former NCAA star at the University of Kansas had about six weeks to prepare for the most important marathon of his life.
“At the end of the day, I just kept training and hoping,” said Lockedy, who is represented by Under Armour. He continued. “Finally, as they say, it happened when the Bridge fell and I came in at the last minute. I was saying what should I do? It was very short. I just had to change it; time to put it to work. It’s like a month and two weeks of trying to get everything together.”
November 6, 2022. 2022 The course goes through all five boroughs of New York, starting on Staten Island and ending in Central Park. The finish line in Central Park. (Photo by Da Ping Luo for NYRR)
Working with his coach, Steven Haas, Lockedy really put it together. Running in hot and sunny conditions and on one of the toughest Olympic marathon courses ever, Lockedy hit a critical break after 28km and was one of the last five women in contention for a medal at the 39th kilometer. But Obiri, Dutch Sifan Hassan and Ethiopian Tigst Assefa were too strong and Lockedi fell. He finished fourth, a great performance but just out of the medals. Lockedy appreciated his achievement, but was emotionally and physically spent.
“It took a few weeks to get back into it,” Lockedy admitted. “If anything, it was emotionally draining. It was just excitement. I was just so excited about everything. I went to Kenya and then came back here. Three weeks of that went on for a bit. I felt like I should go back to training.”
Back home in Flagstaff, Lockedy began packing for Sunday’s TCS New York Marathon, a race he won on his debut in 2022 at 42.195km. Under the guidance of Coach Haas, who is also his agent, he stuck to it. training program that got him in such great shape before Boston.
“We tried to keep the long run pattern very similar,” Haas told Race Results Weekly. He continued. “We kept the same pattern as our Boston and New York workouts. We just tried to keep the same schedule.”
Lokedi prepared for Boston in Kenya. Haas explained that he had to do his long runs on Thursdays because athletes don’t run on Sundays, which are reserved for attending church and spending time with family. Haas decided to stick to the Kenya schedule even though Lockedy was in Flagstaff preparing for New York; Tuesday training, Thursday long run and Saturday training.
“For this replenishment, we decided to stay with the same schedule as in Kenya,” Haas said. “It worked out pretty well with the people they were running with. It went really well.”
Lockedi’s only partner was Haas for long runs on the bike. He supplied her with fluids, nourishment and encouragement.
“Early on, it was just talk, but the goal of a 35-K run is to push it hard, get to the point of exhaustion, practice fueling, drink a few gels, have a Maurten,” Haas said. “It got pretty tough. In the end, it was motivation.”
Lockedy said he came here confident and fully prepared. He was clearly excited as he spoke.
“You know when you’re working out and you want I can’t wait to get there?” Lokedi said with a smile. “You start getting cold in the race and stuff like that. It’s exciting.”
It’s remarkable that Lockedy won her marathon debut in New York, given the difficulty of the course, the lack of pacemakers and the all-female competition format. While his experience on the course gives him an edge, Lockedy is still determined.
“I honestly block during the race,” Lockedy said, bursting into laughter. “Someone was like, you know the course now that you’ve done it, but not really.”
As in Boston and Paris, Lockedi will compete against reigning champion and Olympic bronze medalist Helen Obiri. Interestingly, Obiri is only the eighth fastest woman in the field. Kenyans Sheila Chepkirui, Vivian Cheruiyot and Edna Kiplagat, Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba, Senbere Teferi and Dera Dida and Bahrain’s Younis Chumba all ran faster. Lockedy is only ranked tenth in time, but he is not intimidating.
“I love it,” she said. “You don’t know what to expect, but you’re ready to go for it. That’s what I usually do. I’m just going to go for it. It’s just another day, another race.”
