Lewy-Boulet Finishes 20th as Americans Nab Bronze at World XC
Bay Area Track Club co-founder Magda Lewy-Boulet ran to an outstanding 20th place finish at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships on Sunday in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Lewy-Boulet was also the 3rd American women to cross the line, helping the team win a coveted bronze medal. The medal was the first for any American team since the women's team won bronze at the 2003 championships.
The race was dominated from the gun by the Kenyan team, who agressively pushed the pace. Top American finisher Shalane Flanagan held on to the leaders until the final lap of the course, when the surges of eventual silver medalist, Linet Masai of Kenya, left Flanagan fighting to stay in the top 10. Masai led into the home stretch where she was outkicked for the win by her teammate, Emily Chebet.
Magda en route to her 20th place finish
Flanagan hung on for 12th place overall, closely followed by Molly Huddle (19th), Lewy-Boulet (20th), Amy Hastings (25th), Renee Metivier Baillie (38th), and Emily Brown (41st). Many experts consider the IAAF World Cross Country Championships to be the most competitive distance running event in the world, which makes the American's team bronze medal all the more impressive.
Lewy-Boulet will stay in Europe for the next two weeks to prepare for the Rotterdam Marathon on April 11th. She hopes to use the notoriously flat, fast course in Rotterdam to improve her 2:30:19 personal best in the marathon.
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