Blomquist, 22, benefits from extended altitude training camp in Flagstaff, Ariz., lowers her personal-best effort by more than 20 seconds to end 17-year drought since Flanagan achieved then-American record 14:44.80; Brokaw wins first 1,500 since 2018, with MacQuiddy and Cheruiyot also victorious

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Chuck Utash

WALNUT, Calif. – Nathalie Blomquist had endured a two-month wait in between races since winning a national indoor 3,000-meter title in February.

The New Balance professional athlete from Finland had survived a five-week altitude training camp in Flagstaff, Ariz., in preparation for her outdoor season opener.

And the 22-year-old standout representing Arctic Approach Management had not been able to test herself in a 5,000-meter race since competing in September in Sweden.

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But Blomquist’s patience was rewarded Friday night at the 64th Mt. SAC Relays Presented by Nike, running a lifetime-best 14 minutes, 59.70 seconds at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

It marked the first sub-15 performance by a female competitor at the Mt. SAC Relays since Shalane Flanagan ran a then-American record 14:44.80 in 2007.

It took another three years for Molly Huddle to lower the American all-time mark to 14:44.76, and she is now one of seven U.S. competitors to have run faster than Flanagan in an outdoor 5,000.

Although American athlete Josette Andrews produced a facility record by running 14:43.36 last year at the Track Festival at Hilmer Lodge Stadium – one of five competitors to eclipse the 15-minute barrier in the elite race – the Mt. SAC Relays event had to wait 17 years in between sub-15 efforts, but Blomquist finally ended the drought by improving on her previous-best 15:21.13 from September.

Blomquist also became only the second Finnish female athlete to achieve a sub-15 effort, joining Annemari Sandell running 14:56.22 in 1996.

Maggie Montoya of Roots Running Project clocked 15:26.66 to secure second, the only other competitor to run sub-15:30.

Thobias Cheruiyot, a freshman at Oklahoma representing Kenya, won the men’s invitational elite 5,000 in 13:51.73, holding off another first-year collegiate competitor in Nathan Kapel of Stephen F. Austin, who earned runner-up honors in 13:53.50.

Six athletes produced sub-14 performances, including another 22-year-old Finnish competitor representing Arctic Approach Management, as Eemil Helander took third in 13:54.49.

Stephanie Brokaw, who is training under retired University of Arkansas coach Lance Harter in his professional group in Fayetteville, won her first 1,500-meter race since 2018, prevailing in the women’s invitational elite section in 4:11.64, with ASICS competitor Grace Barnett finishing second in 4:12.11.

Swedish athlete Hanna Hermansson took third in 4:12.41 and Texas standout Olivia Howell was the top collegiate competitor, finishing fourth in 4:14.64.

Garrett MacQuiddy, a senior at Cal Berkeley competing unattached, held off Austin Dalquist of Roots Running Project by a 3:42.50 to 3:42.89 margin in the men’s invitational elite 1,500.

Yusuf Bizimana, a British competitor racing at Texas, won his section in 3:44.50.