Leading up to the February 13th U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, FloTrack will highlight the storylines of the contenders on both the men's and women's side.

Becky Wade: The Ultimate Underdog

Name: Becky Wade

Age: 26

Hometown: Dallas, Texas

Marathon PR: 2:30:41 (Sacramento 2013)

Best Trials Qualifier: 2:37:30 (Los Angeles 2015)

Previous Trials Results: track only - 14th in the steeplechase (2012)

Our Take: Wade exploded on the marathon scene when she made her debut with a victory at the California International Marathon in 2:30:41. Wade became the fifth-fastest female American marathoner of 2013, and took down seasoned veteran Sarah Kiptoo in the process. Wade was only 24 at the time. Only two American women, two-time Olympian Cathy Schiro O’Brien and Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson ran faster marathons before the age of 25. 

Shortly before winning CIM, Wade completed a year-long post-graduate fellowship that consisted of traveling to 22 countries and studying different running cultures around the world. She is even publishing a book that chronicles her experience. 



Wade’s performance in her 2013 debut showed obvious promise, but since the win in Sacramento, Wade has only run one other marathon, partly due to an injury that forced her to sit out of the 2014 Chicago Marathon. She completed the blistering hot 2015 LA Marathon in 2:37 for eighth-place, and has since run a 10K season’s best of 33:24 at December’s Pacific Pursuit. 

With just two marathons under her belt, we really haven’t seen Wade live up to her full potential, which should make the Marathon Trials very interesting.  

Below, Wade answered three questions leading up to the big race.

Give us the details of your best workout.

My best workouts in this cycle have been solid efforts in the middle of high mileage blocks, such as 8 x 1 mile (400 jog) in 5:15 down to 5:00 at the end of a 110-mile week.

What do you need to do on race day to make the team?

To make the team, I must run a smart race and get everything out of my body over 26.2 miles. The marathon is an exercise in timing and tolerance, and if I’m able to stay cool but attached early on, a strong finish should put me in contention. 

What’s been your biggest obstacle to overcome in your Trials prep?

The biggest obstacle I've had to overcome in my Trials prep is letting the training come rather than forcing it, which is something that doesn’t come naturally to me. Like many high achievers with massive goals, I’m wired to think that a "more and faster” approach will get me to the top, so shifting to a process-oriented, step-by-step mindset has been tough but really beneficial. I’m fortunate to have been healthy in this entire build-up, and am really learning how to let my body progress on its own terms, and to let it loose at the right times.