2016 U.S. Olympic Team Marathon Trials

Alana Hadley: At 19, Youngest Qualifier Has Dropped Out of Last 3 Marathons

Alana Hadley: At 19, Youngest Qualifier Has Dropped Out of Last 3 Marathons

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. A

Feb 1, 2016 by Meg Bellino
Alana Hadley: At 19, Youngest Qualifier Has Dropped Out of Last 3 Marathons
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.

Alana Hadley: The Future Starts Now?


Name: Alana Hadley

Age: 19

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Marathon PR: 2:38:34 (Indianapolis 2014)

Best Trials Qualifier: 2:38:34 (Indianapolis 2014)

Previous Trials Results: n/a

Our Take: Alana Hadley will toe the line in February age-ineligible for the Olympics as the youngest qualifier in the field. Her 2:38 turned heads in the running world, especially since she had already qualified the year before at age 16 with a time of 2:41.55.


Check out the Alana Hadley FloFilm "Growing Up Fast"


But Hadley’s recent string of disappointments, including dropping out of 3 — yes 3 — marathons in 2015 is alarming. If she can finish, and place well, mind you, Hadley’s future in the marathon could take a turn for the better. Because at this point, it needs to. Young professional athletes suffer such scrutiny from fans after every performance because of their decision to forego their NCAA eligibility. Think Mary Cain, whose move back to New York triggered a flood of articles questioning whether she was still training under Alberto Salazar.

February 13 will mark her first attempt at completing the full 26.2 race since her personal best was set at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in September of 2014. Is Hadley the future of American marathoners? Only a finishing time will tell.