Emily Infeld Wins Her First U.S. Title at 35: A Lesson in Belief and Persistence
It’s remarkable what trusting the process can yield. (Unless you’re the 76ers…but that’s a different blog.)
A few weeks ago, Emily Infeld won her first U.S. national title—at age 35—in the women’s 10,000 meters, beating a field loaded with A-listers. Infeld closed hard to outkick Elise Cranny, with Taylor Roe taking third. For a veteran who’s made teams, snagged a global bronze, and spent years “in the mix,” this was the day she owned the spotlight.
In the highlight reel, it’s tempting to flatten the lesson into “believe and never waver,” but that’s not the story. Infeld has been open that doubts creep in (join the club), and yet—with her coach, spouse, sponsor, and team—she chose to stay on the track and take another 10,000m swing this season. That bet paid off. (She and the other top finishers are now in the selection conversation for Tokyo Worlds, which run September 13–21, 2025.)
But belief isn’t always doubling down. Consider Conner Mantz: elite on the track in college, close-but-not-quite for U.S. teams, then a decisive shift to the marathon—4th at Boston this spring in 2:05:08, the second-fastest American ever on that course. That’s belief too: betting on your best arena.
And back to that U.S. 10,000: Keira D’Amato, 40, set an American masters record in the same race. Same stage, different win. Belief wears more than one jersey.
Taylor Roe is another good example of the “smart pivot.” NCAA 3k champ on the track, she’s leaned into the roads this year—course record and women’s world best 49:53 at Cherry Blossom, plus the U.S. Half Marathon title (1:07:22). She’s straddling lanes, not stuck in one.
The real takeaway: belief with evidence
“Trust the process” isn’t code for stubbornness. It’s conviction informed by feedback.
Double down when your indicators trend the right way (health, workouts, closing speed, joy) even if results lag. That was Infeld.
Pivot when the data hints your ceiling (for now) sits elsewhere—and the new lane excites you. That was Mantz.
How to apply this without bumper stickers:
Follow your joy. If you love the mile, keep the mile in play. Enjoyment drives consistency; consistency drives outcomes.
Borrow eyes. Coaches and partners remember trends you forget. When your recency bias screams “it’s not working,” ask them.
Weigh tradeoffs on paper. If you chase Path A, what are you not doing in Path B for the next 6–12 months—and are you okay with that?
Use race evidence. Long runs and tempos will tell you whether you’re a metronome, a negative-split assassin, or a pack racer. Build a plan that highlights your superpower, not someone else’s.
Belief is choosing the hard thing that fits your strengths—sometimes that’s staying the course, sometimes it’s changing it. Infeld chose to stay, and she finally got the big one. Mantz chose to pivot, and he’s thriving. Both are wins, because both are honest.
Notes on selections: USATF named the 10,000m podium Infeld–Cranny–Roe; final Worlds entries are rankings/standard-dependent with the U.S. team announcement tied to the Tokyo window. If Roe makes the roster via rankings, it would cap a breakout year that already includes those road wins.
