Allie Ostrander celebrates while breaking the finish line tape at the Statesman Cap10K. Photo by Johnny Pace
Racing against the deepest women’s field in the race’s 49-year history, Allie Ostrander came out on top at the Statesman Cap10K.
Ostrander stormed to a course record in Austin, Texas, covering the 6.2-mile course in a blistering 32 minutes, 45 seconds, breaking a record older than herself.
The 29-year-old Oiselle-sponsored athlete who resides in Boulder, Colo., was methodical in her race strategy, filing behind early leader Kellyn Taylor, and Jessa Hanson, both of Arizona.
The trio — all of whom live and train at altitude — came through the first mile in 5:17, before Ostrander surged to the lead slightly before the 5-kilometer mark in 16:50, gaining momentum on the undulating course.
“I’m pretty good at losing and then regaining momentum,” Ostrander told the Austin American-Statesman. “So a hilly course like the Cap10K can favor me at times.”
The former Kenai Central and Boise State standout extended her lead to 40 seconds by mile five and was well on her way to take down the course record (33:43) set by Natalie Nalepa in 1997.
Ostrander stopped the clock at 32:45, breaking Nalepa’s record by 58 seconds and securing a one-minute win over Hanson (33:45), while Taylor (33:56) rounded out the podium in third.
It was a fitting victory for Ostrander, who last raced in Austin during the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where she won her third-straight title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
“Obviously, I know this isn’t the pinnacle of the sport, but every win feels special,” Ostrander shared on Instagram. “Six months ago, I was struggling on every run and crying during my workouts.”
“I’m so grateful to be feeling stronger than ever…that’s something I definitely won’t take for granted.”
She pocketed $4,000 for the win and another $750 for the race record.
More than 25,000 runners participated in the race, also known as Texas’ Largest 10K, including Anchorage’s Leslie Evans and Stephen Mayer.
Michigan’s Shuaib Aljabaly took the overall win in 29:41.
Next up for Ostrander will be the USATF 1 Mile Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, on April 21.
