Saucony Athlete Laura Thweatt roke the tape at the USA Track and Field Cross Country Championships in
Boulder, Colorado on Saturday, claiming her first U.S. title. A member
of the Boulder Track Club, Thweatt won the 8K open women’s race with a
convincing 32-second cushion in 27:42. She will lead the American
women’s team at the 2015 International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF) World Cross Country Championships to be held in
Guiyang, China on March 28, 2015. (For an image of Thweatt, please click
here: Laura Thweatt)

After graduating from CU with her name in
the indoor and outdoor record book, Thweatt met Lee Troop, a three-time
Australian Olympic marathoner and Boulder Track Club coach. A year
later, Saucony, realizing Thweatt’s passion and potential, signed the
Durango native to a long-term contract. The combination of Troop’s
coaching; the encouragement from her Boulder Track Club teammates; and
the support of her Saucony family ignited the steady three-year
progression that has put Thweatt in position to contend for an Olympic
berth at next year’s U.S. Olympic Trials.
 
The past year in
particular has proved to be a huge breakthrough for Thweatt, setting new
personal records at distances from 800 meters to the half marathon. She
lowered her 5000 meter time to 15:04.98, making her the fourth-fastest
American last year. Her road 10K time improved to 32:37, and she made a
solid debut at the half marathon in 1:11:02.

“With this first
national championship win, Laura has solidified her place among the top
elite women in the build-up to the 2016 Olympics in Rio,” said Mark
Bossardet, vice president of sports marketing for Saucony. “She’s had
such an amazing breakthrough year thanks to her tremendous work ethic,
patience, and positive outlook. Our mission, to empower the human spirit
through running, is something she does instinctively as she continues
to coach and inspire high school runners in addition to her own
training. We’re incredibly proud of her; she’s a remarkable individual,
confident and dedicated to our sport, and continues to impress all of us
with her unlimited potential.”