Parker Valby, the University of Florida senior who has dominated every individual race she’s been in this year, started her final NCAA meet by winning the 10,000 meters in 31:46.09, a meet record.
Valby ran in a tight trio with Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State and Hilda Olemomoi of Alabama for most of the race. With four laps remaining, Valby took the lead, Roe dropped well back, and Olemomoi was struggling to hang on. By three laps to go, Valby had opened up a three-second lead and the outcome of the race was never in doubt after that.
Olemomoi finished second in 31:51.89, also under the previous meet record. Roe finished third in 32:17.45.
“I had a lot of fun out there,” Valby said, explaining how she was watching herself on the big screen in Hayward Field and waving to her parents and teammates.
Earlier this season, Valby ran her first 10,000 meters in 30:50.43, bettering the previous NCAA record by 28 seconds. During the indoor season, she ran 14:52.79 for the 5,000 meters, also an NCAA record.
Valby’s training is somewhat unusual. After injuries early in her collegiate career, she turned to cross-training, with great results. Now she runs only three or four days per week, and she cross-trains ferociously on an Arc Trainer on the other days, often two long sessions per day.
Running shoe brands are vying to sign her to a professional contract when her college career ends. Valby has an NIL deal with Nike, and for the 10,000 meters, the company made her some special shoes, affixing spikes to the bottoms of a pair of their Vaporflys, which are geared toward marathoners and have a lot more cushioning than typical track spikes. She tried them in a workout three days ago, and decided to wear them.
“I have the 5K on Saturday, and I’d like to have recovered legs,” she said, explaining her choice to wear them.
She runs the 5,000 meters on June 8, aiming to rack up another 10 points for Florida in the quest for the team title. The Olympic Trials begin on June 21, and Valby is considered a strong contender to make the team in the 5,000 meters or 10,000 meters.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
