Shalane Flanagan Fights for Third at the 2018 New York City Marathon

As Shalane Flanagan approached the finish line of the 2018 New York City Marathon in third place on Sunday, she waved to the crowds and said, “I love you.”

It was a different approach and but no less meaningful for the 37-year-old who came into the race this year as the defending champion—the first American woman to hold that position in 40 years. Last year as she captured her first victory at a major marathon, she had a fist pump and a now-famous “F*ck yeah!” in the homestretch.

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“I just was overcome with emotion in that stretch as everyone is—I think 50,000 runners feel overwhelmed,” she said. “I love this community and I love the running community. I love New Yorkers. I’ve had an unbelievable time performing here and really appreciate the fans that are here and everyone who supports us.”

Flanagan watched Mary Keitany, who won the race for the fourth time this year after placing second to Flanagan in 2017, surge ahead just as they passed the halfway mark and could not respond to the move. Keitany finished in 2:22:48, the second-fastest time in event history, to Flanagan’s 2:26:22.

In the final 13.1 miles of the race, Flanagan sat in fifth place but sustained her pace as others in front of her paid the price for trying to keep up with Keitany, who dropped three sub-5:00 miles on First Avenue, miles 16–18. As a result, Flanagan hunted down two women to land on the podium for a third time in New York. She was second in 2010, her debut at the distance, and, of course, first in 2017.

For the past year, Flanagan has contemplated whether it’s time to retire from professional competition. Immediately after the race on Sunday she hinted that she’s leaning toward ending her running career and turning to coaching, but hasn’t made a final decision yet.

“I think I’m going to take a few hours post-race to decompress and really evaluate. I don’t want to be too soon to make a decision,” she said. “I do feel like my heart is leaning towards serving others with the knowledge that I’ve gained.”

When Flanagan does step away from pro running, she’s going to move to a coaching role with the Bowerman Track Club, where she’s helped build the most accomplished training groups in the country. She’ll be among just a handful of female coaches guiding the careers of Olympic athletes.

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But for now, Flanagan remains the top and most consistent female marathon runner in the country. And she’s satisfied with her performance at what might be the last her fans see of her racing the 26.2-mile event. She fought for the podium and was able to cinch it in the last two miles.

“It was a huge motivation to get in the top three because my standards for New York are high,” Flanagan said. “I just thought if this truly is going to be my last race, a podium spot would be special.”

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