INDIANAPOLIS -- Smashing the women's course record at the Javelina Jundred ultramarathon, Tara Dower (Virginia Beach, VA/USATF Virginia) earned recognition as the 38th USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2025.
Chopping more than 30 minutes off the existing women's course record at McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills, Arizona, Dower's 13:31:48 time for the 100-mile distance put her almost an hour ahead of her nearest challenger.
Running an average of 8:07 per mile over the challenging terrain, Dower went through the almost-marathon distance (26.1 miles) in just over 3:15 and passed the 51.8-mile marker in 6:41:06. That gave her a margin of more than 25 minutes over eventual runner-up Beth McKenzie, and at 76.2 miles Dower had stretched her lead to 32 minutes in 10:10:12. From there she traversed the final 23.8 miles in 3:21:36 to claim victory.
Other top performances from last week:
Nick Christie was fourth in the men's half marathon race walk at Zittau, Germany, with a time of 1:29:39. The half marathon, along with the full marathon, are the new distances instituted by World Athletics for its championship events.
Daniel Mesfun won the Dublin (Ireland) Marathon in 2:08:51, chopping more than a minute off his previous personal best and recording the 13th best performance ever by an American.
Yohanes Van Meerten won the Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational three-mile boys' high school race by 40 seconds in 14:10.1. His time was a course record by 36 seconds in the country's largest high school XC meet.
Braelyn Combe was the girls' winner at the Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational, setting a course record of 16:53.2 on the three-mile circuit to win by 36 seconds.
Will Murray won the men's Javelina Jundred 100-mile title by more than seven seconds in a course record time of 12:10:13.
Now in its 24th year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week when there are high-level competitions and features the athlete on USATF.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.
2025 Winners: January 15, Zariel Macchia; January 22, Conner Mantz; January 29, Katelyn Tuohy; February 5, Ethan Strand; February 12, Yared Nuguse; February 19, Grant Fisher; February 26, Josh Hoey; March 5, Heather MacLean; March 12, Cole Boone; March 19, Isabella Whittaker; March 26, Claire Bryant; April 2, Curtis Thompson; April 9, Taylor Roe; April 16, Valarie Allman; April 23, Jane Hedengren; April 30, Kaitlin Bounds; May 6, Masai Russell; May 13, Lynna Irby-Jackson; May 20, Jaydin Blackwell; May 27, Jonah Koech; June 3, Anna Hall; June 10, Jane Hedengren; June 17, Nico Young; June 24, Cooper Lutkenhaus; July 1, Chase Jackson; July 8, Rudy Winkler; July 15, Quincy Wilson; July 22, Sinclaire Johnson; August 5, Cooper Lutkenhaus; August 19, Curtis Thompson; August 26, Nikki Hiltz; September 2, Cordell Tinch; September 9, Conner Mantz; September 30, Jaydin Blackwell; October 7, Annie Carey; October 14, Conner Mantz; October 21, Jane Hedengren; October 28, Tara Dower.
We welcome your nominations!
To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about their performance to communications@usatf.org.
Join the conversation with USATF on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook using the hashtag #USATF.
Photo by Kristen Nelson