Flower's 50-mile world record earns her USATF Athlete of the Week honors

INDIANAPOLIS -- Bettering the women’s world record* for the 50-mile run, Anne Flower (Colorado Springs, CO/USATF Colorado) earned recognition as the 40th USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2025.

Flower, 35, won the USATF 50 Mile Championship at the Tunnel Hill 100 in Vienna, Ill., with a 5:18:57 that chopped almost 13 minutes off the ratified world record of 5:31:56 that was set in 2024 by Courtney Olsen.

An emergency room doctor in Colorado Springs, Flower was a qualifier for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials - Marathon and she broke the course record at the Leadville 100 Mile earlier this year. She started running during medical school and her first ultrarunning competition was the Dead Horse 50 in Moab, Utah, in 2019.

Other top performances from last week:

• Brogan Austin won the men’s USATF 50 Mile Championships at Vienna, Ill., clocking 5:02:54.
• Christian Allen won the USATF Half Marathon Trail Championships men's title by more than two minutes at Moab, Utah, in 1:18:09.
• Tayler Tuttle was the women's champion at the USATF Half Marathon Trail Championships in Moab, Utah, winning by more than four minutes with a 1:32:24 finish.
• Courtney Olsen bettered the women’s American record in the 100-kilometer run with a 6:59:55 at Vienna, Ill. Her time was 53 seconds faster than the AR set by Ann Trason in 1995.

* - record subject to ratification by the International Association of Ultrarunners Record Committee

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; November 4, Jenny Hitchings; November 11, Anne Flower.

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.

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