Alicia Monson and Elise Cranny are two stars in US women’s distance running. Monson has continued to improve into one of the most consistent runners in US history. Her spectacular 2023 season has included three American records. Elise Cranny has had a different path, coming on strong after struggling early in the season. She did not let this stop as she claimed two USATF titles and a personal best in the mile during the last month.
Alicia Monson has been on an absolute tear during her 2023 campaign. She has highlighted this year with three different American records.
In February, Monson smashed the American indoor 3,000m record with a blistering 8:25.05 at the Millrose Games. What stood out about this race was just how well Monson pushed the pace down while being alone for many laps. It was as gritty of a performance as ever. She is typically known as a 5,000m-10,000m runner, but she showed great skill while dropping down in distance.
Only three weeks later, Monson followed her Millrose performance with another American record. This time, she hit the outdoor track to smash the American 10,000m record by over nine seconds. Her time of 30:03.82 launched her into the top 20 all-time.
Not only was the time impressive, but she led much of the second half of the race, winding the pace down. It was another example of her gritty racing style that makes her such a threat in elite races.
Alicia Monson just set yet another American record in her most recent race at the London Diamond League meeting. This time, she broke the 5,000m record in a quick 14:19.45. She had a slightly different race setup for this record, as she instead was competing with some of the world’s best over 5,000m.
Monson showed no fear rolling with some of the strongest athletes in the world, and was able to compete with them even through the hot pace. She showed that her gritty style did in fact translate to being able to compete with some of the best in the world.
Elise Cranny has had a very different build into these Summer months.
Cranny struggled early on in the season and seemed as though it would be difficult for her to compete with the best in the US. But, that all changed at her last few camps before USAs.
Cranny seemed to lock into what she needed to do for the US Championships, as she was near flawless.
In the 10,000m final, Cranny sat in and waited until the final lap to open a devastating close up on the field. Her lethal kick was on full display as she gapped American record holder, Alicia Monson, to win the race in dominant fashion.
Cranny’s success at the US Championships did not stop there. She came back only a few days later to dominate the 5,000m final. She even achieved the world standard, which she did not already have. Her finishing time of 14:52.66 was very fast, and her closing 200 meters of 31.66 made yet another statement of just how dangerous Cranny’s kick is.
The momentum that Elise Cranny built in the US Championships has been carried to the Diamond League circuit. In the Monaco Diamond League meeting, Cranny was a part of an absolute world-class mile field.
In the Monaco mile, which saw a world record in 4:07.64, Cranny placed an impressive eighth. The race was extremely tight, with less than two seconds separated her from second place. Her finishing time of 4:16.47 actually broke the previous American record in the mile. She now ranks second all-time in the US as Nikki Hiltz also broke the American record in that race in 4:16.35.
With the lethal speed that Cranny displayed in Monaco, it seems she is coming around quite well. Her kick just might be able to push her onto the world stage.
Alicia Monson and Elise Cranny may run the same events, but they have very different racing styles.
What makes Monson so unique is just how strong she is. It seems as though no pace scares her away from leading, and she is not afraid to compete in a drawn-out race.
What could be the difference for Monson coming up is whether she is able to develop her kick even more. Monson is clearly capable of running with a fast pace, but the difference-maker could be just how well she can close the final 200-300 meters in.
Elise Cranny is almost the opposite of Monson. Her kick seems to be her best friend. Cranny’s mile excellence shows in the late stages of a race through her explosiveness. She is very adaptable to what kind of kick she may need, and can open a gap extremely fast almost anytime in the final lap.
Cranny’s strength could be the game changer in international racing. It will be interesting to see if she has the strength to cover the moves up to that final lap, where she can unleash that brutal kick.
Both Monson and Cranny have the potential for big performances at the World Championships in Budapest next month. They both could be in the conversation for medals in the 5,000m or 10,000m.
One special note is that since each qualified in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, they have a decision to make. There could be a chance that they both decide to double and run both events, or specialize in one event.
Now, each of their different skill sets are important to understand because they will enable a potential podium performance.
If Monson can use her strength and pure grit to grind down the pack, she could be right there with a few hundred meters to go and poised to make a move for the podium. Her strength is clearly some of the best in the world, and could mean that she can cover those late-stage moves that come with championship racing.
Cranny’s kick is what could put her into a podium conversation. Her speed is world-class, especially for a 5,000m-10,000m runner. She just has to get to a lap to go, and it seems that she could hang with anybody.
These two athletes represent a range of different techniques, but both can use their skills to their advantage. It will be fascinating to see how they perform on the world stage after strong seasons. Each could certainly put some special performances together while representing the United States.
Make sure to watch all of the action this August at the World Championships in Budapest.
Stay tuned for further professional Track & Field content, including meet previews, race analysis, and season projections.
Featured image courtesy of Crash Kamon.
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