Lake Stevens and Oklahoma State graduate Taylor Roe has had quite the year since going pro in distance running.
Roe’s year has been so prolific that the 24-year-old is in position to potentially qualify for the United States’ track and field team at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships in September in the 10,000-meter event — all thanks to an ambitious third-place finish at the USA Track and Field Championship last Thursday in Eugene, Ore.
Roe ran the race in 31:45.41, finishing just under two seconds behind the champion Emily Infeld. Roe also ran the 5,000-meter race, finishing 7th and eight seconds back of first with a time of 15:21.36.
Roe’s listed personal best in the 10,000 is 30:58.66. Last Thursday’s action tested more than speed and pace — it tested racing ability. Having more to think about than outpacing the runners besides her, Roe knew the Team USA implications involved with going for the best possible time.
“It’s frustrating in that sense because it takes a little bit of the racing out of it when you have to chase something as well,” Roe said after the event. “But if anything, it kind of helped me push.”
And push Roe did.
The road 10-mile world-best holder with Puma Elite, who has dabbled in road racing for the first time in her career in 2025, was in 14th place out of 21 runners after two laps.
But at the end of the third, Roe was in fifth. She made her way to as high as first place by the third-to-last lap, but Infeld and Elise Cranny (second place) outpaced her in the last two laps.
“I’m glad that the people in the field all went around me because I felt like I was able to see the race and make my move last,” Roe said of her surge, attributing some of her road racing experience this year for the result.
The women’s 10,000-meter team will likely be one of the later squads to be announced, with the team being determined later in August or early in September. Other national championships around the world will determine World Athletics rankings in the event, and Roe’s status as a potential Team USA member hinges on those rankings. The window for qualifying times in the event closes on August 24.
All that’s left for Roe is to wait.
“I think I made it, it’s kinda weird,” Roe said.
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