RICHMOND, Virginia – BYU distance runner Christian Allen earned a spot on Team USA's Cross Country roster for the 2024 World Athletic Championships, after finishing sixth at the USATF Cross Country Championships Saturday afternoon.
"It was awesome and such a surreal experience," said Allen. "It was a really cool opportunity to see a miracle. I feel like God's been helping me. To make a long story short, I have been dealing with some really weird pain in my quad that started last Friday. I tried not to overthink it, but it persisted this whole week. I asked for all my family and friends to pray for me, starting yesterday. Like President [Russell M.] Nelson has said, we are supposed to seek miracles in our lives. I felt shaky this morning, but I knew God could make it disappear when the gun went off. Sure enough, when it went off my legs felt normal. I had the confidence I needed to push hard and persist through the pain. It was a really cool experience to see a miracle take place right in front of me."
Allen finished sixth overall, securing the last spot on Team USA for the World Athletic Championships in Belgrade, Serbia on March 30. He ran the course in 29:27.0. After briefly falling six seconds behind sixth place, Allen surged through the finish to obtain the last spot on the team.
“We were really excited for Christian to get the opportunity for the trials,” said BYU Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Ed Eyestone. “He was in great shape after his training for the California International Marathon, which set him up in very good cross country shape. During the race, he was always within sight of sixth place for a Team USA spot. He dug in and finished strong. I’m happy for him and his chance to represent Team USA at World's.”
Allen finished his NCAA Cross Country eligibility in 2022, switching to train for the California International Marathon. He qualified for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials by hitting the Olympic standard of 2:15:01. Allen placed eighth overall in the field of 9,183 runners in the event. He then competed in the trail running circuit through the Fall. Allen also had his third child at the start of January.
Allen will compete in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 3. He will race alongside former Cougars Conner Mantz and Clayton Young who will headline the competition. Race time will be 10 a.m. EST.