Elise Cranny set to run in Paris as two-time Olympian

Niwot High School graduate and distance runner Elise Cranny will compete this week in Paris, France, at her second Olympic Games. She will run in the women's 5,000-meter event as she did in Japan in 2021. This time she will be cheered on by family and friends who missed out on the last Olympics due to COVID restrictions.

Round 1 of the event is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 2, at 10:10 a.m. MT. The final, where runners compete for medals, is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 5, at 1:10 p.m. MT. Both rounds will be held in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris, the largest stadium in France.

Cranny arrived in Paris with significant momentum after posting a 14:40.36 time in the event at the Olympic Trials, earning second place in an epic photo finish, where she finished just .02 seconds behind Elle St. Pierre. Her time was over 47 seconds faster than her first place performance at the 2021 Olympic trials that sent her to Tokyo.

In Paris, St. Pierre has elected not to compete in the event, focusing on the 1,500-meter event instead. But Cranny will face stiff competition when she goes up against three world record holders: Kenyan runners Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet, and Ethiopian runner Gudaf Tsegay. Tsegay recently posted the world record for the 5,000-meter last year, nearly breaking the 14-minute mark. Dutch runner Sifan Hassan, who earned gold in Tokyo in this event, rounds out a daunting field of competitors.

The Round 1 race on Aug. 2 can be seen at The Wheel House in Niwot on Friday morning in a viewing open to the public. Viewers should arrive around 9:30 a.m., and the race will start at 10:10 a.m. Food and beverages will be available.