Photo courtesy of Brooks Sports
Fairfax, Va. -- George Mason track and field assistant Susanna Sullivan is competing at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in progress in Eugene, Oregon.
Sullivan is vying to secure a place on Team USA to fulfill a dream and represent the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. To qualify, she needs a top three finish in the 10,000-meter final scheduled for Saturday, June 29 at 9:09 p.m. Eastern time. The event will air on the NBC/Peacock platforms.
An assistant for the past two seasons for the Patriots, Sullivan got her qualifier for the trials by finishing with a personal best time of 31:55.80 in March 2023 at the meet named The TEN held in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. She is the #15 ranked entrant among 25 runners accepted by the USATF in the event.
"I feel really fortunate to be heading to the Olympic Trials," said Sullivan. "Coach Gerard's guidance and training has gotten me to levels in the sport that I didn't think possible until he started coaching me, and I'm excited for the opportunity to compete with the nation's best."
Sullivan is no stranger to representing the United States. She was selected to compete in the marathon at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest as part of Team USA and finished 58th despite running on a fractured kneecap.
This is the third Olympic Trials for Sullivan who competed twice in the marathon (2016, 2020). She finished 20th at her first U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles in 2016.
Sullivan's sixth place finish at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October 2022 made her the 15th fastest all-time American female marathoner, and she continued to climb the rankings with a 10th place finish and new personal best of 2:24:27 at the 2023 TCS London Marathon.
A local product, Sullivan was a standout performer at Meridian High School (formerly George Mason HS) in Falls Church, garnering All-Region, All-District, and All-State honors in both cross country and track. She won the Virginia State Championship in the 1600m and 3200m events.
In 2022, she won the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, the first local champion since 1983.
After teaching 6th grade advanced math for Fairfax County Public Schools for the past nine years, Sullivan will teach at The Langley School beginning this fall.
