Excellence takes one to great heights in sports. But history is proof that resilience takes one higher. The 2023 Chicago Marathon recently remained witness to a glorious display of resilience. Dutch marathon runner Sifan Hassan registered a victory in the elite race. Interestingly, the staunch victory came weeks after a disheartening fall in an event several weeks prior.

Speaking to the press after the race, the marathon champion revealed that the comeback wasn’t easy to make. While the challenge level was high, Shifan Hassan revealed that she had a hard time completing this race as well. In fact, she said that her inner thoughts almost urged her to quit marathons forever.

Sifan Hassan makes a ‘marathon’ comeback

The Chicago Marathon was looked up to by several athletes as a qualifying ticket for the upcoming Paris Olympics. Thus, the environment was highly competitive. The race, however, left Sifan Hassan battered. FloTrack tweeted a video of her post-race press conference where Hassan let out her inner thoughts during the race. The tweet carried the caption, “”I was like, ‘I’m not going to ever run a marathon again.'” How did Sifan Hassan describe her 2:13:44 marathon win at the 2023 Chicago Marathon? Painful. With about 5k to go, she began contemplating whether she’d want to run another marathon again #ChicagoMarathon” 

Despite her inner monologue seriously pounding at her morale, the 30-year-old both finished the race and set a new record. Finishing the Chicago Marathon with 2:13:44 on the clock, the Dutch distance runner registered the second-fastest women’s time in history. Sifan Hassan was adamant to finish the race despite a part of her brain acting against her. Her resilience was probably fueled by the failure that she faced at the prestigious tracks of Budapest.

The missed opportunity at the World Athletics Championship

Sifan Hassan is a star distance runner who has won gold medals at the Olympics, World Championships, and Diamond League meets. She bagged two gold medals in the 5000 and 10,000 meters category at the Tokyo Olympics and has three world golds. During the qualifying heat of the 10,000-meter category at the 2023 WAC, the champion runner took a fall. 

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The marathon runner was just 20 meters away from the finish line when she unfortunately hit the dirt. This cost Sifan Hassan a prestigious shot at another world championship medal, which had bothered her ever since. Irrespective of her failure at Budapest, the champ bounced back hard and now stands on top of the world. The comeback made by Hassan is highly inspiring for both established and upcoming athletes. The 30-year-old will now begin her marathon to the upcoming Olympic Games that lie 290 days away.

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