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In this episode we speak with Abdi Abdirahman who represented Team USA at the Olympic Marathon in Tokyo at the age of 43. He is the oldest American runner to make the Olympic team and the only distance runner to make the Olympics 5 times!  In the quick tip segment Coach Angie shares tips on coping with cold weather running.

Interview with Abdi Abdirahman

Abdi Abdirahman is the only American distance athlete to qualify for 5 Olympic Games (3 times in the 10,000 meters, 2x marathon). His marathon PR is 2:08:56.

Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Abdi immigrated to the USA at the age of 16 during the Somali Civil War. He didn’t start running until attending Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ. After graduation he transferred to the University of Arizona for his junior and senior years.

Abdi has made five olympic teams. Keep in mind that in the United States only the top three finishers at the Olympic Trials can earn a place on the team.

At the 2020 United States Olympic Trials in Atlanta, Georgia he finished 3rd in the marathon with a time of 2:10:03, one second behind Jake Riley. He secured his place on a fifth Olympic team at age 43 to become the oldest American runner ever to make the Olympic team.

Five Olympics . . .

• 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney Australia competing in the 10,000 meters (finished 10th)
• 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens Greece competing in the 10,000 meters (finished 15th)
• 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing China competing in the 10,000 meters (finished 15th)
• 2012 Summer Olympics in London England competing in the marathon (DNF)
• 2016 did not run Olympic qualifier due to injury but won 3rd place at the 2016 NYC Marathon
• 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo Japan competing in the marathon (finished 41st)

Other Olympic runners on the MTA Podcast through the years:

• Dathan Ritzenhein
• Alexi Pappas
• Ryan Hall
• Deena Kastor
• Shalane Flanagan
• Meb Keflezighi
• Jared Ward
• Frank Shorter
• Jeff Galloway