Alana Hadley: Growing Up Fast

She practically started running at birth. Her first 5k: at 6 years old. At 9 years old, she broke the 5k state record for her age group, running < 21 minutes. In 7th grade, in her first track meet, she ran a 17 minute 5k and took 2nd overall at the Wake Forest Open. Next up: high school and the half marathon. This is where Alana really excelled. At this point in her running career, she started winning events and earning prize money. She was now a pro, and her primary focus now shifted to the marathon. At age 16, she qualified for the Olympic Trials in the marathon with a time of 2:41:55. Follow along with Alana's journey, a teen who runs more than 100 miles a week and wants to make a name for herself and Team USA in coming years.