In what was a reasonably last-minute resolution to race, American Anne Flower lined up for the 2025 Tunnel Hill 50 Mile and set a brand new girls’s 50-mile world file of 5:18:57. The file, set on November 8 on the flat and quick course in Vienna, Illinois, comes lower than three months after Flower broke Ann Trason’s 31-year-old file on the Leadville 100 Mile, her debut run on the distance.
We caught up with Flower, an emergency room physician, on her means residence to Colorado Springs, Colorado, the day after her record-breaking run. Within the following interview, Flower talks about why she thinks she was higher suited to Tunnel Hill than Leadville, how her life has modified since her Leadvillle win, her resolution to race Tunnel Hill as a substitute of the Indianapolis Marathon, her pacing technique, and the way her mother — as her solely crew particular person — was integral to her success. She additionally shares a few of her future racing plans.
You too can learn extra about Flower and her Leadville 100 Mile run in our in-depth profile of her from September 2025.
Earlier than leaping into the interview, it’s value noting that Flower’s run was the primary of a number of spectacular performances by girls on the occasion: Caitriona Jennings of Eire set a brand new girls’s 100-mile world file on the Tunnel Hill 100 Mile, and American Courtney Olsen set a brand new girls’s 100k American file.
Anne Flower setting a brand new girls’s 50-mile world file. Picture: Micki Colson/Colson Photography50
[Editor’s Note: The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity.]
iRunFar: It’s the day after your world file run on the 2025 Tunnel Hill 50 Mile. Congrats! How are you feeling, bodily and mentally?
Anne Flower: Yeah, I really feel fairly good. I feel I felt higher this morning once I wakened. I used to be capable of go for a stroll across the neighborhood and transfer my muscle tissues, after which I simply sat on an airplane for a pair hours, so getting up out of the airplane seat was very uncomfortable, however I really feel good total. It’s been a very long time since I’ve run a non-mountainous race, so it’s straightforward to go up and down stairs and that kind of factor, which is simply actually thrilling.
iRunFar: You’ve had a season of record-breaking runs. First, you broke Ann Trason’s 31-year-old file on the Leadville 100 Mile lower than three months in the past in August, and now you set a world file at 50 miles. You’ve executed rather well at plenty of small races prior to now, after which to have two runs of such magnitude. How does that really feel?
Flower: It’s actually thrilling. Yeah. I feel, truthfully, Tunnel Hill in all probability suits my traits as a runner somewhat higher than Leadville. Leadville will at all times be this simply phenomenal shock of “How on Earth did I do that sooner than most?” However no, it’s been unbelievable. I don’t know that I want I might’ve signed up for greater races earlier. I feel at this level in my life, that is the place I wanted to be to get to this stage of maturity, and it’s been wonderful. It’s been superior.
iRunFar: What makes Tunnel Hill a greater race for you than Leadville?
Flower: After I began working longer distances, I used to be working street marathons. And so I feel I turned very snug with very financial working the place I don’t work very laborious to maneuver ahead. My ft don’t come off the bottom very a lot. I’m a lazy runner, however I can do it fairly quick. I used to be fairly fast at street marathons. So it is sensible that as I began to go longer, one thing like Tunnel Hill could be a very good match as a result of it’s identical to 1.9 marathons, however flat and quick and tremendous enjoyable.
iRunFar: After we final talked, I requested you in case you thought your life would change after your win at Leadville. And I simply wished to comply with up on that. Has your life modified, or has your relationship with working modified in any respect since that occurred?
Flower: I feel it has. I feel I’m far more enthusiastic about working than I ever have been, truthfully. And I wasn’t positive precisely the place my priorities could be when it comes to taking a look at 2026, however I feel that after some soul-searching and a few discussions with my husband, I’m fairly all-in to see the place this goes for the subsequent months to a yr to see what different races I would be capable of get into and what is likely to be potential. It’s additionally been actually cool. College of Colorado Well being picked up the story, and it was distributed to all the nurses and docs that I work with.
And so there have been some actually enjoyable conversations with individuals who both inform me what they’re doing of their working lives, like, “Hey, I wished to let I ran a 5k final weekend, by no means thought I might.” So, it’s introduced plenty of collegiality with my coworkers, a few of whom I’ve by no means spoken with earlier than. So, it’s been a extremely nice level of connection, as a result of everybody runs or is aware of somebody who runs or is aware of one thing about working. It’s been actually enjoyable.
iRunFar: When did you set your sights on Tunnel Hill?
Flower: I knew it was very quick, and I knew that I wanted to get to Ohio to go to my household. My grandma turns 97 this week, so I knew I wanted to get again earlier than winter and earlier than life received loopy. So, I truly was signed up perhaps three weeks in the past to run the Indianapolis Marathon. It’s quick, it’s enjoyable. It will give me one thing to do and a motive to return to go to household. However then as I used to be taking a look at it, I used to be truthfully nervous that I would harm myself attempting to run a really quick street race simply because I’m in way more mountain-running form than I’m quick street marathon form. I’ve had some hamstring points and simply didn’t really feel actually assured with it.
I knew that Tunnel Hill was the identical weekend, and so I reached out to Steve Durbin, the race director, and he was tremendous gracious and tremendous useful, very encouraging, and helped me with an entry, and the remaining was good.
iRunFar: So, is it honest to say that perhaps you didn’t do any particular coaching for this, or had been you coaching for a marathon and that simply carried over to this?
Flower: A bit of. After Leadville, into September, I knew I wasn’t fairly executed with the season, however I didn’t know what I used to be wanting towards. I assumed it will be one thing quick, so I had already began doing extra quick, flat coaching. My good buddy who I run with, Hannah Allgood, is coaching for a quick 50 miler in a few weeks, so I used to be simply doing her exercise one or two days every week, which concerned some quick, flat splits. After which as soon as I knew I used to be doing a minimum of a marathon, then I began doing extra speedwork to guarantee that my legs could be prepared. However I feel endurance-wise, I feel I used to be prepared it doesn’t matter what. It was simply ensuring that I felt snug with the leg turnover required to run one thing quick.
iRunFar: Did you at all times have the world file in thoughts going into this, or what had been your objectives? What was your mindset heading into Tunnel Hill?
Flower: Yeah, so I’ve been speaking to some pals and individuals who give me good recommendation about working, and my principal aim was to go below six hours. I assumed if I went below six, I might be tremendous pleased with that. That might be one of many sooner instances at Tunnel Hill. It will in all probability get me on the rostrum of the USATF 50-Mile Nationwide Championships. That might be tremendous superior. Then I received a pair new pairs of footwear and I used to be testing them out on the Santa Fe path the place I reside, which is fairly flat. And my splits had been simply superior. It virtually felt like I used to be dishonest doing my exercise as a result of it didn’t really feel practically as laborious as the remainder of the season had been. After which as soon as I received to Cincinnati, which is the place my mother and father reside, I went for only a shakeout run. And once more, my instances had been fairly thrilling and quick.
And so, then I began to assume, “I feel this might be fascinating if all of us exit at round 6:30-minute miles and see how lengthy we might maintain it.” Des Linden was purported to be there, and I’d heard that she was going for six:30 so long as she might, however then she wasn’t capable of make it after an enormous New York Metropolis Marathon week. So, I had 6:30 in my thoughts as a very good tempo.
iRunFar: I really feel such as you ran that tempo your entire time. Had been you taking a look at your watch the entire time, or had been you going extra by really feel?
Flower: A bit of little bit of each. The primary mile was truly one among my slowest, and it was very uncomfortable. I used to be able to run, and I assumed that the ladies’s lead pack could be going out at a minimum of 6:30s, proper? You must begin quick, so you’ve got somewhat time to make up on the finish if issues begin to go downhill. However there was nobody round me, and I did a 6:40, and I used to be like, “Oh, this doesn’t really feel good.” And so, I made a decision to go somewhat sooner, catch a few the boys, and see the place it went from there. The primary marathon felt so good. One, I used to be excited to be there. I used to be fueled, I used to be rested. It’s downhill for the primary 13 miles. You do a turnaround and also you come again to the beginning earlier than you head north for the second half. It simply felt actually, actually good. So, by way of that, I knew that my splits had been fairly good. I feel our first marathon was one thing round 2:46, 2:48. It felt superior.
iRunFar: Did you’re feeling fairly good the entire means, or did you’ve got any explicit excessive factors, or low factors, or difficulties?
Flower: Yeah, I feel the low level, truthfully, the primary mile simply felt so awkward. I used to be simply involved that I had a nasty plan, however I don’t assume there was a girl forward of me after the primary 5 steps, which is rarely an incredible feeling. Mile 40 to 45 was the bottom level for positive. All the things was simply getting achy. My toes harm, areas of my glutes had been hurting. It was fairly late, so I used to be attempting to do the psychological video games of a marathon, the place it’s like, “Okay, so I’m already at mile 20, mile 22. I do know for a undeniable fact that it’s simply the kick left.” But it surely was somewhat tougher doing that with 10 miles to go. It was a grind.
iRunFar: Was there a second the place you felt fairly sure that you simply’d be capable of maintain the tempo and get the world file?
Flower: In all probability additionally at 40 miles. I used to be doubting myself, like, “Oh man, that is feeling actually laborious.” However I wished to have 70 minutes to get below the file at mile 40. So, I used to be simply doing the maths in my head of, “Okay, if I can get to mile 40 by 4:20, then I’ll really feel good that I’ve about 7-minute miles to get the final 10 executed.” And I used to be fairly effectively below that, so I knew I might simply go for it. And even once I was feeling horrible, my paces had been nonetheless fairly good. I used to be barely over 6:30s for these miles that felt actually horrible.
iRunFar: Yeah. Did you’ve got a diet plan? What did you eat?
Flower: I feel I truly did higher nutrition-wise planning this race than I’ve any, traditionally. Tunnel Hill is superior within the sense that you simply begin within the center and then you definately go south for 13 miles, flip round, come again to the beginning, north for 11 miles, flip round, come again to the end. So, my crew was my mother, who’s superior. She is simply at all times excited to do no matter. She’s not one of the best directionally, so I used to be somewhat bit nervous, however I had put the GPS coordinates into her telephone, and so she solely needed to meet me at three distinct places to provide me assist 5 totally different instances.
I did rather well on fueling proper earlier than I began. I took caffeine gel. I had some breakfast. After which each time I noticed my mother, which was 5 instances about eight miles aside, I had her refill my bottle, I grabbed a Tailwind and a Neversecond gel, and that stored me going fairly effectively for the race.
iRunFar: I really like that you simply put your GPS coordinates in your mother’s telephone.
Flower: Oh, yeah. In any other case, I don’t know if she would’ve made it. It’s straight, it shouldn’t be that tough, however something that I can do to take that psychological pressure off of it … I imply, we needed to stand up at 5:15 within the morning and that kind of stuff. However she was superior. She was good. I received to the primary assist station, and she or he simply had in a single hand the bottle and one hand the gel, and the pit crew was superior.
iRunFar: Is that this the primary time she’s crewed for you?
Flower: No. The primary time I did a race in Moab, she got here with me and simply carried round a backpack that had stuff I would want in it. However at the moment, I had no concept what I used to be doing both. It was my first extremely. So, I feel she had simply snacks within the backpack plus a change of socks if I wanted them. However she made it to the 35-mile level, and that was once I noticed her.
iRunFar: That story wins the day.
Flower: I do know. I instructed her, I used to be like, “You’re retired. Your title’s going to get on the market.”
iRunFar: Skilled pit crew.
Flower: Critically.
iRunFar: Anne’s mother.
Flower: It’s true.
iRunFar: Earlier than Leadville, you principally raced 50-mile and 50k occasions. I really feel such as you instructed me that you simply actually preferred that shorter distance. And then you definately jumped as much as 100 miles with Leadville with large success, and now you’ve come again right down to 50. So, you’ve executed the entire vary now. For you, how do the 2 distances evaluate and distinction? What do you want and dislike about every?
Flower: Operating 50 miles flat was a really distinctive problem as a result of I haven’t run a race in years the place I needed to simply do the very same footstep over and again and again. I imply, at Leadville, you hike, you climb, you go up, you go down. It’s a lot variability, however this was so repetitive, which is nice as a result of you possibly can actually settle right into a tempo and a plan and that kind of factor. However then it’s additionally difficult as a result of it’s the very same footstep time and again and over. I nonetheless favor mountain occasions. I like modifications of surroundings. I like modifications in terrain and altitude and that kind of factor. However yeah, it’s good to get well from 50ks and 50 milers. It feels somewhat gentler.
iRunFar: Final query. You had two actually large runs within the final three months, and I by no means wish to ask what’s subsequent, particularly the day after the occasion. However what are you most wanting ahead to within the coming months?
Flower: Yeah, I feel I’m going to do a few 100ks late winter and early spring.
iRunFar: Are you able to share which of them?
Flower: I feel in all probability Black Canyon 100k and perhaps Canyons 100k.
iRunFar: Is there an ulterior motive to racing these occasions?
Flower: I feel I have to lastly present as much as occasions the place I have to compete in opposition to individuals. So, I’m pondering Black Canyon must be good. I’ve heard Molly Seidel of Olympic marathon fame is planning to be there, plus some very, very quick path girls. So, I’m excited to go up shoulder to shoulder, see the way it goes.
iRunFar: I’m very a lot wanting ahead to seeing you race these occasions.
Flower: Thanks. It’ll be fascinating with ski season. I suppose I’ll attempt to do extra uphill snowboarding this yr in comparison with regular the place I simply ski downhill on a regular basis, nevertheless it’ll be good.
iRunFar: Health is health?
Flower: There you go. I do know my quads might be so sturdy after ski season. It’d be nice.
iRunFar: Properly, congratulations in your new world file and I hope you get well effectively.
Flower: Thanks a lot.
