Alicia Monson (born May 13, 1998) is an American long distance runner who primarily competes in the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters. She is the North American record holder for the 5000 m and 10,000 m and the North American indoor record holder for the 3000 meters.
Career
Monson grew up in Amery, Wisconsin. While competing for the University of Wisconsin, she earned Big Ten titles, All-American titles and a 2019 5000 m indoor NCAA title. Monson runs for On Athletics Club in Boulder, Colorado.
On June 26, 2021, at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials held in Eugene, Oregon, she came third in the 10,000 m race in a time of 31:18.55 to claim the same spot on the American team for the event at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Such was the effort, after the medal ceremony, she collapsed and started vomiting and had to go to the hospital as a precaution, according to her coach, Dathan Ritzenhein. She finished 13th at the Games in 31:21.36.
In January 2022, Monson won the USATF Cross Country Championships held in San Diego, California. She next placed seventh over the 3000 m at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March, and 13th in the 10,000 m at the World Championships held in Eugene, Oregon in July. That year she set personal bests in the 3000 m (out and indoors), 5000 m (~11-second improvement) and 10,000 m (~27-second improvement), and capped her season in December with a win at the Cross Champs in Austin, Texas, the gold meet of the World Cross Country Tour.
On February 11, 2023, she set a new North American indoor record in the 3000 meters with a time of 8:25.05 at the Millrose Games in New York, improving her lifetime best by more than six seconds. She broke by 0.65 s Karissa Schweizer's record set in 2020. On March 4, Monson smashed Molly Huddle's North American 10,000 m record of 30:13.17 set in 2016 with a time of 30:03.82 at the Sound Running The TEN in San Juan Capistrano.
On 23 July 2023, competing at the Diamond League event in London, Monson ran a new American record time for the 5000m, clocking 14:19.45 to break Shelby Houlihan's previous record time of 14:23.92. She was selected for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023.
Achievements
Personal bests
1500 meters – 4:07.09 (Portland, OR 2021) 1500 meters indoor – 4:06.38 (New York, NY 2023) 3000 meters – 8:26.81 (Lausanne 2022) 3000 meters indoor – 8:25.05 (New York, NY 2023) North American record 5000 meters – 14:19.45 (London 2023) North American record 5000 meters indoor – 15:31.26 (Birmingham 2019) 10,000 meters – 30:03.82 (San Juan Capistrano, CA 2023) North American record Road 5 kilometres – 14:38 (Zürich 2022)