We often don’t come across a successful endurance runner with a sports background in figure skating. The University of Connecticut’s Chloe Thomas was still a competitive figure skater for Team Ontario in 2019, and now, just five years later, she is one of the best up-and-coming distance runners in Canada. She is set to toe the line at Saturday’s 2024 NCAA cross-country championships in Madison, Wisc.
Thomas has been on the rise this year on the NCAA cross-country scene. The 21-year-old took her fourth win of the season last Friday at the Northeast Regional Championships 6K race in Contoocook, N.H., securing a spot at Saturday’s national championships with a time of 19:23. Thomas claimed three previous victories in course-record times and became the first athlete in UConn’s program history to win the Big East conference title.
“I didn’t think I’d be this successful,” the fourth-year environmental science student told Canadian Running. “I’ve just been staying consistent and being confident.”
After a successful season so far, Thomas appreciates that Saturday’s will come down to execution and smart tactics. “It’s going to be whoever has a good day,” she says. “All you can do is put yourself in the mix and give yourself that opportunity. I know I can hang with a lot of fast women.”
Last year, she placed seventh at regionals and booked an individual ticket to the 2023 NCAA cross-country championships, where she snuck into the top 100. Thomas followed up her cross-country performances with a breakout outdoor track season, placing third in the 1,500m at the Big East Championships with a personal best of 4:15.43, and 12th in the 5,000m at the NCAA championships in another best time of 15:34.48. In June, she took fifth in both events at the Canadian Olympic Trials in Montreal.
Thomas says one of the elements that has led to her success is having a healthy relationship with her coach. She emphasizes the importance of communicating her needs. “I’m much more intentional with my training and in tune with my body,” she says. “I constantly check in with what I’m feeling, whether that’s flat or tired or really good. It helps when you and your coach are on the same page.”
Her favourite part of UConn’s athletics program is the people. “In a sport where consistency and diligence is key to development, it’s critical to have an environment that you enjoy showing up to,” Thomas adds.
Choosing the NCAA
The Dundas, Ont., native started running at the Hamilton Olympic Club in the summer of 2019 under head coach Patti Moore. When time came for Thomas to start looking into post-collegiate options, she hadn’t thought about going to the NCAA until smaller schools started reaching out. “At that point, I thought it was an opportunity to look into,” she says. “My dad played Division I football at Eastern Michigan [University], so there was some familiarity and comfort in that.”
For Thomas, some perks of competing in the NCAA included being near the fast Boston University track for an entire indoor season, having the option for outdoor track and going to high-level meets around the U.S. to compete against a global field. She started at UConn at 2021.
In her first year at school, Thomas set the U20 Canadian record in the mile at Boston University, clocking 4:40.74. That summer, she went on to represent Team Canada at the 2022 World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, where she placed 11th in the 3,000m, and also earned the U20 3,000m silver medal at the Canadian national championships.
Upcoming goals
After the season, Thomas plans to capitalize on her endurance fitness and head to Boston University in December for a fast 5,000m. She reveals that when outdoor track comes along, she’ll be redshirting for the NCAA season and focusing on the Canadian circuit. “I’ll focus more on the 5,000m, but it never hurts to dabble in the 1,500m,” she says. “I think it’s very important to be able to race up or down from your main event.” The athlete also notes that of course, she’ll have her sights set on a spot on the Canadian worlds team heading to Tokyo next summer.
