Following the expiration of her four-year doping ban on Jan. 14, American 1,500m record holder Shelby Houlihan is, as expected, wasting no time returning to official competition. According to Let’s Run journalist Jonathan Gault, she is set toe the line in the Razorback Invitational 3,000m on Feb. 1 in Fayetteville, Ark.
She’s also scheduled to race a week later, at Boston University’s Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invitational on Feb. 8–meaning she’ll miss the two biggest indoor U.S. races of the season, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston (Feb. 2) and the Millrose Games in New York (Feb. 8).
Houlihan’s agent, Paul Doyle, told Gault that Houlihan is “feeling confident,” and is “excited to race again.” She is also eyeing the USATF Indoor Championships in late February and the World Indoor Championships in China, in March.
Houlihan’s return has sparked widespread controversy in the track world. While many social media users are outraged that an athlete linked to a doping scandal is receiving publicity and a second chance, others are supportive, and glad to see one of the U.S.’s top athletes chasing redemption.
A whopping 30 x 300m workout
On Monday, Track All-Access posted a YouTube video documenting Houlihan’s 9,000m track workout in preparation for the comeback appearance in Arkansas. The runner completed a whopping 30 x 300m solo on a track at 1,329m of elevation in Sedona, Ariz.–reaching top speed by the end.
The hefty workout was divided into three sets, with five minutes rest between sets.
Set 1: 15 x 300m with 100m jog rest. Set 2: 10 x 300m with 100m jog rest. Set 3: 5 x 300m, with 100m jog rest.
Her splits averaged 51 seconds for the first 25 reps, but she picked up the speed in the final set. Despite running six times her typical race distance, Houlihan’s 30th rep reached race pace–she clocked 47.3 seconds, a pace that would land her a near 3:56 1,500m. Her personal best and the American record stand at 3:54.99; she claimed the record at the 2019 world championships in Doha, Qatar, where she placed fourth.
Houlihan was banned from competition in January 2021 after testing positive for the steroid nandrolone, and claimed the positive result was caused by eating contaminated pork in a burrito. WADA dismissed her explanation as likely.
The former Bowerman Track Club athlete’s workout indicates that the four-year hiatus has had little effect on her speed and training. She maintained her fitness by training for and competing in the Beer Mile World Classic, which is unaffiliated with World Athletics, eventually claiming the women’s beer mile world record.
