Courtesy Alexi Pappas
Mary Cain hopped to the starting line of the Wanamaker Mile at the 2013 Millrose Games in New York City. Wearing a simple black kit, she was flanked by the likes of Emma Coburn, Jordan Hasay, and Emily Infeld. To many in the packed stands surrounding the 200-meter track that night, she was an unknown, just a local kid among some of the fastest milers in the world.
Taking her place in lane six, Cain traced a cross from her forehead to her chest and from one shoulder to the other, pitched forward, and froze. One foot at the line, the other half a stride back, her elbows bent, her brow furrowed.