Allie Wilson

Allie Wilson (born March 31, 1996) is an American middle-distance runner specializing in the 800 metres. She was the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winner in the 800 m.

Her first major breakthrough came in 2018 during her third year at Monmouth University, advancing from 2:11 to a 2:04 best in the 800 m and qualifying for her first NCAA Championships. After a best finish of 5th at the 2019 NCAA finals, Wilson signed as a professional with the Atlanta Track Club coached by Amy Yoder Begley and her husband Andrew. She went on to finish sixth at the Olympic Trials and fourth at the 2022 U.S. championships, just one spot away from making a U.S. global championship team. At the 2022 NACAC Championships, she won the silver medal in the 800 metres.

Early life Wilson is from Wallingford, Pennsylvania, where she attended Strath Haven High School.

At Strath Haven, she split her fall seasons between cross country running and soccer while working as a lifeguard. She was the Delaware County Daily Times 2013 Girls' Soccer Player of the Year, and was considered the best defender in Delaware County. Despite getting offers from NCAA Division I schools to run cross country and track, Wilson said that soccer was her "main sport". The team's best finish in the Championship of America finals was 4th, at the 2011 edition when both Wilson and her sister Val split 2:15 on the first and second legs.

Collegiate career From fall 2014 to spring 2019, Wilson ran for the Monmouth Hawks track and field program, coached by Chris Tarello.

After recovering, she qualified for the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the 2018 NCAA East regional in Tampa, Florida. Running from the second heat, both Wilson and competitor Laurie Barton split 2:04.58 tying for the final qualifying spot, a difference that was later resolved in Wilson's favor by just 0.001 seconds.

On February 8, 2019 at the Boston University Valentine Invitational, Wilson ran an 800 m personal best of 2:02.65, the number 2 time in the NCAA that season. Wilson competed in her first senior national championship at the 2019 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, while still a college senior. Racing the rarely-run 1000 metres event, she qualified for the finals and finished 6th overall in a time of 2:41.76. Later that season at the 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, Wilson improved upon her placing to finish 4th in the finals. In doing so, she became the first Monmouth Hawk to finish top-8 at an NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Professional career 2019-2020 While in college, Wilson was an intern for the Shore Athletic Club, her first experience with a professional team. On July 30, 2019, Wilson signed with the Atlanta Track Club to be coached under Amy Yoder Begley and her husband Andrew Begley.

2021

Wilson broke the 800 m two-minute barrier for the first time on May 15, 2021 at the Sound Running Track Meet in Irvine, California, with a time of 1:59.68 behind only Laura Muir. At the postponed 2021 United States Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, Wilson placed 2nd in her heat and 3rd in her semi-final, advancing to her first Olympic Trials final.

Hot conditions in Eugene led to a delay in the event schedule – it was at 4:30 pm local time when the finals were originally set to be held, and a thermometer held to the track surface read . Though the temperature dropped to by the time of the delayed start, the relative heat and nighttime conditions were still an adjustment for the athletes. At the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Wilson advanced to the finals and all eight finalists were within four metres of each other with 200 m to go, hitting the 600 m mark in 1:28.58. Wilson ended up finishing fourth in 1:58.35, missing out on qualifying for the U.S. Worlds team by just one spot.

2023 Wilson had a successful early 2023 season, beginning with her appearance at the 2023 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 800 m. After Laurie Barton set the pace through 400 m in 59.09 seconds, Kaela Edwards took over at 600 m. Both Nia Akins and Wilson moved to pass Edwards, but Akins' final lap of 29.71 seconds beat Wilson's of 29.83 seconds, earning Akins the gold and Wilson the silver medal.

During the outdoor season, Wilson won the 2023 Penn Relays Olympic Development 800 m in a time of 2:01.13, under "incessant" rain. At the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Wilson finished 4th in her semi-final behind Ajeé Wilson, and she did not qualify for the U.S. team at the 2023 World Championships. The two relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana and started Heartland Track Club coached by Amy's Husband, Andrew Begley. After narrowly losing to Olivia Baker at the Dr. Sander Invite, Wilson won the 2024 Millrose Games 800 m, this time beating Baker by 0.3 seconds.

At the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships finals, Addy Wiley in her first championships as a professional took the lead, but Wilson passed her in the final 50 metres to win her first national title.

International competitions

National championships

Statistics

Personal bests Event Mark Place Competition Venue Date Ref 600 metres 1:26.40 Millrose Games New York City February 11, 2023 800 metres 1:57.52 7th Anniversary Games London, United Kingdom July 20, 2024 1000 metres 2:36.31 Terrier Classic Boston, Massachusetts January 28, 2023 1500 metres 4:04.02 Ed Murphey Classic Memphis, Tennessee July 29, 2022 Mile run 4:26.04 Occidental College Sunset Tour Eagle Rock, California July 9, 2022