The Olympian: Runner Emily Mackay competes for Team USA

Emily Mackay ’21 didn’t have time to celebrate — or even rest — in the hours after earning a spot on the U.S. team with a second-place finish in the 1,500 meters at the Olympic Trials in late June.

Instead, she was being fitted for Team USA’s Ralph Lauren-made outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies, and making travel arrangements for more than two weeks in Paris.

“For most of the events, this happened the day after,” Mackay says. “But because the women’s 1,500 was on the last day of the Trials, we did it right after the race. … I was in ‘team processing’ for three hours and didn’t get done until midnight! It was a whirlwind, for sure.”

The whirlwind continued through early August, when Mackay advanced to the semifinals of the 1,500 at the Paris Games. Mackay, who turned pro in 2022 after an All-American track and cross country career at Binghamton University, is the fifth Binghamton alum to qualify for the Olympic Games. She follows John Moreau ’77, who competed in fencing in the 1984 and 1988 Games, and Chris Coleman ’89, who competed in bobsled in the 1994 and 1996 Winter Games. Yun Qu and Hui-Jue Cai, both 2005 graduates, competed for their native China in swimming events at the 1996 Games before coming to Binghamton.

In between the Trials and the conclusion of the Paris Games, Mackay received lots of support from the Binghamton University community and local places such as Endicott, where she grew up. The cheers and encouragement did not go unnoticed.

“It meant so much. I was overwhelmed by the love and support, especially from Binghamton University, my hometown, family and friends,” says Mackay, who had 20 family members and Binghamton coach Annette Acuff in Paris. “I knew I had so many people rooting for me and it made me so proud and thankful. No matter what would happen, I knew everyone was backing me. I received nothing but love. I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who reached out with kind messages and letters.”

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Mackay admits that being an Olympian “felt like a dream” before she arrived in Paris.

“I don’t think it fully sank in until I was at the Opening Ceremony on a boat with all of Team USA,” she says. “When I saw the Eiffel Tower lit up with the Olympic rings, I think that was the moment it sunk in: Wow! I’m an Olympian and this is happening.”

Although there were plenty of get-ready-and-wait moments before Team USA boarded its boat on the Seine River, Mackay says she was especially impressed by the camaraderie of the American athletes.

“We were all matching, and waving American flags,” she recalls. “It felt like one big team, even though some of us were competing against each other. We were teammates who had all of this pride for our country. It was so much fun to represent the USA — not only with other track and field athletes, but athletes from other sports, too.”

And, yes, it was raining as hard as it appeared on television.

“It was a downpour,” she says. “But it was cool: It felt like we were on the Maid of the Mist!”

Mackay had more than a week after the Opening Ceremony before her first heat in the 1,500, so she traveled to Leuven, Belgium (three hours from Paris), with coach Mark Coogan of New Balance Boston and 1,500 teammate Elle St. Pierre to prepare for the event.

“The running was much better there,” Mackay says. “Nice trails and nice, soft-surface running spots. At the Olympic Village, we would’ve had to take a shuttle each day to the high-performance center. So, we trained and rested for five days.”

Mackay’s training with New Balance Boston had already helped her win a bronze medal at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Chile and another bronze medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Scotland in March 2024. At the Trials final, she ran a personal best of 3:55.90, giving her one of the top 1,500 times in the world.

Still, Mackay’s mindset going into the qualifying round on Aug. 6 was “one race at a time.”

“I knew all of the rounds were going to be hard,” she says. “I wanted to soak up the entire experience, enjoy it and have as much fun as possible.”

The qualifying round proved to be enjoyable: Mackay finished sixth in the first of three heats (and sixth overall), at 3:59.63. She thought a sub-four time would be needed to advance on the track at the 80,000-capacity Stade de France, which Mackay calls an “electric and exciting” venue.

“I was relieved after the race — and also proud and excited that I made it to the next round,” she says. “I wasn’t extremely happy with the way I ran it. I could’ve tactically raced better. But at the end of the day, it didn’t matter, because I made it through.”

Mackay’s competition ended two days later when she finished 13th in the second heat with a 4:02.30. She realized more than halfway through the race that the finals were likely out of reach.

“I think I was a little tired,” she says. “I felt it in my legs. I thought: This is hurting worse than it’s supposed to be hurting. It’s not happening today.”

But Mackay also realized she has “a lot of room to grow” after competing in her first season of outdoor championships.

“I ran as well as I could,” she says. “If I hadn’t, I would have been upset with myself. Am I bummed that I didn’t make the finals? Yeah. But I’m giving myself grace knowing everything it took to get there.”

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Mackay is playing a key part in a U.S. resurgence in middle-distance running: American men won gold and bronze medals in the 1,500 at Paris, and eight women ran under four minutes (all personal bests) in the event at the Trials finals.

“It goes beyond the running technology that’s making us better,” Mackay says. “I think a lot of us are seeing the success others are having. People are pushing each other to the next level. People are thinking bigger and dreaming bigger.”

Mackay is definitely thinking and dreaming bigger — about the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The short-term goal is to continue to improve her times, while also taking part in different events, such as the 800 meters.

“The goal for this season was to make it to the Olympics,” she says. “Four years from now, my dream and goal is to medal. The [Paris] experience lit a fire in me. I’m excited to take what I’ve learned and do it better next time.

“When I think about the progress I’ve made over the past four years, why can’t I medal in [another] four years? I’m optimistic about the future.”