Alaska’s Allie Ostrander turns on the speed down the final stretch for a thrilling victory at the Millrose Games

Unleashing blazing speed in the final 200 meters, Alaska’s Allie Ostrander won the women’s 3,000-meter race Saturday at the Millrose Games in New York City, her first victory as a professional runner.

Racing in one of track and field’s premier meets, Ostrander came flying off the final turn and reeled in race leader Julie-Anne Staehli of Canada in the final 100 meters. She caught her with about 15 meters to go.

Ostrander, a 23-year-old Kenai Central graduate, finished with a personal-best time of 8 minutes, 48.94 seconds. Staehli was a close second in 8:49.01.

The victory was Ostrander’s first since leaving Boise State after her junior year last spring and joining the Brooks Beasts professional track team.

The race was the latest installment in Ostrander’s brilliant career. Last spring she became a three-time NCAA steeplechase champion at Boise State and went pro soon after that. She qualified for the World Championships with a fourth-place steeplechase finish at the U.S. national championships last summer, and now she’s a Millrose champion.

Ostrander’s victory was the product of patience. She was 10th in the field of 11 runners after the first 1,000 meters (2:59.43) and seventh after 2,000 meters (5:58.60 with a split of 2:58.6).

She ran the final 1,000 meters in 2:50.92 and was the race leader for all of about three seconds. A tweet by the Brooks track club said she was in third place with 200 meters to go. “allie ostrander is a silent hunter,” it said.