A Cal Poly runner just qualified for nationals with one shoe

Peyton Bilo (second from right) qualified this weekend for the NCAA Finals in the 5k WITH ONE SHOE ON. By Owen Main

Long distance races are a matter of willpower anyway, but Cal Poly sophomore Peyton Bilo just took it to the next level. In her 5,000 meter NCAA regional preliminary meet, Bilo lost her right shoe early on in the race as she wove through the pack. 

But losing a shoe DIDN’T STOP HER FROM RUNNING MOST OF A 5K WITH JUST ONE SHOE ON. 

No word on what condition her foot ended up in, but what a stud. The Cal Poly release says she sat back and waited to make a move late into fifth place. The difference between her going to the NCAA Finals and going home was just 6 thousandths of a second. Bilo was on the right side of it. She’ll compete in the national finals June 10th in Eugene, Oregon. 

Now, just imagine what she might do if she keeps both shoes on for the whole race.