Courtney Wayment isn’t letting her successes and shortcomings in running define her.
Wayment closed out her 2025 season at the 5th Avenue Mile in New York City on Sunday.
While Wayment didn’t make this year’s U.S. team for the upcoming World Athletic Championships, she’s “happy” with her season, she told reporters.
“Something that I think in the running world (is) we really do attach to times and places. They mean something, right? Top three means you make a team, or this time means you have this world ranking. We attach a lot to that because they mean something big,” she said in the video shared by The Runners Central.
Good times and places helped Wayment represent the U.S. at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the previous two World Championships in the women’s steeplechase.
“But not every year is like that. I spent the last three years making teams and being the top American and all these things, but those highs of my career did not define me or what I can do,” she said.
Wayment is set on not letting this season define her either, and she is optimistic about the future.
“This portion of my career does not define me as well and it does not define where I am going in the next couple of years. It simply means on that day, I got sixth (place), and that’s all it means. So, I’m going to take all of the wins that I can because I know I’m going to come back, and I know I have so much left,” she said.
While this season didn’t net the same results as previous seasons, Wayment is still proud.
“I’m thrilled with it and I’m thrilled that some races and seasons are PRs and places and some are just showing up and getting mentally and emotionally stronger. So I’m proud of it,” she said.
Wayment shared a similar sentiment on Aug. 29 on Instagram, following her last steeplechase of the season, where she placed fourth in the Zurich Diamond League final.
“Some seasons are about PR’s and places. Others are about the journey, the growth, and the little wins. How privileged and blessed I have been to experience both types of seasons,” she wrote. “Grateful for all the little things... because those always make the big things.”
Wayment’s pro and former collegiate coach at BYU, Diljeet Taylor, shared her support for Wayment in the comments of the video of Sunday’s post-race interview shared on Instagram by The Runners Central.
“Perspective. And knowing outcomes don’t define you, how you respond to them does,” Taylor said.
Wayment’s teammate Whittni Morgan also praised Wayment.
“Yassss preach woman!! So proud of you Courty!!” she wrote.
What to expect from Lexy Halladay-Lowry at World Championships
On Sunday, Wayment was also asked about Lexy Halladay-Lowry, a fellow BYU alum coached by Taylor.
Halladay-Lowry will compete in the steeplechase at the World Athletic Championships.
“Lexy Halladay-Lowry is going to do great things and she’s worked very hard for what she is doing and I’m very proud of that and I think anything that she does should not shock anyone. It’s exactly who she is, and it’ll be a testament of all the hard work she’s put in,” Wayment said.