Fast Women: A surprise ending at the New York City Marathon
Fast Women: A surprise ending at the New York City Marathon
Sara Vaughn, who was a late addition to the field, leads the U.S. women.
Issue 322, sponsored by Topo Athletic
In her New York City Marathon debut, Sheila Chepkirui pulls off a win
The New York City Marathon is hardly the most important event taking place in the U.S. this week, but for a few hours on Sunday, it provided a distraction from Tuesday’s election. Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui pulled off an upset, outkicking defending champion Hellen Obiri to win 2:24:35 to 2:24:49. Obiri, also of Kenya, has been alternating Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon wins since the spring of 2023. But less than three months after winning bronze in the Olympic marathon, Obiri was unable to find another gear at the end this time.
If anyone was going to beat Obiri, Chepkirui, 33, was a good candidate. She had never raced the New York City Marathon before, but she finished second at the 2023 Berlin Marathon, took fourth at the 2023 London Marathon, and has a personal best of 2:17:29.
“The last mile, it was really hard, but I pushed myself to the limit, and I am so happy,” Chepkirui said on the TV broadcast.
Just as it did last year, the race went out slowly, with a lead pack of 21 runners hitting halfway in 1:13:59. By 20 miles, the lead group was down to 10, but a big move from Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot in the 21st mile broke things up. In the 23rd mile, first Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi dropped off the back of the pack, then Kenya’s Eunice Chumba did. It was down to Obiri, Chepkirui, and Cheruiyot, but just before 40K, Cheruiyot dropped back as well, making it a two-woman race over the last 2.2K.
Throughout the closing stages of the race, Chepkirui was the one setting the pace, with Obiri first running on her shoulder, and then a step or two behind. Chepkirui clearly looked better, but Obiri often looks like she’s struggling before she shifts gears and blows everyone else away. This time, Obiri really was laboring, and it was Chepkirui who shifted gears and pulled away with about 500 meters remaining, opening a 14-second gap, and earning $100,000 for the win.
Chepkirui has been running at a high level for years—she was World U18 champion in the 1500m back in 2005—but she didn’t move up to the marathon until the end of 2022. This was the biggest win of her career.
Cheruiyot, 41, held on to third place (2:25:21), Chumba remained in fourth (2:25:58), and Switzerland’s Fabienne Schlumpf, who finished 16th in the Olympic marathon in August, moved up to take fifth in 2:26:31. Teferi faded to seventh, running 2:27:14. (Leaderboard | Results)
Thanks to Topo Athletic for supporting Fast Women this month
The Topo Specter 2 is the perfect shoe for runners who believe the journey toward their goals is as fulfilling as achieving them.
Topo Athletic Athlete Holly Clarke says, “I’m absolutely LOVING the Specter 2s. I’ve been hitting long runs and tempo workouts in them and they’re unbelievable.” Clarke, pictured above, ran Sunday’s New York City Marathon in 2:39:18 and placed 24th in the pro field.
Topo encourages you to embrace the highs and lows, the sweat, and the smiles, because every mile brings you closer to greatness.
Elevate your journey, using the code FASTWTOPO for 15% off full-price items at topoathletic.com. Offer valid until 12/31/24.
Sara Vaughn leads the U.S. women in NYC
Sara Vaughn’s fall marathon do-over was a great success. Her original plan was to run the Chicago Marathon on October 13, but leading up to the race, she tested positive for Covid. It’s not easy staying healthy when you have four kids. Vaughn showed up in Chicago wearing a mask, hoping she had recovered enough to run well. It turned out she hadn’t. Vaughn made it about 12 miles before dropping out of the race and spending much of the remainder of the day in the medical tent.
But soon after Chicago, Vaughn reached out to New York Road Runners, and they were happy to add her to the New York City Marathon field, giving her a second chance. And it couldn’t have gone much better. Vaughn stayed in the lead pack until Cheruiyot made her big move in the 21st mile, and then she hung on to finish sixth in 2:26:56. “I can’t believe how good I felt,” she told Ali Feller on the ESPN broadcast. “It was awesome.”
As for the late change of plans, “It feels a disservice to call it a plan B because it’s New York City, it’s amazing,” Vaughn said. “I just feel like everything worked out the way it was supposed to.”
Jess McClain was the next American across the line, finishing eighth in her first World Marathon Major in 2:27:19. She told FloTrack that the hype around the race was a bit overwhelming at times, but she sat next to Des Linden on the way to the start, which helped calm her nerves. Linden advised her to “just do you.”
And she did, letting the pack go around 18 miles in, when the pace got a little too hot. And then McClain was able to pick off some runners in the closing miles. “It’s been a great year. I’m happy I can end it on a good note,” she said. “I really wanted [to be] top American, but I’m so happy Sara got a second go after Chicago. She looked friggin’ awesome, so did the rest of the field, so yeah, I’m as happy as I could be.” (One thing I appreciate about McClain is the way that she balances being a fan of the sport while also wanting to beat her competitors.)
Kellyn Taylor was the next American across the line, taking 10th in 2:27:59. Every time she makes it to the starting line, she finds a way to be competitive, no matter how her buildup has gone. To review her year, she finished 15th at the Olympic Marathon Trials with a stress fracture in her femur. She took 10 weeks off, earned a last-minute qualifier to run the 10,000m at the Olympic T&F Trials, and after going in ranked 24th, she finished sixth.
In August, she underwent meniscus surgery, which shortened her NYC buildup, but she still managed to finish in the top 10 for the second year in a row. And she ran an impressively even race, with a first half of 1:14:00 and a second half of 1:13:59.
Linden, also known for being a savvy racer, had an excellent day, too, finishing 11th in 2:29:32. On her podcast, Nobody Asked Us, Linden has joked about her rivalry with Dakotah Popehn, and heading into New York, Linden indicated it would be a close fight only if they compared their age-graded results. But there was no age grading necessary.
“Felt like redemption day,” Linden wrote on Instagram, noting that she had a tough race in New York in 2022, and that stayed with her for the past two years. Popehn commented on Linden’s post, “When are you gonna retire? Asking for a friend.” Linden finished second in a competitive masters race. Vivian Cheruiyot won in 2:25:21 and Edna Kiplagat was third in 2:29:56.
Tristin Colley, formerly Van Ord, also had a strong day, finishing 13th in 2:30:03. Colley let the large lead pack go before 10K, but she moved up 11 spots in the last 17 miles. And Maggie Montoya finished 14th in 2:30:53. Popehn had a rough day, finishing 17th in 2:31:45, but she said afterward that she hit her “C” goal of finishing with a smile. After she dropped out of the 2022 race, this was Popehn’s first New York City Marathon finish.
Other New York City Marathon Notes
Susannah Scaroni earned her second New York City Marathon win, dominating the wheelchair race with a time of 1:48:05. She finished an incredible 10 minutes, 42 seconds ahead of runner-up Tatyana McFadden. Three weeks ago at the Chicago Marathon, Scaroni got a flat tire three miles into the race, so she was pleased that things went more smoothly this time out.
Sofia Camacho Ferral, who ran collegiately for Columbia and is now a member of the Brooklyn Track Club, won the nonbinary division in an impressive 2:31:29. More about them, from earlier this year, here.
Jenny Simpson, who was running her last professional race (more on that below), took a turn in the lead early in the race. “I know I have no business leading the New York City Marathon,” she told LetsRun. “Literally everybody tells you before a marathon to have fun and I thought, ‘What would be more fun than leading the New York City Marathon?’” Simpson finished 18th in 2:31:54, just 15 seconds off of her PR. She said she had a blast but she was happy to be done with professional running.
Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi, the 2022 NYC champ, finished ninth in 2:27:45. “Tough one for me today!” she wrote on Instagram. “Still grateful to have finished healthy!” Lokedi has had an incredible year, finishing second at the Boston Marathon and fourth in the Olympic marathon after initially being the alternate.
Pro runners have taken some heat recently for not being honest about their fitness going into races. But the difference between Sara Vaughn’s two different fall marathon results really drives home what a thin line there is between a great day and a rough one, especially in the marathon. For more on Vaughn’s quick transition to running NYC, she was on C Tolle Run last week, and she also shared a recent update on her YouTube channel.
The top finisher from the mass start was pro trail runner EmKay Sullivan, who ran 2:36:41.
The following athletes won their age groups: Laurie Knowles (45–49, 2:45:00), Anna Bridge (50–54, 2:59:00), Jennifer Dembeck (55–59, 3:00:47), Odete Braga (60–64, 3:13:28), Leslie Cohen (65–69, 3:35:28), Edith Clare Wall (70–74, 3:57:36), Joan Gerold (75–79, 4:15:29), and Tamerra Buckhanan (80–89, 6:10:30).
A handful of former professional runners ran this year’s marathon, though most of them were accompanying people who kept their pace a bit (or a lot) more relaxed than they would otherwise run. Among them: Dana Giordano (2:45:48), Shannon Rowbury (2:56:45), Shalane Flanagan (3:05:20), Deena Kastor (4:26:02), and Alexi Pappas (5:15:49). After coaching the Oregon women to a Big Ten title on Friday, Flanagan ran with Makenna Schumacher, who also coaches at Oregon. Kastor ran with her Marathon Talk co-host, Martin Yelling. And Pappas ran with content creator Wyatt Moss.
Running the New York City Marathon for a third time, Chelsea Clinton, 44, finished in 3:45:51, taking 13 minutes, 18 seconds off of her personal best. (Assuming she hasn’t run other secret marathons.) Clinton ran with her friend, for Every Mother Counts. And Clinton’s mother was there to cheer her on.
Actress Jennifer Connelly, 53, narrowly beat out Clinton, running 3:45:47.
It was watching the masses at last year’s race, not her pro runner husband, that inspired Christine (Thorn) Fischer to run this year’s New York City Marathon. Fischer, a fifth grade teacher in Boulder, was diagnosed with stage 4 oligometastatic breast cancer in 2023. She finished the marathon in an impressive 3:09:52.
World Marathon Majors CEO Dawna Stone announced in NYC that the Sydney Marathon would officially become the seventh race in the series in 2025.
Annie Rodenfels repeats as USATF 5K champion
With one mile remaining, the lead pack in Saturday’s USATF 5K Championships was down to three women, with Emily Venters leading Emma Grace Hurley and Annie Rodenfels. But not long after, Rodenfels made a move for the lead and began to pull away. Venters put up a good fight, but Rodenfels prevailed in 15:20. Venters was second in 15:25, and Hurley took third in 15:31 and secured her status as this year’s USATF Running Circuit champion. In addition to the prize money she earned at each of the circuit races, she’ll receive an additional $30,000.
Between her two 5K titles and winning the USATF 6K Championships in July, Rodenfels has earned three national titles in the past year. She had some mid-race doubts about whether she’d be able to repeat as champion. “But I was able to rally and just rely on my strength that I’ve been working on and really hope that that would carry me to the finish,” she said on the race broadcast.
Earlier this year, Venters announced that she was taking a break from racing to focus on her mental health. Over the summer, she eased her way back into racing, and her last two outings, a 32:11 road 10K in Boston and this race, have been strong. Venters, who was previously with the Union Athletics Club, has returned to working with her college coach at the University of Utah, Kyle Kepler.
Fourth-place finisher Bailey Hertenstein had a solid showing in her pro debut, running 15:32. Hertenstein graduated from Indiana University before using her remaining eligibility at the University of Colorado. Hertenstein’s racing attire made it clear she had signed with Nike, and after the race she announced that she’ll be working with Pete Julian, Venters’ former coach. His pro group will be based in Colorado going forward.
Just three weeks after running 2:21:56 at the Chicago Marathon, Susanna Sullivan had an impressive showing as well, running 15:36, a two-second PR, to take fifth. And I was also impressed by NAZ Elite’s Paige Wood, who is 11 months postpartum and finished seventh in 15:41. Kidan Kidane won the open race in 16:26, and Roberta Groner, 46, took second in 16:37. (Results)
Other News and Links
Jenny Simpson announced on Thursday that the New York City Marathon would be her final elite-level race. She and her husband, Jason, have purchased a Winnebago and they’ll spend 2025 touring the U.S., with the goal of immersing themselves in the country’s running culture. They’ll chronicle their journey on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Patreon. The article linked above, from Outside Run, provides much more detail. Simpson was feeling burned out when she ran the Boston Marathon, and then she tried being less rigid about her training, which resulted in a disappointing-to-her 12th-place finish at the Beach to Beacon 10K in August. She said the race was “validation to me that caring less and trying less doesn’t work for me ever in anything.” Simpson parted ways with coaches Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs in the spring and she has been self-coached since. “I wanted to be world class at the marathon, and I’m not,” Simpson told Brian Metzler. “I gave it a good try, and now it’s time to try something else, and I just feel really good about it.”
Weini Kelati will attempt to win her fourth-consecutive title at Connecticut’s Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving.
Molly Born, who is new to Instagram, has joined Puma Elite. Running for Oklahoma State, Born finished fourth in the 10,000m at this year’s NCAA Outdoor T&F Championships, and she has also run 15:20.89 for 5,000m.
Beginning January 1, the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field program will become part of USATF. It will be interesting to see exactly what this entails, but I have to assume it’s going to mean a lot more support for Para athletes, which is great.
Michelle La Sala will take over as race director of the Big Sur Marathon.
Heptathlete Chari Hawkins won Halloween with her Taylor Swift costume.
Ruby Wyles, who does all kinds of behind-the-scenes work in the running industry, was hit by a truck while cycling to a cross country meet to support her Eastern Michigan teammates on October 25. She broke her collarbone (she’s undergoing surgery today), broke 10 ribs, and suffered a severe concussion, among other injuries. The driver did not stop. If you are so inclined, you can support her here.
Former Hansons-Brooks runner Dani Filipek set a Guinness World Record, running the fastest mile—a 6:41—while pushing a triple stroller.
After being provisionally suspended for an abnormality in her biological passport late last year, Ethiopia’s Teshay Gemechu, 25, has now been banned for four years. She did not test positive for a banned substance, but the panel of the disciplinary tribunal found that the changes in her bloodwork over time “were indicative of blood manipulation.” You can read the full decision here. All of her results between March 22, 2020, and November 30, 2023, have been disqualified, including her 2:16:56 runner-up performance at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon. (Betsy Saina, who finished fifth that day, will now move up to fourth.)
Additional Results
It was conference meet weekend in the NCAA. The most exciting individual race of the weekend was the battle of former teammates Doris Lemngole of Alabama and Hilda Olemomoi of Florida (and previously Alabama). Lemngole kicked to win the SEC title, 18:20.3 to 18:25.0. (SEC results) At Pre Nationals, New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei outkicked Olemomoi to win, so the next question is who would prevail in an Lemngole vs. Kosgei showdown. We’ll find out soon enough. The tightest team race of the weekend was Georgetown and Providence College’s showdown at the Big East Championships. Georgetown took the title by one point, 42–43. (Big East results) The ACC team competition was also intense, with Notre Dame winning with 115 points, and Stanford and UNC each scoring 121 points. Stanford, who was competing in the ACC for the first time, won the tie-breaker to take second. (ACC results) And the team that should be making the biggest leap in the polls is the University of Oregon. Going into their first Big Ten Cross Country Championships, they were ranked 17th. But led by Silan Ayyildiz and Maddy Elmore’s 1–2 finish, they dominated the team race, winning 33–60 over a University of Washington team that was ranked No. 2 in the country going in. (Big Ten results) The USTFCCCA has a more detailed recap here.
Canada’s Lucia Stafford won the Rebellion Elite 5K, which accompanies the Hamilton Marathon, in 15:38. (Results)
Molly Grabill won the Pittsburgh 10 Miler in 53:48, and Steph Bruce was second in 54:15. (Results)
Jessica Gockley-Day won Saturday’s Colleen De Reuck XC Classic in Boulder, Colorado, running 17:07. And Olympian Kate Grace, who is experimenting with new events, took second in 17:25. The event also hosted the USATF Masters 5K Cross Country Championships, which Melissa Dock won in 17:53. (Results)
Allie McLaughlin won the USATF Trail Half Marathon Championships, running 1:34:34 in Moab, Utah. (Results)
Podcast Highlights
Following her New York City Marathon win, Sheila Chepkirui did a brief interview for NYRR’s Set the Pace podcast. She said that her six-year-old daughter and husband, who didn’t travel to New York for the race, were so excited about her win.
Dani Moreno and EmKay Sullivan, the hosts of The Sub Hub Podcast, were working overtime last week. They put out five episodes featuring the top women from the Golden Trail World Series. I appreciated getting more details about Lauren Gregory’s training setup in New Hampshire, and the navicular injury she was dealing with when her pro career began. Gregory said she’s not ruling out a return to the track, but in 2025, she plans to go all in on racing on the trails. Anna Gibson’s plans are more up in the air, but she said she, too, is wondering how her trail season might go if she makes it more of a focus. I also enjoyed hearing about how Rachel Tomajczyk has successfully transitioned from racing on the track/roads to excelling on the trails. Allie Ostrander and Sophia Laukli were also featured.
I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Riley Brady, coming off their Javelina Jundred win, on The Trail Network Podcast. Brady has struggled significantly with fueling in the past, so they think their recent success is a result of finally figuring out how to fuel in a way that won’t make them ill. “Everything is so easy when you’re not really nauseous,” they told hosts Katie Asmuth and Leah Yingling. Listening to The Sub Hub Episodes and this one back-to-back really drove home how much of the hype in women’s trail racing is coming from women who are still actively competing, as all four hosts could hold their own in the races they were covering.
Great Britain’s Philly Bowden talked about her breakthrough 2:25 marathon in Berlin and the work that goes into being a popular YouTuber on 5 Miles Easy.
It was fun to hear from Emma Kertesz, a 2:37 marathoner, on The Lane 9 Podcast. She told a story about her college coach suggesting she would be a lot faster if she lost 5–7 pounds. But when she walked out of the meeting, the team’s assistant coach, Sara Vergote, who now coaches at Ohio State, pulled her aside and told her not to listen. Not all heroes wear capes.
Additional Episodes: Canada’s Malindi Elmore talked about her Olympic experience on I’ll Have Another | Stefanie Flippin discussed her recent health setbacks on Women’s Running Stories | Emma Grace Hurley on the Lactic Acid Podcast | Kenya’s Pamela Kosgei was on the Mountain West Conference’s Taking the Lead podcast
My brain isn’t working well after a 17-hour work day, so it’s hard to put together any more words. But thanks again to Topo Athletic for sponsoring Fast Women in November and remember to use the code FASTWTOPO for 15 percent off full-price items at topoathletic.com. Thanks to everyone who helps keep this newsletter going with your support via Patreon and Venmo. Take care of yourselves this week.
Alison