RunnersWeb (RRW) Athletics: USA Women's Olympic Marathon Team To Run TCS NYC Marathon

(18-Aug) -- On a 92-day turnaround, the USA women's Olympic Marathon team will compete in the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 7, led by bronze medalist Molly Seidel, New York Road Runners officials announced today. Seidel, who became just the third USA woman to win an Olympic Marathon medal after Joan Benoit (gold, 1984) and Deena Kastor (bronze, 2004), will be making her TCS New York City Marathon debut.

PHOTO: Molly Seidel, Aliphine Tuliamuk, and Sally Kipyego after finishing second, first and third, respectively, at the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

"Since the beginning of 2021, I've had two races circled on my calendar, the Olympic Games Marathon on August 7, and the TCS New York City Marathon on November 7, Seidel said through a statement. "Winning the bronze medal in Sapporo showed that I can run with the best in the world, and on any given day anything is possible. I can't think of a better year to run my first New York than in its 50th running."

Seidel, 27, who competed for Notre Dame during her NCAA career, has only run three marathons. She made her debut at the USA Olympic Team Trials Marathon on February 29, 2020, where she finished second in 2:27:31, the eighth-fastest debut by an American woman. Seidel improved her time to 2:25:13 last October at the special elite-only edition of the Virgin Money London Marathon in St. James's Park where she finished sixth. She did not run another marathon until her third place finish on a hot and humid day in Sapporo where she ran a big negative split (1:15:14 / 1:12:32) and clocked 2:27:46.

"I'm in shock. I'm in disbelief right now," Seidel told NBC reporter Steve Porino after her Olympic run. "I've worked so hard for this. Everybody has supported me through this. This is not just me. This is my family, my coach, this is everyone who's trained with me."

Seidel will be joined by Olympic teammates Sally Kipyego and Aliphine Tuliamuk on New York's famous starting line on the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge. Kipyego, the only Olympic medalist to start the 2021 women's Olympic Marathon, ran in the lead pack in Sapporo before fading in the second half to finish 17th in 2:32:53. Tuliamuk, the 2020 Olympic Trials Marathon champion, was unable to finish due to a hip injury. She recorded her last official split at the 20-K mark.

Both Kipyego and Tuliamuk have run the TCS New York City Marathon before. Kipyego made her marathon debut there in 2015, but was unable to finish. She returned in 2016 and finished second in 2:28:01, her first completed marathon. Tuliamuk finished 13th in 2017 in 2:33:18, and improved to 12th in 2019 in 2:28:12. She won the Trials 118 days later.

Also starting in New York will be Emily Sisson, the 2021 USA Olympic Trials 10,000m champion. Sisson, who finished 10th in the 10,000m at the Tokyo Olympics, has a marathon personal best of 2:23:08 set in London in 2019, despite falling and bruising her knee during her warm-up. Although she's never run the TCS NYC Marathon before, she did participate in the virtual version of the race in 2020 running 2:38:00 in San Diego.

Other American women announced today were two-time Olympian Des Linden, who will also be running the special fall edition of the Boston Marathon on October 11; Laura Thweatt, who was fifth at the 2020 Olympic Trials Marathon; Steph Bruce, who was sixth at the Trials; and Kellyn Taylor who was eighth at the Trials. All four of these women have competed in New York before; Linden has finished in the top six three times.

Tatyana McFadden is the leading American entrant in the women's wheelchair race. She will be trying for a record sixth win in New York.

Founded in 1970, the TCS New York City Marathon uses a separate start for elite women, and the race does not use pacemakers.

A complete list of USA elite women competing in New York is below with personal best times:

Open Division: Des Linden, Charlevoix, Mich., 2:22:28 Emily Sisson, Phoenix, Ariz., 2:23:08 Kellyn Taylor, Flagstaff, Ariz., 2:24:29 Sally Kipyego, Eugene, Ore., 2:25:10 Molly Seidel, Flagstaff, Ariz., 2:25:13 Laura Thweatt, Superior, Colo., 2:25:38 Aliphine Tuliamuk, Flagstaff, Ariz., 2:26:50 Stephanie Bruce, Flagstaff, Ariz., 2:27:47 Roberta Groner (40+), Ledgewood, N.J., 2:29:09 Samantha Roecker, Philadelphia, Pa., 2:29:59 Lindsey Scherf, White Plains, N.Y., 2:32:19 Obsie Birru, Phoenix, Ariz., 2:35:51 Ivette Mejia, New York, N.Y., 2:38:23 Emma Kertesz, Boulder, Colo., 2:40:56 Leigh Anne Sharek, Brooklyn, N.Y., 2:42:02 Jessica Chichester, Brooklyn, N.Y., 2:42:16 Joanna Thompson, New York, N.Y., 2:43:01 Ana Johnson, New York, N.Y., 2:43:11 Molly Bookmyer, Columbus, Ohio, 2:44:07 Grace Bowen, New York, N.Y., 2:44:49 Aileen Barry, Manhasset, N.Y., 2:44:51 Annie Frisbie, Minneapolis, Minn., Debut (1:15:48 half-marathon) Makenna Myler, Highland, Utah, Debut (1:09:54 half-marathon)

Wheelchair Division: Susannah Scaroni, Champaign, Ill., 1:30:42 Tatyana McFadden, Champaign, Ill., 1:31:30 Amanda McGrory, Savoy, Ill., 1:33:13 Jenna Fesemyer, Champaign, Ill., 1:37:02 Arielle Rausin, New York, N.Y., 1:40:51 Michelle Wheeler, Boalsburg, Pa., 1:45:55 Yen Hoang, Champaign, Ill., 2:01:06