Molly Seidel of the US medals in Olympic Marathon — only the 3rd American woman to do so
Updated: 9:33 PM EDT Aug 6, 2021
Fast-charging American Molly Seidel won the bronze medal in 2:27:46 of the women’s Olympic Marathon. It was only Seidel’s third marathon. She debuted at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2020, where she placed second in 2:27:31. She improved her PR to 2:25:13 when placing sixth at the elite-only London Marathon in October.Seidel is the third American woman to medal in the Olympic marathon, only after Deena Kastor won bronze in Athens in 2004 and Joan Benoit Samuelson who won gold in Los Angeles in 1984, according to reports.The race was held in Sapporo, Japan, a coastal city about 500 miles north of Tokyo, in an attempt to escape the extreme heat and humidity of the Tokyo summer. On Friday, the start time of the race was moved up an hour, to 6 a.m. local time, to further reduce the runners’ exposure to potentially dangerous conditions.Nonetheless, at the start, the temperature was 78 degrees, with 83% humidity and bright sun, only slightly more favorable than conditions in Tokyo at the time. The temperature climbed to 84 by the time the medalists finished. Eighty-eight women started the race, which began in Odori Park in the heart of Sapparo. After two short, shaded laps within the park, the runners headed out for one long loop around the city. They passed Odori Park a little after the halfway mark, then did two shorter loops (the northern section of the longer loop) of close to 10K before finishing at Odori Park. The early pace was predictably conservative, with 46 women within two seconds of each other through 10K in 2:33 marathon pace. A faster third 5K of 17:31, combined with the conditions, meant that the pack was down to 25 by the 15K mark, passed in 53:47. Seidel and Kipyego were among those almost always visible at the front. No big moves were made in the fourth 5K segment, but attrition caused the pack to thin to 13 by 20K, reached in 1:11:27. Conditions were so draining that just a few minutes later, when the leaders passed halfway in 1:15:14, the pack was down to 10, including Seidel. Although two women were able to rejoin the lead pack before 25K (1:28:51), the fifth 5K was covered in 17:24, and soon after the pack was again 10 strong. The pack was down to nine through 30K (1:46:04), with Seidel still looking remarkably fresh.Eight women were still in contention with 10 kilometers to run. Things can change quickly at that stage of a marathon, however, especially in heat and humidity. Just one kilometer later, the pack was down to five — Seidel, Kosgei, Jepchirchir, Lonah Salpeter of Israel, and Eunice Chumba of Bahrain. At 35K (2:02:58, for a seventh 5K of 16:54), Seidel and Salpeter continued to do most of the work.
Fast-charging American Molly Seidel won the bronze medal in 2:27:46 of the women’s Olympic Marathon.
It was only Seidel’s third marathon. She debuted at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2020, where she placed second in 2:27:31. She improved her PR to 2:25:13 when placing sixth at the elite-only London Marathon in October.
Seidel is the third American woman to medal in the Olympic marathon, only after Deena Kastor won bronze in Athens in 2004 and Joan Benoit Samuelson who won gold in Los Angeles in 1984, according to reports.
The race was held in Sapporo, Japan, a coastal city about 500 miles north of Tokyo, in an attempt to escape the extreme heat and humidity of the Tokyo summer. On Friday, the start time of the race was moved up an hour, to 6 a.m. local time, to further reduce the runners’ exposure to potentially dangerous conditions.
Nonetheless, at the start, the temperature was 78 degrees, with 83% humidity and bright sun, only slightly more favorable than conditions in Tokyo at the time. The temperature climbed to 84 by the time the medalists finished.
Eighty-eight women started the race, which began in Odori Park in the heart of Sapparo. After two short, shaded laps within the park, the runners headed out for one long loop around the city. They passed Odori Park a little after the halfway mark, then did two shorter loops (the northern section of the longer loop) of close to 10K before finishing at Odori Park.
The early pace was predictably conservative, with 46 women within two seconds of each other through 10K in 2:33 marathon pace. A faster third 5K of 17:31, combined with the conditions, meant that the pack was down to 25 by the 15K mark, passed in 53:47. Seidel and Kipyego were among those almost always visible at the front. No big moves were made in the fourth 5K segment, but attrition caused the pack to thin to 13 by 20K, reached in 1:11:27.
Conditions were so draining that just a few minutes later, when the leaders passed halfway in 1:15:14, the pack was down to 10, including Seidel. Although two women were able to rejoin the lead pack before 25K (1:28:51), the fifth 5K was covered in 17:24, and soon after the pack was again 10 strong.
The pack was down to nine through 30K (1:46:04), with Seidel still looking remarkably fresh.
Eight women were still in contention with 10 kilometers to run. Things can change quickly at that stage of a marathon, however, especially in heat and humidity. Just one kilometer later, the pack was down to five — Seidel, Kosgei, Jepchirchir, Lonah Salpeter of Israel, and Eunice Chumba of Bahrain. At 35K (2:02:58, for a seventh 5K of 16:54), Seidel and Salpeter continued to do most of the work.
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