The American field for the 2021 Olympic Marathon was tenuous from the start. The original trials were held in February 2020 before Covid-19 forced the postponement of the Tokyo Games. Once it was clear that the Olympics would not be held in 2020, many advocated for a 2021 redo of the marathon trials. The argument was that an extra year to train – or degrade – would affect who the United States should send in 2021. Ultimately, USATF decided not to conduct another trial for the marathon, but many still asserted that there were athletes ready to fight for a spot on the Olympic team. This point was further made when The Marathon Project was held in December 2020; seven men ran sub-2:10 and six women ran faster than the top finisher in the trials.
In Tokyo, critics were proved right both in the respect that the extra year benefited some of the athletes at the games and that it was the detriment of others. For Molly Seidel, the extra time to prepare led to a strong bronze medal finish. Most significantly, perhaps, was that she only finished ten seconds behind Brigid Kosgei and twenty-six seconds behind Peres Jepchirchir. The race was only decided in the last quarter mile. Sally Kipyego finished seventeenth, while Aliphine Tuliamuk dropped out of the race at 20 km. In the men’s field, unfortunately, Americans Galen Rupp, Jacob Riley, and Abdi Abdirahman failed to impress. Rupp – who won the bronze medal in 2016 – finished 8th, while Riley and Abdirahman finished 29th and 41st respectively.
Of course, there are many circumstantial factors that played into this, the foremost being the heat and humidity in Tokyo in early August. It was clear even before the race started that there would be no world records in those conditions, but – excluding Molly Seidel – the American performance was not as expected, especially given the number of rising stars in the Marathon distance.
So, can we really make predictions or judgments about the state of American marathoners based on the Tokyo Olympics? It would be unwise to do so. It is important to remember that many of the nation’s top athletes did not race at the Olympics – especially in the women’s field. Des Linden, Molly Huddle, and Sara Hall were all notably absent. This leaves all eyes on two upcoming races, the Boston Marathon on October 11th and the New York City Marathon on November 7th.
The 2021 Boston Marathon will not be fuel for world records – the terrain doesn’t lend itself to speed – but rather a battleground for those daring to challenge the course. Des Linden, 2018 champion, 50K World Record Holder, and Boston Marathon regular, and Molly Huddle will be representing the American field. They will be competing against multiple sub-2:20 marathoners to include Yebrgual Melese, Mare Dibaba, and Edna Kiplagat. Linden will be looking to claim another victory on a familiar course, while Huddle will be looking for redemption after dropping out at the trials in 2020. In the men’s field, Abdi Abdirahman leads a strong group of sub-2:10 Americans, which includes Scott Fauble, Colin Bennie, and Scott Smith – the latter three being top performers at the 2020 Marathon Project.
Even more exciting to watch will be the 2021 New York City Marathon. While the elite men’s field has not been officially announced, we know that Jared Ward and Noah Droddy will both be competing. Additionally, Ben True (2018 NYC Half Marathon champion) will be making his marathon debut. They will be competing against Shura Kitata, Abdi Nageeye, and Kenenisa Bekele, which, if they can stick with them, should drive the Americans to even faster times. The women’s event is the deepest American lineup in a long time. Des Linden, Molly Seidel, Sally Kipyego, Aliphine Tuliamuk, and Emily Sisson will all be competing for the top spot. They will also be racing Brigid Kosgei and Peres Jepchirchir, setting up an Olympic rematch and a stage for the Americans to potentially demonstrate their speed.
Ultimately, while the Olympic Marathon was not the proving grounds that it could have been for American athletes, the future remains bright. Both the 2021 Boston and New York City Marathons are primed to become stages for Americans to step into the spotlight – and much of the nation’s talent has not yet truly come into its own. While we may not see an American Eliud Kipchoge in the near future, American runners are on the cusp of dominance in the marathon.
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