Tuliamuk, Seidel and Kipyego Earn Spots on Tokyo Olympic Team

By Scott Bush

A challenging course and windy conditions led to late theatrics in the women's race, as Aliphine Tuliamuk held off Molly Seidel to claim the title Saturday at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon in Atlanta. 

RACE RESULTS | MEN'S RECAP | POST-RACE INTERVIEWS | EVENT COVERAGE

With 450 women lining the start, the gun went off and the field was off to the races. For many of the early miles, top contenders like Desi Linden, Sara Hall, Emma Bates, Tuliamuk, Jordan Hasay, Emily Sisson and Kellyn Taylor took turns at the front of the lead group, all seemingly feeling out the first eight mile loop and what later portions of the race might feel like with the blustery winds.

As the leaders passed through five miles in 28:54, Molly Huddle and her training partner Sisson pushed to the front to join Hall and settled into a rhythm, as the lead pack started to thin out a bit but still contained more than 20 women.

As the lead pack continued to run together through the first 8 mile loop of the race the top group continued to thin out. While all of the top contenders remained grouped together, much of the rest of the pack started to trail off, with Linden pushing the pace, while Sisson, Bates and Hasay moving up on the two-time Olympian’s shoulders.

Little changed over the next few miles, with Laura Thweatt, Bates, Hasay and Sisson leading the charge, passing through mile 10 in 57:02, as 20 women were still on contention.

Passing through the half way point, the women’s lead pack sat at 14 runners, running 13.1 miles in 1:14:38. Thweatt continued to do the work up front, while Seidel, Taylor and Sisson were a half step off.

Leading into mile 20, the pack finally started to break up, as Desi Linden shot to the front and started to string out the group. Seven women, Linden, Tuliamuk, Taylor, Seidel, Thweatt, Bates and Sally Kipyego packed up and seemed ready for the final 10 km push to the finish.

By mile 21 it was a three-woman race with Tuliamuk, Seidel and Kipyego putting space on the field, then Tuliamuk and Seidel pulling away from Kipyego and building a seven-second lead over Kipyego by mile 22, who held a 13-second lead over Thweatt, Taylor and Linden.

Tuliamuk and Seidel grew their lead over the next mile to 22 seconds, working together as they hit the hills of the course. Kipyego continued to hold onto third, but Thweatt and Linden were within striking distance, less than 100 meters back.

With two miles to go, Seidel and Tuliamuk continued to work together, eyes ahead and grinding out the final stages of the race. The duo grew their lead to 38 seconds, while Kipyego continued to run in third, now 15 seconds ahead of Thweatt and 21 seconds ahead of Linden.

Pumping their arms to try and push their momentum to the finish, Tuliamuk and Seidel continued to battle up front. Tuliamuk put a small lead on Seidel as they accelerated downhill into mile 25, which seemed enough to establish herself at the front, but Seidel would not give up. The two runners charged to a minute lead over Kipyego, who maintained her lead of 15 seconds over Thweatt with a mile to go.

Into the final homestretch, Tuliamuk continued to charge, putting enough space on Seidel to coast over the final 100 meters, waiving a small American flag and soaking in a championship effort, as she crossed the line victoriously in 2:27:23. Seidel held on, maintaining form for second in 2:27:31. The eight second victory being the closest 1-2 finish in event history.

With the race for third still up for grabs with a mile to go, Kipyego struggled with the final hill but then opened her stride going down to the final stretch. Linden charged into fourth ahead of Thweatt, and started to push to bridge the gap to Kipyego. 

When it looked as though Linden might have a shot to catch Kipyego, the Eugene-based runner put in one more push to outlast Linden, crossing the line with a wide smile on her face. Kipyego’s 2:28:52 finish was 11 seconds ahead of Linden, who cheered on the field and gave celebratory hugs to the first three finishers as she came up just short of making her third Olympic team.

Thweatt held off a late push from Stephanie Bruce, taking home fifth place in 2:29:08, while Bruce claimed sixth in 2:29:11. The sub-2:30 performances continued, as Bates ran to a seventh place finish in 2:29:35, while Taylor hung on gamely over the final miles to claim eighth in 2:29:55.

For Tuliamuk, making an Olympic Team has been her dream since becoming an American citizen in 2016. The former Wichita State standout and current HOKA ONE ONE Northern Arizona Elite runner put on an Olympic stocking cap as she draped the American flag over her shoulders. 

Tuliamuk said afterward to NBC’s Lawrence Johnson, “I always say that making the Olympic Team is my way of celebrating this beautiful country.”

Seidel, afterward clearly in a state of exuberance, stumbled into a hug with Tuliamuk, as she simply couldn’t believe she qualified for the Olympic Games running the first marathon of her career.

Kipyego, who took time off three years ago to have a child, celebrated her first Olympic berth as an American, having gained citizenship in 2017. The Olympic and World Championship silver medalist will certainly be able to provide Olympic insights to her two other Team USA marathon teammates. 

Unofficial Top Ten Results

2:27:23 – Aliphine Tuliamuk
2:27:31 – Molly Seidel
2:28:52 – Sally Kipyego
2:29:03 – Des Linden
2:29:08 – Laura Thweatt
2:29:11 – Stephanie Bruce
2:29:35 – Emma Bates
2:29:55 – Kellyn Taylor
2:30:26 – Nell Rojas
2:30:43 – Julia Kohnen