American women faced a mixed experience at the Paris Olympic Marathon on Sunday morning. Dakotah Lindwurm led the team, finishing in 12th place with a time of 2:26:44, while Emily Sisson came in 23rd with a time of 2:29:53. Unfortunately, Olympic Trials champion Fiona O’Keeffe had to drop out before reaching the first 5K split due to an injury.
Lindwurm’s performance stood out as she entered the race with the slowest personal record among the U.S. runners. She started confidently, holding third place at the halfway point and even momentarily taking the lead around mile 15. Although she faced challenges during the hilliest sections, she maintained her position within the top 15.
Reflecting on her race, Lindwurm felt strong going up the first major hill and expressed surprise at her lead near Versailles, likening it to a shortcut in a video game. “I didn’t know how. So that was pretty cool. And then, man, I mean, they closed hard,” she remarked.
In contrast, Sisson adopted a less aggressive strategy and couldn’t advance through the ranks, clocking in at 1:13:49 at the halfway mark. She noted feeling fatigued, having completed three marathons in the past ten months, including the Chicago Marathon in October 2023 and the U.S. Trials in February.
“I’m pretty disappointed. Pretty sad,” Sisson said, reflecting on the toll that running multiple marathons in a year has taken on her body.
Sifan Hassan won the gold medal with an impressive time of 2:22:55, setting an Olympic record, while Tigst Assefa and Hellen Obiri took silver and bronze respectively. The warm Paris weather saw temperatures at the start reaching 66 degrees and climbing into the 70s.
Sisson, the most experienced marathon runner in the race, holds the American record of 2:18:29, achieved at the 2022 Chicago Marathon. She previously finished 10th in the 10,000 meters at the Tokyo Games after dropping out of the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials.
Lindwurm, a surprising inclusion on the Olympic team, has made significant strides in distance running after walking on to her Division II track team at Northern State University. She earned her spot with a third-place finish at the Trials and set her personal best of 2:24:40 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
O’Keeffe made headlines at the Trials with her confident debut at the marathon distance, finishing in 2:22:10. However, after setting a personal best in the 10,000 meters in May, she struggled with calf tightness and could not participate in the NYC Mini 10K in June.
Over the years, American women have secured a total of three medals in the Olympic marathon since its introduction in 1984, with Joan Benoit Samuelson winning the first event, Deena Kastor claiming bronze in 2004, and Molly Seidel achieving a surprise bronze in Tokyo in 2021.
Lindwurm embraced her Olympic experience, having the words “Strong, fast, and last” written on her hand as a personal mantra. “I’m an Olympian,” she proudly declared, “and that’s really meaningful for me.”