Sports360AZ
By Jeff Metcalfe
Emily Sisson was a contender at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, but not like now.
Sisson goes into the 2024 trials, Feb. 3 in Orlando, as the U.S. marathon record holder (2:18.29), set in October 2022 at the Chicago Marathon. She also held the U.S. half marathon record for a year until Weini Kelati’s recent 1:06.25 in Houston.
That makes her one of the women’s favorites Saturday in Orlando, where three women and at least two men are expected to qualify for the Paris Olympics, July 26-Aug. 11. There are time qualifying standards that complicate the matter especially for U.S. men, who could advance two runners on race day and another in early May.
There are 32 trials qualifiers from Arizona, third most of all states. At least five of those, all based in Flagstaff, are viable contenders as is Galen Rupp, coached by Northern Arizona’s Mike Smith. Arizona State alum. Molly Seidel, Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist, withdrew Thursday due to a knee injury.
Desiree Linden, a two-time Olympian, is in the field then plans to run at the Boston Marathon on April 15. Five-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, who will be inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in April, also is entered in the trials at 47.
“It’s a tremendous field,” Sisson said. “There’s some great competition. You’re going to have to show up at the trials as strong as you can. “I don’t know if I view myself as a favorite. There is some pressure there, but all of us kind of feel that way. The pressure can be there and you can acknowledge it but try not to let it affect you too much. Just control what you can to hopefully have the best day you can.”
Sisson had just a single marathon experience – an impressive 2:23 debut at 2019 London – going into the 2020 trials in Atlanta, where the hills proved too daunting. She dropped out at 22 miles then, aided by extra time before the track trials due to COVID, qualified for her first Olympics in the 10,000-meter. At Tokyo, held in summer 2021 because of the pandemic, Sisson, then living in Phoenix, was 10th overall and first among three Americans.
“I’m so thankful that the Olympics took place,” she said. “But looking back, it wasn’t quite what I envisioned,” due to COVID restrictions preventing most spectators. “I would have loved for my family and friends to come. I would like to go and try to better my performance.
“I went in a bit banged up and injured, which is how a lot of athletes are. You’re riding that fine line. I don’t even know how much better I could have performed on the day. I still think I maxed out what I was capable of that day. When you’re dealing with an injury at the Olympics, it takes up all your time so there were so many things I didn’t have time for because I was either training or getting treatment.”
Sisson returned to the marathon in 2022, breaking the American record then held by Keira D’Amato by 43 seconds with her 2:18. She ran a record 1:06.52 half in Houston in January 2023 then returned to Chicago, finishing as first American ahead of Seidel in 2:22.09.
For the trials, Sisson trained in Flagstaff and Scottsdale, where her beagle Dougal went missing just before Christmas then was found and returned by a neighbor.
She and husband Shane Quinn also spend time in Providence, R.I., where they both competed in college under coach Ray Treacy. They have been in Florida since mid-January with Sisson preparing primarily for humidity.
“You really only need a week or 10 days, but when it’s not consistently hot, I don’t know how the adapting process works,” Sisson said. “We’re doing everything we can to prepare for the worse-case conditions like it’s going to be hot and humid.”
The Orlando forecast is for a high temperature of 73. Start time is just after 10 a.m. Eastern, changed from originally planned noon due to runner objections about potential heat issues.
Two-third of the U.S. Tokyo Olympic team had Arizona connections: Aliphine Tuliamuk, Seidel, Rupp and Abdirahman. Tuliamuk and Rupp were trials champions, and both are competing Saturday. An emotional Seidel spoke about her withdrawal in a social media post Thursday.
“About a month ago, my knee took this huge turn for the worse,” she said. “I couldn’t run on it at all. An MRI showed I had broken my patella and partially torn my patella tendon. I have done everything in my power to try to get myself to the line. But ultimately, I got to this week and my knee had not healed up enough. I knew I could not race a marathon hard on it without really injuring myself.”
Still in addition to Sisson from Arizona, Tuliamuk, Sara Hall, Kellyn Taylor are contenders. As is Futsum Zienasellassie, who ran in college at Northern Arizona, among the men. Hall, 40, is running in her eighth Olympic Trials (track or marathon), hoping to add that elusive credential to her impressive resume.
Sisson is 32, at a prime point in her career to not only make another Olympics but excel in Paris.
“I do feel good, fit and healthy,” she said. “Now it’s just staying relaxed and calm as you can. Try to keep your focus and not get caught up in all the excitement.”
