Official 2025 Marathon Project Live Discussion Thread (Sunday @ 9:15 am ET)

TOP WOMEN’S SEEDS:
Kellyn Taylor (USA - 2:24:29) - Taylor has been a consistent force on the American distance running scene for more than a decade. She made her marathon debut in 2015 at the Chevron Houston Marathon, running 2:28:40–the sixth-fastest U.S. debut ever at the time. A year later she finished sixth at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon and fourth in the 10,000 at the Track Trials. In 2017, she was eighth at the TCS New York City Marathon—kicking off a string of five top-10’s in NYC, including a sixth-place finish in 2021. Her marathon PB came in 2018 at the Grandma’s Marathon when she ran 2:24:29 to win by four minutes and set a then course record. Her second fastest time came at TMP 2020 where she was third in 2:25:22. She’s also won two USATF national titles on the road, a bronze medal at the Pan American Games, and NACAC gold medals in cross country and on the track.

Paige Wood (USA - 2:26:02) - Wood was seventh at The Marathon Project in 2020 in 2:28:43—the fastest U.S. female under-25 time ever at the time. She went on to win the USATF Marathon Championships two years later in 2:26:02. After having her first child, Nolan, in the fall of 2023, Wood is back and in top form. She recently finished second at the Philadelphia Half Marathon in 1:11:21—a race she ran as a workout in her buildup to TMP. Listen to her appearance on the Inside The Marathon Project podcast.

Blanka Dörfel (GER - DEBUT) - Dörfel, at just 23 years of age, is an up-and-coming star in Germany. She’s shown tremendous promise on the roads this year with a 31:52 for 10 kilometers and a 1:09:46 in the half marathon. She has been putting in a huge block of training in Boulder, Colo. in advance of TMP.

Molly Grabill (USA - 2:26:46) - The University of Oregon grad was a six-time NCAA All American for the Ducks and is currently enjoying a career resurgence after running a personal best of 2:29:45 at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2023 and then slashing another three minutes off of that in 2024 with a 2:26:46 in Valencia. She was third at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon in the build-up to TMP.

Stephanie Bruce (USA - 2:27:47) - Bruce has a long list of accomplishments in the sport that include three USATF national titles on the road, top-10 finishes at the Chicago, London, and New York City Marathons, and appearances at the World Cross Country Championships and the World Half Marathon Championships. More recently, she competed in the USATF Cross Country Championships on Saturday December 6 in Portland, Oregon before pacing the OTQ group for 20 miles the next day at the California International Marathon in Sacramento. She also has local ties—growing up in Phoenix and attending Xavier High School.

Jane Bareikis (USA - 2:29:00) - Bareikis is a naturalized citizen who has been steadily improving at the marathon distance. After a 2:42:38 debut in 2018, she chopped off nearly ten minutes in just three years with a 2:33:54 at the Grandma’s Marathon in 2021. Her 2:29:00 at the BMW Berlin Marathon in 2023 remains her personal best but she is coming off a victory at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon earlier this fall in hot and humid conditions.

Hanna Lindholm (SWE - 2:28:59) - One of the best masters runners in the world, Lindholm will be attempting to run at or near her personal best at 46 years of age. As recently as January of 2024, she ran a 1:11:04 half marathon so running well under 2:30 is certainly possible. Word is that her training has been going very well in advance of TMP.

Mica Rivera Wood (PER - DEBUT) - Wood is an up-and-comer in the sport and she documents her training journey on social media along with her husband, Adam. Their join Instagram account, @thewoodsrun, has more than 116,000 followers. Training amidst beautiful backdrops in Utah, they share training details but also plenty of fun moments before and after their runs. Make no mistake, though, Wood is here to compete. She represents her native Peru—she spent her childhood there and is the great-granddaughter of Luis Gálvez Chipoco, known as the "father of Peruvian athletics." A sub 2:30:00 debut would make her one of the fastest Peruvians of all time.

Lanni Marchant (CAN - 2:28:00) - Marchant has had a long and successful career as one of Canada’s top marathoners over the last 15 years. A former ice skater, she also holds a dual law degree from the University of Ottawa and Michigan State University. Her personal best of 31:46 for 10,000 meters, 1:10:47 for the half marathon and 2:28:00 for the marathon make her one of the most accomplished athletes in the field.

Alia Hansen (USA - 2:30:41) - Alia is a TMP alum, having run the event in 2020 where she finished 14th in a personal best of 2:30:41. Hansen was a four-time NCAA Division II All American at Chico State University and has been a staple of the Roots Running Project team as a pro. She is coached by her husband, the team’s founder—Richie Hansen—who will be running in the Gold Wave Marathon on Saturday.

Brittney Feivor-Smith (USA - 2:30:51) - A doctor of Physical Therapy, Feivor-Smith is a graduate of Marquette University where she was a standout performer for the Golden Eagles. Like so many athletes at The Marathon Project, she has a full time job but manages to put in the work to be able to race at a very high level—with a personal best in the marathon of 2:30:51.

Rachel Hannah (CAN - 2:34:33) - The reigning Canadian national champion in the marathon, Hannah is a six-time Canadian champion overall and an accomplished athlete across all disciplines including cross country—she represented Canada at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships. Hannah is a registered dietician and a sports nutrition consultant as well. She talked about her decision her life, her running career, and her goals for TMP on a recent episode of The Inspired Soles Podcast with Carolyn Coffin.

Jaci Smith (USA - 2:36:34) - A member of the United States Air Force, Smith serves her country while still training at a high level as a member of the Hansons Brooks Distance Project team. Smith had an outstanding collegiate career at the Air Force Academy where she was an NCAA All American in cross country and track. More recently, she won the Route 66 Half Marathon as a tune-up for TMP.

Jessica Watychowicz (USA - 2:33:02) - Watychowicz has enjoyed a successful run at the 26.2 mile distance including a victory at the 2022 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and runner-up finish in 2024 where she set her personal best of 2:33:02. In her “day job” she serves as the owner and creative director of Peakside Media in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Additional Women’s Entries:
Priscah Cherono
Lily Anderson
Mackenzie Caldwell
Maria Lindberg
Liza Howard
Zoe Baker
Erin Mawhinney
Ann Marie Pierce
Kir Selert
Flannery Davis
Gina Rouse
Katie McMenamin
Carter Norbo
Samantha Drop
Hannah Betman
Liza Reichert
Margaret Ludick
Emily Andrews
Khia Kurtenbach
Alana Levy
Bryn Morales
Jessica Donohue
Ann Centner
Leanne Klassen
Erin Forde
Amanda Martin
Nicole Esplin
Lucie Beatrix
Emma Diehl
Harlie Bassit
Daniela De Aguilar

I have a hunch the Canadians will be rooting for Thomas as 5 of the 7 Canadians in the elite field have that name.

runningmagazine.ca

Here are the 13 Canadians racing at The Marathon Project - Canadian Running Magazine

https://www.facebook.com/marley.dickinson

Four of the seven Canadian men in the professional field happen to share the same first name

Open link

If Chelimo doesn’t win this in sub 2:10 he should call it a day and a great career.

OMG!! Rojo said (well...copy/pasted) my name!! *SWOON*

Canadian field is quite strong. I'm excited for this one...

I think that's putting it a bit strongly...if he runs anything below 2:10 (without the win) I would say that's a great day for him.

I disagree. 209:59 is almost like 214 back in the day.

Chelimo is a two-time Olympic medalist. He just got 8th at us Xc and you are acting like he’s the equivalent of Mick Iacofano (who ran 2:09:55 on this course in 2020).

Mick is a dawg

Is there any truth to the short course in 2020 or was it really just pent up fitness and a perfect day? Guys ran times there that they have never come close to touching again.

Fair enough, but his current PR is 2:18. I'm not saying 2:10 is world class, but for him I think it would be a great sign of progress and to keep running marathons.

Moreover, for Chelimo, as you know, he has track times which are way faster than 2:10 equivalent, so it really is a matter of can he translate that talent to the marathon. That is why I am fine with 2:10, give him a couple more marathons to keep dialing it in and who knows...

I understand (and somewhat agree) with your sentiment Rojo that we should be less enthusiastic about 2:10 now. If you go by the Olympic standard, then 2:08 is the new 2:10. However, especially for Klecker, Hicks, Chelimo, Richtman, etc. (just rattling off recent American debuts) what do you expect them to do? Immediately run 2:08? 2:07? 2:06? Getting a 2:10 on the board is a very respectable time in your first or even second marathon as a pro. Just look at Richtman: 2:10 --> 2:07. This is an exaggeration, but what if Richtman said: "damn, only 2:10, I'm bad at marathons guess I'll retire."

So I think there's a difference between trying to encourage raising the bar for North American marathoners, and dumping on anyone who runs north of 2:08 (not saying you did that here, but lots of people on letsrun, including yourself occasionally, are guilty of this).

How old are Kellyn Taylor and Paul Chelonia ?

To the guy on the flotrack stream who is continuously repeating into the mic "speed up" then "slow down" every 5 seconds pretending like his GPS is accurate enough to discern pace variations on that timescale...please stop

Kellyn 39 and Chelimo 35

39 and 35 (assuming you meant Chelimo), respectively

Ignore: Figs beat me to it

broadcast team is fine so far but what's with this person just yelling "speed up/slow down" (to the pacers ?) incessantly

See above, I cannot handle 2h of this.

Agreed it’s annoying but he’s clearly talking to the lead vehicle, not micromanaging the pacers.

Paige Wood and Priscah Cherono in the lead for the women, both on 2:24 pace.

Men's race has 2 packs:

2:08 group = Rory + Biya + Aaron (pacing), Chelimo, Shrader, Motschmann, Wildschutt

(Stephen Jones in no man's land)

2:10 group = A sea of runners