The first thing Molly Seidel said at the finish was: “Hi Mum.” A cameraman was standing around with the device running when she took the opportunity to send this greeting from the Far East to her American homeland after an extremely tough Olympic marathon, which she had just finished third. Gold and silver went to Kenya, you could have guessed that right away. Peres Jepchirchir from Kapsabet prevailed in 2:27:20 hours against Brigid Kosgei (2:27:36), the world record holder from Eldoret. But it was not to be expected that Molly Seidel from Boston, for whom the 42.195-kilometer race of the Tokyo Games was only the third marathon of her life, would climb the podium. 2:27:46 hours was her time. She said, “I surprised myself.”
Marathon is a big deal in the land of Olympic host Japan. The television broadcasts important races. The national competition is strong. In the past few decades there have been several Japanese Olympic champions in the classic discipline. But the nation hasn’t been able to live out its marathon craze at home games as hoped, and that wasn’t just due to the pandemic. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) moved the races from the capital to Sapporo on the cooler north island of Hokkaido in 2019 because of Tokyo’s infamous summer sultriness. The IOC had previously seen the TV images of the heat marathon at the World Cup in Doha and wanted to avoid a similar festival of tasks.
The idea was good, only the punch line of the story didn’t fit: Sapporo is experiencing a rare heat wave this year. The organizers moved the race forward one hour at short notice, from seven to six in the morning. Nevertheless, there was 65 percent humidity and at the end 30 degrees on the winding route in Sapporo’s city center. This also made the competition difficult for the Japanese runners and probably contributed to the fact that the medal hopes were not fulfilled. Mao Ichiyama was eighth as the best Japanese woman.
Seidel had stated Olympic gold as his goal – but that was probably not meant very seriously
Some braved the heat with success. The German Melat Yisak Kejeta, 28, a native of Baunatal, Ethiopia, for example, finished sixth in 2:29:16 hours. “My goal was to get a medal for Germany,” said Kejeta and apologized that it didn’t work out: “I’m sorry.” Others didn’t finish the race. The most dramatic slump was experienced by the 10,000 meter European champion Lonah Chemtai Salpeter from Israel, who, running in third place, had to stop four kilometers from the finish. She ran the race bravely to the end. After 2:48:31 hours, she finished sixty-sixth.
Nitro’s misfortune was Seidel’s luck. With her American optimism, she had stated gold as her goal at the 2020 Olympics, but that was probably not meant very seriously, because she is actually still quite new on the very long route. Molly Seidel, 27, had her first international assignments as a cross-country runner, otherwise she impressed at student championships and on a regional level. Her first marathon was the US Trials in Atlanta in February 2020, the American Olympic qualification.
The fastest women over 42.195 kilometers at the Olympics: winner Peres Jepchirchir from Kenya, her compatriot Brigid Kosgei and Molly Seidel (from left to right).
(Foto: Clive Brunskill/Getty)
Only a few months earlier, she had started training according to Jon Green’s training plans. Green is just as old as she. He was originally a friend and colleague at the Saucony Freedom Track Club in Boston. When Seidel left the club in autumn 2019, Green offered to help with training issues. Seidel liked the idea. Back then she was working as a barista in a coffee shop and as a babysitter to make ends meet. She and Green didn’t have big plans, but then Seidel won the San Antonio half marathon in 1:10. With that she was allowed to start in the marathon trials. “We thought: why not?” Green wrote in Lauf magazine The XC told. She came second on the hilly Atlanta circuit and was on the US Olympic team.
Time and again, strong runners with coaches have come from this country whose methods have touched or exceeded the limits of what is permitted. At Seidel, you’re just surprised at first. She seems to be one of those runners who can cope with long, slow training for the marathon better than the faster units for shorter distances. She herself says: “I love the feeling of the marathon, this slow dragging at the beginning, this squeezing everything out of yourself at the end.” She found the conditions in Sapporo tough, but okay. “I train in Arizona so I did a lot of heat training.” She even saw an advantage in Sapporo’s sultriness: “Because I know many of the women in the field run very quickly when the conditions are good.” As a runner, she is not extremely fast. Rather extremely tough.
The medal should change your life. Seidel is now someone in the international running scene. More offers for well-paid starts should be the result – and the expectation of people that it will be as good again next time. But Molly Seidel didn’t think about that after the race. She wanted to make a phone call. With the people who, from their point of view, are your most important inspiration: Mum and Dad.
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