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2025 MEN’S RACE:
The Marathon Project returned in 2025 with plenty of hype surrounding a men’s entry list that featured two-time Olympic medalist Paul Chelimo up against other top Americans including Brian Shrader and JP Flavin as well as an international field highlighted by Canadians Thomas Broatch and Thomas Fafard, Germany’s Johannes Motschmann, and Nadeel Wildschutt from South Africa.
Pacers Aaron Bienenfeld, Rory Linkletter, and Biya Simbassa took the top group out at 2:08:00 pace through 25k before leaving things to a pack that included Chelimo, Motschmann, and Wildschutt as well as the surprising Stephen Jones. Things broke up fairly soon thereafter with Chelimo and Wildschutt seemingly in a two-man battle for the win. But the chase pack had different ideas.
Flavin and Fafard as well as Americans Turner Wiley and Ben Rosa had been rolling along at low 2:09 pace from the gun and were on the hunt as Wildschutt began to pull away from Chelimo. Flavin chased hardest, making up 50 seconds over the course of four miles and eventually moving to the front with two miles to go. He would go on to win in a personal best of 2:09:18 with Wiley in second in 2:09:27. Wildschutt, in his debut, held on for third in 2:09:40. Rosa, also a debutant, was fourth in 2:09:47 with Nick Hauger setting a new PB of 2:10:18 to grab fifth. Fafard and Chelimo crossed the line in 2:10:29 and 2:10:55 for sixth and seventh with Jones holding on for a massive new best of 2:11:17 in eighth.
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2025 WOMEN’S RACE:
Pre-race favorites for the 2025 Women’s Pro Race included 2:24 marathoner Kellyn Taylor, 2022 USATF marathon champ Paige Wood, and German debutant Blanka Dörfel. The story changed early on, however, when Kenya’s Priscah Cherono left Wood and the lead pacers behind before 10k. Cherono, at 45 years of age, had recently returned to high level training after a career that had included a bronze medal in the 5,000 meters at the World Athletics Championships in 2007 and a personal best of 14:35.30.
Up front it became the Cherono show as she whittled the pace down into the low 2:20s range for much of the middle portion of the race. Wood remained in second until stepping off the course past 25k. The battle for the podium included Americans Jane Bareikis and Molly Grabill and Peru’s Mica Rivera Wood. Grabill would pull away over the final miles to earn runner-up honors in 2:28:56. Bareikis, the 2025 Twin Cities Marathon champ, was third in 2:30:16 with Rivera Wood crossing the line in fifth with a debut time of 2:31:19. Sweden masters runner Hanna Lindholm closed well to grab fourth-place in 2:31:19.
In addition to Bareikis and Grabill, other Americans earning a trip to the Olympic Trials included Lily Anderson, Flannery Davis, Jessica Watychowicz, Jaci Smith, and Carter Nobo.
2020 MEN’S RACE:
Start time temps in the upper 30s with sunshine and almost no wind set the tone for a fast day. Pacers Frank Lara and Mason Ferlic set out at 2:09:00 rhythm from the gun, clicking off miles in the 4:55 range with a group of 20 athletes in tow. Pre-race favorites CJ Albertson, Colin Bennie, Noah Droddy, Scott Fauble, Cam Levins, Marty Hehir and Scott Smith were right there through halfway as well as a few surprises like Canadian Ben Preisner, France’s Emmanuel Roudolff and Americans Ian Butler and Mick Iacofano.
At 30k the pack was down to eleven with Hehir in front for the first time, followed by Droddy and Butler. 5k later Hehir moved hard and opened a gap on the field. Only Droddy was able to stay within striking distance and the race for the win was on. Over the last two miles, Droddy stayed 10 seconds back, however, never able to cut any further into the lead and it became a matter of just how fast Marty Hehir was going to go.
A strong stretch run saw him break the tape in 2:08:59, making him one of the ten fastest U.S. marathoners of all time. Droddy, Bennie, Fauble, Butler, Smith and Iacofano all dipped under 2:10:00 as well—the most Americans to break the barrier in one race…ever.
2020 WOMEN’S RACE:
The pre-race hype for the women’s race was all about Sara Hall’s quest to set the then American record (2:19:36) set by Deena Kastor in 2006. A group of four male pacers were tasked with leading Hall around The Marathon Project course. One mile into the race though, Hall had company. Kellyn Taylor, who had remained quiet beforehand about whether or not she’d try and challenge Hall, was right there. Behind them a chase group formed with Emma Bates, Stephanie Bruce and Keira D’Amato being paced by Ben Bruce and Olympic medalist Nick Willis.
At halfway (hit in 1:09:39), Hall and Taylor were still on pace for the record but Taylor soon fell back and it became a solo effort for Hall. Meanwhile, exciting things were happening for D’Amato. The Marathon Project became her coming-out party as she’d go on to finish in 2:22:56—the first of many fast marathons for her over the next four years. Hall hit 35k in 1:56:09 having slowed just enough that the record began to feel out of reach.
In the end Hall would cross the line in 2:20:32, becoming the second-fastest U.S. marathoner ever at the time. D’Amato’s 2:22:56 was good for second with Taylor finishing off her valiant effort in 2:25:22. Behind them were all sorts of stories including Natasha Wodak qualifying for the Canadian Olympic team, Andrea Ramírez Limon becoming Mexico’s third-fastest all-time performer and Paige Stoner posting the fastest U-25 U.S. time ever.