Updated Feb 11, 2024
Sisson's 2:23:08 2019 London Marathon was previously noted as the fastest-ever debut for an American woman, when it was 2nd, behind Jordan Hasay's 2017 2:23:00.
The 2024 Olympics in Paris are six months away and the first qualifying opportunity for the Team USA Track and Field squad begins Saturday in Orlando with the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Racewalk will be determined later as well as the rest of the track and field events at the Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon, June 21-30.
The men's marathon kicks off at 9:10 a.m. CT, while the women follow ten minutes later at 9:20. The races will be broadcast live on Peacock and taped delay from 11:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m.
Athletes had to meet qualifying standards during the qualifying window between January 1, 2022, and December 5, 2023, to get into the race. Men had to run 2:18 or faster in a marathon or 1:03 for a half marathon. Women must have run 2:37 or faster for the marathon distance of 26.2 miles or 1:12 for a half marathon and it's 13.1-mile distance.
Finishers in the top 3 who have also reached the Olympics qualifying standard or are high enough in the World Athletics global marathon rankings will earn a berth on Team USA.
Keep coming back as this story and details are updated leading up to race time.
Emily Sisson
Menomee Falls, Wisconsin
Omaha, Nebraska
Marian HS
Millard North HS
Chesterfield, Missouri
Parkway Central High School
University of Wisconsin
Providence College
Qualifying Time: 2:18.19
4x Foot Locker CC Nationals Qualifier
2x 3rd-place finisher Foot Locker CC Nationals
MO HS State Record 4:44.01 Full Mile - June 12, 2010 Adidas Grand Prix HS Mile
MO HS State Record 10:10.21 Full 2 Miles -- March 2010 NSAF Nike Indoor Nationals
3x Team USA World Jr Championships Participant in HS
2x MO HS State XC Champion (Class 4-2008, 2009)
3x MO HS State TF Champion (Class 4-2009)
US High School 5k Record Setter
Collegiate Indoor 5k Record Setter
American Half Marathon Record Setter
American Record Holder -- Marathon
The Menomee Falls, Wisconsin native, was born to University of Wisconsin athletes. Sisson's mom was a gymnast, and her dad ran cross country and track for the Badgers. The Sissons moved to Omaha, Nebraska where she became a national middle school sensation and where she ran for the first two years of high school. The family then headed to Missouri. After originally planning to move to the Kansas City area, Lee's Summit specifically, Mark Sisson's employer changed plans, and the family instead moved to the St. Louis area, Chesterfield.
Sisson starred at Parkway Central High School during her junior and senior years, winning state titles, setting state records, and continuing to prove she was one of the best runners in the country. She teamed with Diane Robison to make one of the top pairs of teammates in Show-Me State history. After winning the 2008 Class 4 state cross country title, Sisson won the 1600 and 3200 in 4:52 and 10:24. Sisson also ran a fast leg on the state meet record 4x800 squad that ran 9:06.89 to help the Colts take 2nd as a team.
Sisson won a 2nd Class 4 state cross country title at Oak Hills as a senior in 2009. She placed 3rd at the Foot Loker Cross Country Championships her senior year. She placed 2nd in the Womens Junior race at the 2010 USATF Cross Country Championships in February of 2010, behind only future Providence teammate Shelby Greany.
Sisson skipped competing for Parkway Central for her senior track season. Instead, she competed for Team USA in the Womens Junior (U20) race at the World Cross Country Championships on March 28, 2010 in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Sisson placed 18th, finishing as the top American in the race, covering the 6k in 20:08 and finishing behind just one runner not born or from east Africa. She then returned to the track in the Spring of 2010, racing a limited schedule.
Sisson finished 2nd at the USATF Jr Championships behind Jordan Hasay in the 3,000-meters and after placing 10th for Team USA at the 2010 World Junior (U20) Championships in Canada, jumped in the 5,000 and set the US high school national record. Sisson's mark of 15:48.91 stood for several years, and now puts her sixth on the all-time US prep list.
Sisson in College
Sisson went on to great success in college, first at Wisconsin then at Providence. She won two national championships and set the indoor collegiate record for the 5k. Sisson's 2015 clocking of 15:12.22 lasted nearly eight years and was just bettered by Florida's Parker Valby in December with a 14:56.11 three weeks after winning the NCAA cross country national meet.
Sisson also led her Providence squad to a national team title in cross country before turning professional and signing with New Balance.
Sisson as a Pro
Since finishing college and turning professional, Sisson has only had a handful of disappointing races. She's made many USA Track and Field Teams since joining the pro ranks. She represented the USA and placed 9th, 10th, and 10th in the 10,000 meters at the 2017 World Championships, 2019 World Championships, and 2021 Olympics.
Her 2019 marathon debut of 2:23.08 was the 2nd fastest debut ever for an American woman (behind only Jordan Hasay's 2017 2:23:00), placing her 6th at the London Marathon. Sisson made history close to her roots, at the 2022 Chicago Marathon. She ran 2:18.29 to place 2nd overall and smash the American record by 43 seconds. A year later she ran 2:22 at Chicago to place 7th.
Sisson has set the American record in the half marathon twice. In May of 2022, she ran 67:11 or 1:07.11, breaking Sara Hall's mark from four months before by 4 seconds. Then in January of 2023, Sisson ran 66:52 or 1:06.52 to better her record. That mark stood for 5.5 months until Keira D'Amato ran 66:39.
Sisson was one of the top contenders at the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta in February 2020, but dropped out after the 21-mile mark. She rebounded to secure her first Olympic berth in June 2021, winning the 10,000 meters on the track at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials in June of 2021. She placed 10th at the Covid-19-delayed Tokyo Olympics in August 2021. Sisson committed to the road after the 2021 season, focusing on races on the pavement.
Sisson again is one of the favorites, looking to make her 2nd Olympic team and first in the marathon at age 32. She splits her time between Providence, Rhode Island, and Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona.
Sisson dreamed of becoming an Olympian while watching Olympic gymnastics on TV with her mom. She got the opportunity in 2021, but because of Covid-19 restrictions, it was not a normal Olympic experience, including not having fans in the stands. If Sisson makes it to the Olympics this year, she can enjoy it with family, including her husband Shane, her mom, dad, and three younger sisters.
FloSports: Emily Sisson and Keira D'Amato lead Loaded Fields at US Olympic Trials