emily-sisson-getty.png
Getty Images

Emily Sisson set a new record for American women when she finished second with a time of 2:18:29 at the 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday. Sisson finished behind Kenyan athlete Ruth Chepngetich, who finished just 14 seconds short of the world record.

This was not Sisson's first marathon, but it had been a while since she had participated in one. Her first and only other marathon was in London in 2019 when she registered a time of 2:23:08.

"That's the best I've felt, compared to my debut," Sisson said during her media availability on Oct. 9. "I remember when I got to Mile 24 in London three-and-a-half years ago, I was struggling. I kept telling myself to pick up my legs and pump my arms, just telling myself to move my body. This time I actually felt really good."

Sisson came into the race with a personal goal of breaking two hours and twenty minutes. She said she didn't suspect she was on pace to break any records because there were no cameras or vehicles around her until about Mile 20. The first thing she asked her husband after she crossed the finish line was her time. She was pleasantly surprised to hear about what she had just achieved.

"I didn't know what pace I was on, the whole time," she said. "I was given instructions to go off of my pacers and not think about time at all. I had no clue what pace I was running until I think like a mile to go and a few people had told me to pick it up, so I thought I must be close to breaking 2:20 or the American record but I didn't know which one."

The previous record for an American woman was set by Keira D'Amato earlier this year at the Houston Marathon with a time of 2:19:12. D'Amato waited for Sisson at the finish line on Sunday, along with previous record holders Joan Benoit Samuelson and Deena Kastor.

"They have such legacies in the sport so to be amongst them is really such an honor," Sisson said. "To hear from all of them after the race meant a lot."