By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2022 Race Outcomes Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission. (04-Jan) — Almost 4 years in the past, in near-freezing situations, Emily Sisson ran the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon and achieved what was then a stunning outcome. Behind Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, who would run what was the fastest-ever half-marathon on American soil (1:05:50), Sisson clipped via the 10-kilometer mark in a handy guide a rough 31:49 and went on to complete in 1:07:30, good for fifth place. Her time was simply 5 seconds wanting Molly Huddle’s then-USATF report of 1:07:25.
Instantly after the race, Sisson felt an odd mixture of satisfaction and disappointment. She got here into the race in nice form however stated she had made an vital tactical error: she determined to not put on her GPS watch and, as a substitute, go off the cut up instances on the course.
“That’s one of many errors I made,” Sisson instructed reporters after the race. “I talked to my coach, Ray (Treacy), about sporting a GPS watch or not. We thought it might be higher to go off the splits on the course (which she had bother seeing). I believe we went out somewhat too sluggish, and it price me a while.”
On that chilly day in Houston, Sisson had no method of figuring out {that a} pandemic would sweep the world a yr later, and it might take her practically two extra years to run one other quick half-marathon. In Valencia, Spain, in December 2020, Sisson clocked 1:07:26, only one second wanting Huddle’s report.
“Positively bittersweet,” Sisson instructed Race Outcomes Weekly through textual content message simply after exiting drug testing in Valencia that morning. “Was dissatisfied to fall wanting my purpose however attempting to maintain issues in perspective.”
She wouldn’t take one other swing at Huddle’s report till Might 7, 2022, when –regardless of windy situations– she ran away with the USATF half-marathon title in Indianapolis, clocking 1:07:11 and at last breaking Huddle’s report.
“Mission achieved,” a smiling Sisson instructed sideline reporter Chris Nickinson in her post-race broadcast interview on USATF.television.
Sisson, 31, who represents New Steadiness, plans to return to Houston to run the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon on Sunday, January 15. When she traces up for the beginning simply earlier than daybreak in Downtown Houston, she’ll be the USATF half-marathon report holder and the marathon report holder. Final October in Chicago, she clocked 2:18:29 to topple Keira D’Amato’s report of two:19:12 set on the Chevron Houston Marathon solely 9 months earlier. Sisson is worked up to race once more in Texas after she and her husband, Shane Quinn, offered their residence in Phoenix and moved to Flagstaff, the place she enjoys altitude coaching.
“I’ve actually loved racing right here previously and am excited to begin my 2023 season in Houston,” Sisson stated via a media launch yesterday. “I felt good popping out of Chicago and am actually wanting ahead to a different alternative to race.”
In Houston, Sisson will face a powerful discipline of girls, seven of whom have damaged 68 minutes for the half-marathon. The quickest is Ethiopia’s Hiwot Gebrekidan (1:06:47) and Tirunesh Dibaba (1:06:50). Gebrekidan, 27, a marathoner, has twice damaged 2:20 and has received marathons in Milano, Guangzhou, and Tiberias (Israel). Dibaba, 37, is a three-time Olympic gold medalist with a 2:17:56 marathon private greatest. Nevertheless, she hasn’t competed in over 4 years. It had been extensively assumed that she had retired.
“Houston is a well-known race, and my coaching has been going nicely,” Dibaba stated in a press launch. “It appeared one of the simplest ways to check myself and see what may occur subsequent.”
Additionally operating will probably be three-time World Athletics Championships 1500m medalist Jenny Simpson. Simpson, 36, will probably be making her half-marathon debut as she continues her transition from observe to street operating underneath her new sponsor, Puma. The longest race of her profession to date was the Credit score Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile in Washington, D.C., in September 2021, the place she clocked a powerful 52:16. That’s equal to a 1:09:47 half-marathon. Most lately, she ran 16:07 to complete seventeenth on the USATF 5-Ok Championships final November hosted by the Abbott Sprint to the End Line 5-Ok.
“The entire racers I’m studying from communicate so extremely of their expertise with the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon,” Simpson stated via a press release. “It’s the right place for me to make my half-marathon debut as a result of the timing, course, and group are so well-tested.”
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The 2023 Aramco Houston Half-Marathon and Chevron Houston Marathon will probably be broadcast reside by ABC-13 (KTRK) in Houston on Sunday, January 15, at 7:00 a.m. CST (8:00 a.m. EST) at https://abc13.com/.
