Emily Sisson

Emily Sisson (born October 12, 1991) is an American long-distance runner. She set the North American record in the marathon on 9 October 2022, when she ran 2:18:29 to finish second at the Chicago Marathon. Sisson also held the American record in the half marathon from May 2022 until July 2023. She represented the United States in the 10000 metres at the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships, finishing 9th and 10th. In June 2021, she won the 10000m at the 2020 US Olympic Trials and placed 10th in the 10000m final at the 2020 Summer Olympics. In 2024, she placed second in the marathon at the US Olympic Trials, qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics. As a high schooler, Sisson set a U.S. national record for high school girls in the 5000 metres with a time of 15:48.91. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships. While at Providence College, she became a two-time NCAA Champion in the 5000m and set the collegiate indoor record for women in the same event. In addition, Sisson has won multiple national titles in USTAF-sponsored road races from 5 km to 20 km. She has competed professionally for New Balance since June 2015.

Middle and high school
Sisson started running in the seventh grade, and while still in middle school, she won a silver medal in the 3000 metres at the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships in 2005. After transitioning to high school, Sisson won multiple state championships in track and cross country in Nebraska. As a freshman in 2006 at Marian High School, she won the state cross country championship in the fall and the 3200m in the spring. She then transferred to Millard North High School for her sophomore year, where she continued her winning streak by reclaiming the state title in cross country and earning state titles in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m.

In her last two years of high school, Sisson transferred to Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri. There, she added two state cross country titles to her record, along with state championships in the 1600m and 3200m. In 2009, she achieved a third-place finish at the Footlocker National Championships. However, Sisson did not participate in her final high school track season, choosing instead to prepare for the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Competing in the under-20 race at this event, she finished 18th.

Sisson's achievements in her early career also include several medals at the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships: a gold in the 5000m in 2007, a silver in the 3000m in 2009, and another gold in the 3000m in 2010. Internationally, she secured a bronze in the 5000m at the 2007 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships. At the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics, she placed 10th in the 3000m and 6th in the 5000m. Her 5000m time of 15:48.91 set a national record for U.S. high school girls.

College
Sisson began competing for the University of Wisconsin–Madison in fall 2010. In her first season of cross county, she finished 14th at the 2010 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. During the outdoor track season, Sisson ran 15:53.9 to finish 10th in the 5000m of the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She decided to transfer to Providence College in Rhode Island after her freshman year, explaining that her experience at Wisconsin was "not a good fit" and citing the opportunity to train under coach Ray Treacy.

At Providence College, Sisson was a two-time NCAA champion, winning titles in the 5000m at both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships in 2015. She also set a collegiate indoor record for the women's 5000m with a time of 15:12.22 at the Big East Indoor Track & Field Championships on 28 February 2015. In cross country, Sisson attained All-American honors at the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, finishing 15th and 7th, respectively.

Sisson announcing her decision to sign a professional contract with New Balance in June 2015. As a professional athlete, Sisson continued to train under her collegiate coach, Ray Treacy, while pursuing an MBA at Providence College.

Professional
2015 - 2016

Sisson made her professional racing debut with New Balance at the 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where she participated in the 10000m and finished fifth. On 20 September 2015, she took part in the 5 km Road Running Championships in Providence, Rhode Island, finishing third.

Sisson finished 10th in the 10000m of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. In September 2016, she placed second in both the US 20 km Road Running Championships and the US 5 km Road Running Championships, with Aliphine Tuliamuk taking first place in both races. At the US 10 km Championships on 10 October 2016, Sisson captured her first national title, winning by 44 seconds in front of Sarah Pagano.

2017 - 2018
Sisson debuted in the half marathon on 19 March 2017 at the New York City Half Marathon. She ran 1:08:21 to finish 2nd behind Molly Huddle. Her debut performance ranked among the top five fastest times ever recorded by an American woman in the half marathon. At the 2017 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Sisson placed third in the 10000m, earning a berth to compete in the event at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics. At the world champions, held in London, Sisson ran 31:26.36 to finish in ninth.

On 21 June 2018, Sisson placed fourth in the 10000m of the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Later that year, on 3 November 2018, she won the US 5 km Road Running Championships.

2019 - 2020
On 20 Jan 2019, Sisson ran 1:07:30 in the Houston Half Marathon to place fifth. Her time was the second fastest ever by an American woman, coming within 5 seconds of the national record. The following March, Sisson set a personal best of 30:49.57 for 10000m at the Standard Invitational. This performance set a new record for the meet. Prior to this, only two American athletes, Molly Huddle and Shalane Flanagan, had recorded faster times.

Sisson debuted in the marathon on 28 April 2019, finishing sixth at the London Marathon with a time of 2:23:08. This was the second fastest debut time for a marathon by an American, just 8 seconds behind Jordan Hasay's debut record. The following summer, Sisson participated in the 10000m at the 2019 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She came in second, qualifying her to compete at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. At the World Championships, she achieved a 10th place finish with a time of 31:12.56.

Sisson participated in the marathon at the 2020 US Olympic Trials, held in Atlanta on 29 February 2020. She dropped out of the race at mile 22, an outcome that left her "broken hearted". Sisson returned to racing on 6 December 2020, after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She finished fifth in the Valencia Half Marathon, clocking 1:07:26 and missing the American record in the event by one second.

2021
In early 2021, Sisson competed in the 5000m twice. She recorded times of 14:55.82 and 14:53.84, finishing first and fourth in these races, respectively. Her time of 14:53.84 was a personal best. She also won the US 15 km Road Running Championships on 20 March.

The following summer, on 26 June, Sisson competed in the 10000m at the 2020 US Olympic Trials, making a strong comeback after previously having withdrawn from the marathon in the same trials. She won the race, setting a meet record and qualifying for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. In the Olympic final of the 10000m, Sisson finished 10th in 31:09.58.

Half-marathon record
On 7 May 2022, Sisson broke the American record in the half marathon at the USATF Half Marathon Championships, taking first place in 1:07:11. Her time surpassed Sara Hall's previous record in the event by 4 seconds. She ran the first 10 km in 31:57 and reached 20 km in 1:03:52.

Marathon record
On 9 October 2022, at the Chicago Marathon, Sisson set a North American record in the marathon. She completed the race in 2:18:29, finishing second to Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich. Sisson reached the halfway point in 69:26 and ran the second half in 69:03. This performance broke Deena Kastor's 16-year-old record by 43 seconds, and it marked the first time an American woman finished under 2:19 in the marathon.

2023
On 15 January, Sisson ran 1:06:52 in the Houston Half Marathon, bettering her own American record in the event by 19 seconds. She averaged 5:06.1 minutes per mile in the race and finished in second place. Her record would stand until it was broken by Keira D'Amato on 1 July 2023.

Sisson returned to racing on 6 March at the US 20 km Road Running Championships, where she came in first. On 8 October, she competed in the Chicago Marathon. Despite battling a side stitch, she was the top American at the finish, running 2:22:09 for 7th place.

2024
On 3 February 2024, Sisson ran 2:22:42 at the 2024 US Olympic Trials Marathon to place second and earn a spot in the marathon at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. She finished as runner up to Fiona O'Keeffe and ahead of Dakotah Lindwurm, both of whom also made the Olympic team.

Personal life
Sisson was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her father, Mark Sisson, was a runner for the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1979 to 1983 and a 4:02 miler; her mother was a competitive gymnast. Sisson has three sisters. She holds an MBA from Providence College.

Achievements
All data sourced from World Athletics profile unless otherwise noted.

NCAA competition
Data from athlete's profile on Track & Field Results Reporting Service.