Emma Bates

Emma Bates (born July 8, 1992) is an American long-distance runner, who competes in the marathon. Her achievements include winning the USA Marathon Championships in 2018, placing second in the 2021 Chicago Marathon, and finishing fifth in the 2023 Boston Marathon. Bates also represented the United States in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she set a personal best of 2:23.18 and finished seventh. Her highest position on the World Athletics Rankings was No. 14 in the marathon in July 2022.

In college, Bates competed for Boise State University, where she was a 12-time All-American. She won the 10000 metres at the 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships and was the runner-up in the 2013 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Bates turned professional in June 2015 and was associated with the Boston Athletic Association until 2017. In January 2021, she signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the sports company Asics. Bates trains with the distance group Team Boss.

High school and college
Encouraged by her parents to channel her energy, Bates began running in 6th grade. She attended Elk River High School in Minnesota, graduating in 2010. During her senior year, she achieved runner-up in the state cross country championships and led her team to a state title. She also recorded personal bests of 11:08.25 for 3200 m and 5:00.13 for 1600 m. Reflecting on her high school training, Bates stated that she took a relaxed approach. In an interview, she recalled, “On easy days, my teammates and I would often not even run — we’d go to the grocery store and get donuts or something.”

Bates attended Boise State University in Idaho, where she was a 12-time All American in the NCAA. She specialized in the 10000 m, placing third in this event at the 2013 NCAA Track and Field Championship and progressing to win first place in 2014. Her winning time of 32:32.35 in 2014 was the second fastest in the championship's history. In cross country, she was the runner-up at the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships, finishing behind Abbey D'Agostino. At the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championships, she finished third.

2015 -2017
After graduating from Boise State, Bates began competing professionally for the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) in July 2015 as part of the High Performance Group. This decision led her to relocate to Boston, Massachusetts. During this early phase of her career, Bates competed in a range of distances. Her fastest times in 2016 included a 4:22.48 in the 1500 metres and a 56:00 in the ten-mile race. Bates also finished 21st at the 2016 USA Track and Field Championships. A shift in Bates' focus occurred in 2017 as she transitioned away from the track to longer-distance events, including the half marathon. Her half marathon debut was at the Des Moines Half Marathon on October 15, 2017, which she won with a time of 1:15:10.

Bates faced challenges in her first few years a professional runner after joining the BAA. In an interview with ESPN, she stated, "I was not enjoying life in Boston, not enjoying running like I once did and did not fully believe in the training program I was a part of." By the end of 2017, Bates decided to leave the BAA and return to Idaho. There, she established a new training group called the Idaho Distance Project.

2018 - 2019
Bates participated in various road races within the USATF Running Circuit. These races included third place finishes at the US 20 km Road Running Championships and the US 10M Road Running Championships. The circuit operates on a points system in which athletes earn points according to their finishes; the better the finish, the more points gained. Bates's high finishes allowed her to accumulate enough points to win the 2018 USATF Running Circuit.

Bates competed in two half marathons in 2018. Her first half marathon was at the Doha Half Marathon on January 12, where she placed fourth with a time of 1:12:52. She then improved her personal best at the 2018 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships on March 24, finishing in 1:11:45 and placing 27th; she was the fastest American woman in the race.

Bates capped the year by participating in the California International Marathon on December 2. This race also served as the USA Marathon Championships. In this race, her first-ever marathon, she won with a time of 2:28:19. Her win came despite stopping multiple times to vomit in the latter half of the course. During her peak training for this event, she logged 110–115 miles per week.

In January 2019, Bates attained a professional sponsorship deal from the sportswear company Asics. Her first race representing Asics was at the New York City Half Marathon on March 17, 2019, where she finished fourth. Two months later on May 5, 2019, Bates came third in the USA Half Marathon Championships. In her second-attempt at the marathon, Bates placed fourth in the 2019 Chicago Marathon on October 13. She was the first American to finish and recorded a mark of 2:25:27. The race featured strong competition, including a world record set by the first-place finisher, Brigid Kosgei.

2020 - 2021
On 29 February 2020, Bates competed in the 2020 United States Olympic trials marathon in Atlanta, Georgia. She finished in seventh place, outside of the top three needed to qualify for the 2020 Summer Games. Afterward, her competition was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She returned to competition on October 28, 2020 at the Michigan Pro Half Marathon. She came in second and achieved a personal best of 1:09:44. Her last race of the year was at the Marathon Project in Chandler, Arizona, where she placed fourth in 2:25:40.

In April 2021, Bates relocated to Boulder, Colorado to join Team Boss, a training group led by coach Joe Bosshard. She competed in the 10000 m at the U.S. Olympic Trials to finish 29th in 33:21.00. On October 10, she competed in the 2021 Chicago Marathon in 2:24:20 to take second. This was her first podium finish in a World Marathon Majors.

2022 - 2023
On 18 July 2022, Bates participated in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She placed seventh in 2:23:18, setting a personal best and finishing with one of the strongest ever American contingents (Sara Hall was fifth, Keira D'Amato was eighth). On November 6, she ran 2:26:53 in the New York City Marathon to finish eighth.

In 2023, Bates competed in two marathons. Her first was the Boston Marathon, where she finished fifth with a time of 2:22:10, averaging 5:27 per mile and leading for most of the race. Her performance came during intermittent rain and headwinds, and it was just shy of the fastest time by an American woman on this course, narrowly missing Shalane Flanagan's record of 2:22:02. While Bates achieved a personal best in this race, her time is not considered legal for record purposes by World Athletics due to the course's net downhill elevation. On October 8, she finished 13th in the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:25:04. She reached the halfway point in 69:31 but completed the second half in 75:33 due to pain in her foot.

2024
Bates announced on January 6 that she would not participate in the 2024 US Olympic Trials, held in February. The announcement followed a foot-related injury sustained by Bates during her running of the 2023 Chicago Marathon the previous October. In April, she was the top American woman to finish at the Boston Marathon and finished 12th overall.

Personal life
Bates is an avid backpacker and enjoys hiking in the Sawtooth Range. In 2017, she moved to a remote cabin in the Boise National Forest that offered secluded trails for running. The cabin was solar powered, with no television or cellular service. In 2023, Outside Magazine released an article about Bates' relationship with her partner. The article described how her partner helps her cope with the pressures of elite competition.