2023 Boston Marathon: Emma Bates, First American female at Boston, Talks to the Media…

Emma Bates ran the race of her life on Monday, April 17, 2023.

Emma Bates has had a couple of fantastic years as she has developed in the marathon.

In 2018, Emma Bates won the USA Marathon Championships in 2:28.18. in 2019,

Emma had a huge breakthrough in 2019 at the Bank of America’s Chicago Marathon, taking 4th in 2:25.27.

In 2020, Emma Bates ran with the finest marathoners in all of the U.S. taking 7th in the Olympic Trials on February 29, 2023,

running a 2:29.35 on the tough course in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2021, Emma Bates moved to Boulder, Colorado, to run with Team Bosshard. Her performance in Chicago was tremendous. Keeping her cool,

Emma ran 2:24.20 for second place.

In 2022, Emma ran the NYC Marathon, taking 8th on the hilly course at 2:26.53.

Emma Bates ran a smart and courageous race in Boston. The pace was quite conservative, hitting 5k in 17:48 and 10k in 34:46.

The half marathon was hit in 1:11.30, 25k in 1 24.40, and 30k in 1:41.50, with 35k hit in 1:58.57.

Emma was with the pack, which began at about 30 and dwindled over the race to the final five. Hellen Obiri, Amane Beriso, Lonah Salpeter, Ababel Yeshaneh, and Emma Bates ran together for about two miles but hung on to the pack gallantly, finishing in 2:22:10, as Helen Obiri won in 2:21:38, winning by twelve seconds.

Lots of questions for Emma Bates in the post-event presser:

Question 1: On today’s conditions … 

“It was cold. I didn’t expect it to be raining so much at the beginning portion so it definitely took a while to warm up but then we got into a rhythm and it’s always tough for me in the top ladies, just because it’s always such a quick change of pace so it kind of felt like a front out there but I just trusted that I was going to be able to maintain that pace with them and be able to be in the top 5. So I just really stuck my nose in it, hoping that I would get maybe a win, but it was in the last two miles that they were breaking it down into like 5.0s, and I couldn’t hang that much, so maybe next time but it was a good first Boston, so I’m very proud of myself for having the second fastest time out there especially starting off so slow. But it was a really good day, so I’m proud of my efforts.”

Question 2: On training on a replica course…

“Yeah, so me and my four teammates ran the same course out in Boulder, so we were able to really simulate the downhills, so I think that’s what helped me the most, the downhills, just to be able to make sure that the quads would be able to take that beating and then be able to hit the uphill like we did. But yeah, in the latter stages of the race, especially after Heartbreak Hill, I felt like I had so much momentum, and that’s what we really practiced in our long runs and workouts, so I was really trying to kick it in the last four miles and to be able to go off of the uphills just very float-esque, our coach is always telling us to float during those last four miles so that’s all I was thinking about, just “float, float, float.”

Question 3, On coming back from COVID…

“Yeah, so I had COVID last year, and so training wasn’t what I wanted it to be; it was fine, it just wasn’t where I expected to be last year and I thought I was making more progress than that, and I think all of those weeks of training I really just reaped the benefits now and I’m in a great place now and in a good momentum now leading into the fall races and into the Olympic trials and Olympics.”

Question 4, On pacing herself in the first pack …

“Yeah, that wasn’t the plan at all, my coach really wanted me to focus on that second pack and to let the top girls battle it out and then pounce in the end, but I just felt so good the whole time, and I got to mile 20 and was still in the lead, and I was looking at my coach who was on Mile 20, and I was just like ‘I don’t know I guess I’m in the front,’ and he was like ‘just go for it, just go for it’ and so instincts just kind of kicked in and that’s where I was, it just felt right today – so I went with my gut, and that’s what it told me to do.”

Question 5, On drifting to the side …

“Well, some of the time, they were just running the tangents so I was kind of on my own doing that, but also, I think they are so used to running in a pack, and I’m not. I usually find myself running in no man’s land, and I’m by myself, so maybe I’m a little claustrophobic. Also, they run very tight, and I don’t, I kind of run all over the place and am not very good at running in a straight line, so I removed myself so I don’t end up tripping anybody, and then I can see the road ahead of me.”

Question 6, On recovery …

“I was hoping somebody might have a pillow for me at the finish line, but that didn’t happen, so I’m going to find one of those pronto,

and I’m going to take a full week off. I’m actually going to London; our teammate Dawn Scott is running the London Marathon to support her.

Question 7, On running into support on the course and training …

“I was blowing kisses to my friends on Mile 6, they were out there with some signs, and it was good to see them — a lot from Boulder, some from Boise. I’ve trained in all the B towns – Boise, Boston, and Boulder. Boise is great; there are endless trails there, but it’s not quite the altitude as Boulder. Boulder has great altitude and great training there, but Boston just has the atmosphere. 

“I didn’t Marathon train when I was here in Boston, but there is so much history here – going to Brattle road and the top of the Charles, running even the Newton hills is really special, so coming here and having it as a homecoming and running the course that I used to run all the time was really cool to do because I never saw myself in this position when I was in the BAA or a future in my running career being at this level, not only top American but top of the Boston Marathon is something that I’m going to hold close to my heart for a long time.”

Question 8, On her confidence and excitement … 

“Yeah, like I said, I was at Mile 20 looking at my coach like, ‘I don’t know what’s happening, but I guess I’ll go with it,’ so it was really surreal for the longest time – I got to halfway when things get really hard, but it wasn’t getting that much harder so I was pushing the pace and finding myself in the lead, and that was unexpected because I thought I was going to be chasing people down.

But yeah, I expected myself to be in the top 5; I expected to put myself into contention to win, so that wasn’t a surprise to be as far up as I was or run the time that I did. But, when it comes to the time, it always is a big deal, so I won’t take it for granted, that’s for sure.”