by Larry Eder
Jess McClain had an excellent adventure in Boston today!
Running a massive PB of 2:22:43, Jess McClain finished in sixth, just ahead of Ann Frisbie, who ran 2:23:21 PB!
Jess McClain has had a fascinating career. Jess Tonn won 14 individual state high school sports titles in high school.
In college, at Stanford University, Jess was a seven time all American while matriculating at Stanford University.
Jess is married to Connor McClain.
A little research (thanks, Media Guide) showed this writer that the top American woman at Boston has a dog named Clyde.
Jess also runs for Brooks Running. Having a sponsor like Brooks allows Jess McClain to focus on what makes her improve.
In 2024, Jess placed fourth in the U.S. Olympic Trials, where she set a personal best of 2:25:46 in Orlando, Florida. Jess had no sponsor. After her marathon Trial performance, Jess trained for the 10,000m and finished fourth there as well, sponsored by Brooks Running.
In the fall of 2024, Jess McClain learned some lessons at the NYC marathon, where she finished 8th in November in 2:27:19.
April 21, 2025
Boston, Massachusetts, USA, photo by Kevin Morris
After the Boston Marathon, Jess McClain noted about her performance:
“I am great. This is a course that I have heard, you know, historically from many people for years and years and years. So, I really tried to do that today. But it is hard. It is hard seeing, you know, that pack indo of go a few miles in and (you) are trying to exercise restraint. But I knew that, you know. I am from Phoenix and knew it would likely feel warm towards the race’s latter half. And I have been training super consistently on hills. So it would pay off if I was a little patient early on. And I had an awesome pack of Americans. Emma Bates, Sarah Hall, and I ran through the whole race, the first half. So, we just worked together, soaked the crowds in, and tried to be patient and work our way up. So, it was great. But, I was hurting for sure the last 10k. ”
Jess McClain is an up-and-coming athlete. Her leg speed is over 10,000m, and her racing skills were shown over the last five miles of today’s Boston marathon. Can Jess McClain run faster?
Sure!
And her experiences have taught her patience.
If she could use those skills in a championship race, Jess McClain could improve from fourth place in the 10,000m Trials and the Marathon Trials.
April 21, 2025
Boston, Massachusetts, USA, photo by Kevin Morris
