Jess McClain's Most Excellent Adventure in Boston 2025!

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!

This Day in Track & Field, May 12, Joan Benoit Samuelson takes Olympic Trials Marathon weeks after arthroscopic surgery (1984), compiled and written by Walt Murphy

Coffee with Larry (on You Tube), May 6, 2025, Thoughts on Grand Slam Track Miami, Shanghai Diamond League, and my Chat with BBC!

Galen Rupp at the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon; Deep thoughts on how you build a long term career!

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.

Jess McClain, 7th, Bank of America Boston Marathon
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.

Jess McClain is the first American woman to run in the Bank of America Boston Marathon.
April 21, 2025
Boston, Massachusetts, USA, photo by Kevin Morris

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
View all posts