Running News Daily

American marathoner Susanna Sullivan continues to prove that world-class athleticism and everyday life can coexist. A sixth-grade math and science teacher from McLean, Virginia, Sullivan has quietly become one of the top American women in marathon history — balancing the classroom with 120-mile training weeks and remarkable consistency on the roads.

From Humble Beginnings to World Class

Born May 13, 1990, in West Palm Beach, Florida, and raised in Virginia, Sullivan’s early success came at George Mason High School, where she earned multiple state titles in cross-country and track. After competing at the University of Notre Dame, she battled injuries and fatigue but never lost her love for the sport.

Her marathon debut came in 2015 at Grandma’s Marathon in Minnesota, where she clocked 2:35:37 for 9th place. Over the next decade, she quietly built momentum, cutting time from race to race. The breakthrough arrived in 2024 at the Chicago Marathon, where she finished 7th overall — and first American — in 2:21:56, a personal best that placed her among the top ten fastest U.S. women of all time.

Fourth at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo

On September 14, 2025, Sullivan delivered one of her finest performances at the World Athletics Championships Marathon in Tokyo, finishing fourth in 2:28:17.

Under sweltering heat and high humidity, Sullivan courageously led much of the race, setting the pace through 25 kilometers before the eventual medalists pulled away. Her performance — the top American finish — underscored her strength, tactical intelligence, and resilience on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

It also marked a full-circle comeback. Two years earlier, at the 2023 World Championships, Sullivan fractured her kneecap mid-race and limped home in 58th place. Her return to the top five in Tokyo symbolized perseverance and renewed confidence.

The Balance of Two Worlds

While most professional runners build their lives around training, Sullivan still starts her mornings in the classroom. She teaches sixth-grade advanced math and science, grading papers and designing lessons between workouts.

“Running gives me perspective,” she has said in interviews. “It keeps me grounded. Teaching reminds me there’s more to life than splits and finish times.”

Her ability to balance two demanding worlds has made her an inspiration for runners who juggle careers, families, and athletic dreams.

On to New York

Next up, Sullivan is set to compete in the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 2. She enters as one of the leading Americans to watch in a stacked international field that includes Olympians and major-marathon champions.

After her stellar run in Tokyo, many eyes will be on how she handles the challenging hills and bridges of New York — a course that rewards experience and toughness rather than speed alone. Few embody those traits better than Sullivan.

Lessons from Her Journey

• Patience and perseverance — her steady rise from 2:35 to 2:21 shows the value of long-term commitment.

• Balance — proof that excellence isn’t limited to full-time athletes.

• Resilience — recovering from injuries and setbacks only to climb higher.

• Leadership — both in the classroom and in leading a world championship field  

Career Highlights

• Marathon PR: 2:21:56 – Chicago (2024)

• World Championships Tokyo (2025): 4th Place, 2:28:17

• London Marathon (2023): 10th Place, 2:24:27 (top American)

• Cherry Blossom 10-Mile (2022): Champion, 52:32

• Half Marathon PR: 1:08:59 – January 2025

A Runner to Watch

Susanna Sullivan’s story reminds us that greatness doesn’t always come from perfect conditions or full-time focus. Sometimes it comes from a quiet classroom in Virginia, where a teacher grades homework — and then goes out to train like one of the best marathoners in the world.

Her journey is far from over, and as she lines up in New York, she represents not just American distance running but every runner chasing balance, progress, and purpose — one mile at a time.

Kenya’s Elvis Cheboi delivered a composed and courageous performance to capture the Ottawa International Marathon title, storming to victory in 2:09:08 and handing Kenya its first marathon win of the weekend in emphatic fashion.

On the rain-soaked streets of Canada’s capital, Cheboi showed remarkable patience, strength and tactical intelligence as the race unfolded into a dramatic late battle. With Ethiopia’s Gizealew Ayana pushing hard behind him, the Kenyan dug deep over the closing kilometres and held firm to cross the line just two seconds ahead of his rival in one of the closest finishes of the day.

The victory was far more than just another marathon win. It was a statement performance from Cheboi, who mastered difficult conditions and resisted relentless pressure during the decisive stages of the race. His ability to maintain rhythm and composure while the chasing pack closed in highlighted both his experience and competitive maturity.

Ayana finished second in 2:09:10 after an aggressive final surge that nearly overturned the result, while Canada’s Rory Linkletter thrilled the home crowd with a strong third-place finish in 2:09:25. Ethiopia’s Afewerk Mesfin followed in fourth with 2:09:41, ahead of compatriot Gebretsadik Abraha in 2:09:47.

Top 10 Finishers

1. Elvis Cheboi — Kenya — 2:09:08

2. Gizealew Ayana — Ethiopia — 2:09:10

3. Rory Linkletter — Canada — 2:09:25

4. Afewerk Mesfin — Ethiopia — 2:09:41

5. Gebretsadik Abraha — Ethiopia — 2:09:47

6. Mulugeta Debasu Mereh — Ethiopia — 2:10:05

7. Shura Kitata — Ethiopia — 2:10:56

8. Luke Kibet Cheruiyot — Kenya — 2:12:25

9. Patrick Cullen — United States — 2:13:00

10. Blake Buysse — United States — 2:13:53

From the opening kilometres, the pace remained honest despite the damp weather, with a tightly packed lead group refusing to give an inch. As the race entered its final stretch, Cheboi gradually separated himself at the front before producing one final decisive push that ultimately secured the crown.

The triumph adds another memorable chapter to Kenya’s proud marathon tradition and gives the nation an early breakthrough on an important weekend of global road racing. For Cheboi himself, the Ottawa victory could prove to be a defining moment — a performance built on discipline, resilience and perfect execution when it mattered most.

In a marathon decided by seconds, Elvis Cheboi stood tallest when the pressure peaked.

For more than two decades, the world has watched Eliud Kipchoge redefine the boundaries of endurance and greatness. At the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, however, the spotlight belonged to someone whose strength has long existed away from the cameras — his wife, Grace Sugut.

In one of the most emotional stories of the marathon weekend, Grace completed her very first 42.2-kilometre race in 4:29:59, transforming a personal milestone into a moment that resonated far beyond the finish line in Cape Town.

Her marathon journey unfolded exactly the way most first marathons do — honest, demanding, unpredictable, and deeply human. She opened with calm discipline, reaching 5K in 28:30 while maintaining a controlled rhythm. By halfway, she was still moving strongly through the streets of the Mother City in 2:02:47, showing patience and composure in the early stages of the race.

Then the marathon began asking harder questions.

As the kilometres accumulated, the pace gradually slowed — the inevitable reality familiar to nearly every debut marathoner. By 30K, fatigue had started to take hold, and the final stretch became less about time and more about determination. Yet Grace kept pushing forward, kilometre after kilometre, refusing to surrender to the pain that defines the final chapter of every marathon.

And that perseverance carried special meaning.

Before the race, Eliud Kipchoge had spoken publicly about his wife’s challenge, encouraging her to embrace the suffering, trust the process, and simply finish the race. After she crossed the line, his words became even more powerful.

“I have run my first marathon 13 years ago. It has brought me to where I am today, but I could not do this without the support of many including my family,” Kipchoge shared. “My heart is filled with pride, for my wife Grace completing her first marathon in Cape Town.”

The message revealed a side of the marathon icon the world rarely sees — not the record-breaker or Olympic champion, but the grateful husband recognising the woman who has stood beside him throughout one of the greatest careers in sporting history.

While Eliud built a global legacy on the roads of Berlin, London, Tokyo, and Vienna, Grace quietly anchored the family behind the scenes in Eldoret, raising their children and managing family responsibilities far from international attention. For years, she supported marathon greatness from the sidelines. In Cape Town, she stepped into the arena herself.

That alone made her finish extraordinary.

Grace’s 4:29:59 will not enter record books, but its significance reaches somewhere deeper. It reflects the experience shared by countless runners around the world — the excitement of the start line, the physical battle through the closing kilometres, and the emotional reward that comes only after refusing to quit.

The final 12 kilometres tested her in every possible way. She answered every challenge with courage.

When Grace Sugut crossed the finish line in Cape Town, the crowd did not witness another world record performance. Instead, they witnessed something equally memorable: the beginning of a new running journey built on resilience, humility, and the quiet strength that has always existed behind one of athletics’ greatest champions.

Elise Thorner delivered the race of her career in Los Angeles, producing a stunning breakthrough performance in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the Sound Running Track Festival.

The British distance runner stormed to victory in a massive personal best of 9:07.39, completely dominating the field and crossing the finish line an astonishing 14 seconds clear of her nearest rival. It was not only the biggest win of her season so far, but also a statement performance that firmly places her among the finest steeplechasers Britain has produced.

Under the California evening sky, Thorner looked composed and fearless from the opening laps. She attacked the barriers with confidence, maintained a relentless rhythm throughout the race and gradually pulled further and further away from the chasing pack. By the closing stages, the contest had turned into a solo run to the line as she powered home to one of the fastest times ever recorded by a British woman in the event.

Her remarkable run now moves her to second on the British all-time list, behind only Lizzie Bird’s national record of 9:04.25. More significantly, Thorner and Bird remain the only British women in history to break the prestigious 9:10 barrier in the 3000m steeplechase — a reflection of just how exceptional the performance was.

The improvement also highlights the rapid rise of the talented Briton, who continues to make giant strides on the international stage. Cutting several seconds from an already impressive personal best is no small achievement at elite level, yet Thorner made it look effortless with a performance full of maturity, strength and tactical intelligence.

With the summer season still gathering momentum, attention will now shift toward the British record. On current form, Bird’s long-standing mark suddenly looks vulnerable, and Thorner appears to be developing into a genuine contender for major championship success.

For now, Los Angeles belongs to Elise Thorner — an evening where talent, confidence and preparation came together perfectly to produce a career-defining performance.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida Yami delivered a performance of grit, composure, and pure class to capture the women’s title at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, crossing the finish line in a brilliant 2:23:18 after a fiercely contested battle through the streets of the Mother City.

From the opening kilometers to the dramatic closing stages, Yami remained calm under immense pressure in one of the most competitive women’s races the event has witnessed. She narrowly missed the course record of 2:22:22 by just 56 seconds, but her commanding run still ranks among the finest performances ever produced on the Cape Town course.

The Ethiopian star was pushed all the way by compatriots Mestawut Fikir and Waganesh Amare, who finished second and third in 2:23:46 and 2:23:57 respectively. Only 39 seconds separated the entire podium, highlighting the breathtaking intensity of the race and the extraordinary depth of the women’s field.

Yami gradually asserted herself as the race unfolded along Cape Town’s scenic route, maintaining a relentless rhythm while the chasing pack refused to let her escape. Every surge was answered, every kilometer contested, creating a dramatic contest that kept spectators captivated until the final stretch.

Kenya’s Leah Cheruto placed fourth in 2:24:31, while veteran marathon star Edna Kiplagat finished fifth in 2:25:44 in another strong showing from the Kenyan contingent.

Top 10 Women’s Finishers – Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

1. Dera Dida Yami (Ethiopia) – 2:23:18

2. Mestawut Fikir (Ethiopia) – 2:23:46

3. Waganesh Amare (Ethiopia) – 2:23:57

4. Leah Cheruto (Kenya) – 2:24:31

5. Edna Kiplagat (Kenya) – 2:25:44

6. Gojjam Enyew (Ethiopia) – 2:26:24

7. Mercy Jerop Kwambai (Kenya) – 2:30:36

8. Desi Jisa Mokonin (Bahrain) – 2:30:44

9. Cynthia Jerotich Limo (Kenya) – 2:32:00

10. Fortunate Chidzivo (Zimbabwe) – 2:41:09

Beyond the fast times and elite competition, the marathon once again demonstrated why Cape Town continues to strengthen its reputation as one of the world’s rising road racing destinations. With passionate crowds lining the route and athletes producing world-class performances, the event delivered another major statement in its journey toward becoming Africa’s first World Marathon Major.

The 2026 edition, held on 23–24 May, showcased marathon racing at its absolute finest — and at the heart of it all stood Dera Dida Yami, whose unforgettable victory combined courage, resilience, and championship quality on one of Africa’s grandest stages.

The streets of the Mother City became the stage for one of the greatest marathon performances ever seen on African soil as Mohamed Esa stormed to a sensational victory at the 2026 Cape Town Marathon in a breathtaking 2:04:55.

In a race that will be remembered for years to come, Esa not only shattered the course record but also produced the fastest marathon ever run in Africa, delivering a performance that instantly elevated the Cape Town Marathon into global athletics history.

From the opening kilometres, the pace was relentless. Cool temperatures, calm winds, and near-perfect racing conditions created the ideal setting for something extraordinary. The elite field responded with fearless intent, pushing the tempo through the streets of Cape Town as spectators lined the route in anticipation of history.

When the race entered its decisive final stages, Esa found another level. The Ethiopian star surged clear in the closing moments to cross the line in a staggering 2:04:55, igniting celebrations across the finish area and sending shockwaves through the marathon world.

Yet the drama did not end there.

Just four seconds later, fellow Ethiopian Yihunilign Adane charged home in 2:04:59, while Kenya’s Kalipus Lomwai completed the podium in 2:05:06. Remarkably, only 11 seconds separated the top three finishers after more than two hours of racing — one of the tightest and fastest podium finishes the continent has ever witnessed.

Top 10 Finishers – 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

1. Huseyidin Mohamed Esa — Ethiopia — 2:04:55 (Course Record)

2. Yihunilign Adane — Ethiopia — 2:04:59

3. Kalipus Lomwai — Kenya — 2:05:06

4. Leonard Langat — Kenya — 2:05:26

5. Jemal Yimer — Ethiopia — 2:05:48

6. Mulugeta Uma — Ethiopia — 2:06:19

7. Maru Teferi — Israel — 2:06:46

8. Abebaw Dessie Muniye — Ethiopia — 2:06:57

9. Benard Kipkurui Biwott — Kenya — 2:07:34

10. Justus Kipkogei Kangogo — Kenya — 2:07:42

The performance marked a defining moment not only for the athletes involved, but also for the Cape Town Marathon itself, which continues its ambitious journey toward becoming Africa’s first World Marathon Major. With crowds roaring through the city streets and elite athletes producing world-class times, the event delivered a statement to the global running community.

While the historic marks remain subject to official confirmation, the atmosphere in Cape Town already told the story. Records fell, barriers were broken, and African marathon running entered a new chapter.

For one unforgettable morning in the Mother City, history was no longer a dream — it became reality.