Cambridge Runner Wins Bronze Medal In the 2020 Olympics

CAMBRIDGE, MA — A Cambridge resident won the bronze medal at the women's marathon in the Tokyo Olympic Games Friday.

Molly Seidel, 27, is the third American woman to win a medal at an Olympic Marathon, Sports Illustrated reporter Chris Chavez said. An American woman last reached the Olympic podium in marathon in 2004.

Peres Jepchirchir won the gold medal and Brigid Kosgei won the silver medal. Both women ran for Kenya's team. Seidel completed the marathon in 2:27:46 — nearly a minute faster than the fourth-place runner, Roza Dereje of Ethiopia.

Seidel competed with U.S. teammates Sally Kipyego and Aliphine Tuliamuk. The three qualified for the Tokyo Games in February 2020, NBC Sports reported.

Seidel, a Wisconsin native and NCAA cross country and track champion at Notre Dame, was the first marathoner in U.S. women's history to qualify for the Olympics in her first-ever marathon.

Her bronze medal-winning performance in Tokyo was just the third marathon of her career.

Before the Games, Seidel spoke on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt about taking care of her mental health.

"Even something as big as the Olympics aren't worth sacrificing your health and sanity for," Seidel said in an interview on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. "I'm really grateful I had people in my life to tell me the hard truths and that they love me regardless of whether or not I'm on an Olympic team."

Molly Seidel never attempted a marathon until the Olympic trials, where she finished second and scored a spot on Team USA.

Ahead of the Games, she spoke with @annenbcnews about learning to take care of her mental health.

Tune in to @NBCNightlyNews tonight for more. pic.twitter.com/xrtaL0xDYX
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) August" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/NBCNightly... 6, 2021