The American marathoners who will represent the United States at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo have been announced. Olympians Betsy Saina and Clayton Young lead Team USA along with Susanna Sullivan, Erika Kemp, CJ Albertson, and Reed Fischer.

Per USATF, the following criteria was used in team selection:

– “One team position, per gender, will be selected based on the rank order finish from among the top 10 finishers at the 2024 Olympic Games Marathon. If an athlete declines to participate on the 2025 World Championships Team, USATF will order that position to the next highest placing athlete among the top 10 finishers.”

(On the men’s side, Conner Mantz (8th at the Paris Olympics) declined a spot. Clayton Young accepted his spot. No American woman finished in the top 10 at the 2024 Olympic Marathon.)

– “The remaining positions, per gender, will be selected based on rank order of athletes on the World Athletics List of Qualified Athletes as referenced in the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 Qualification System and Entry Standards with the qualification period of November 5, 2023 through midnight May 4, 2025.”

In the qualification period, Betsy Saina (2:19:17), Susanna Sullivan (2:21:56), and Emily Sisson (2:22:09) were the top three ranked U.S. women. Saina and Sullivan accepted their spots. Sisson declined hers. Fiona O’Keeffe (2:22:10) was next in line and also declined a spot. Erika Kemp (2:22:56) accepted the final spot.

Biya Simbassa (2:06:53), Conner Mantz (2:08:12), CJ Albertson (2:08:17) were the top three ranked U.S. men. Simbassa and Mantz passed on their spots. Alex Maier (2:08:33), Zach Panning (2:09:16), Andrew Colley (2:09:46), and Matthew Richtman (2:07:57) passed on the spot. Reed Fischer accepted the final spot.

Amy Cragg was the last American woman to medal at the World Championships with her bronze in 2017. No American man has medaled in the marathon since Mark Plaatjes in 1993.

The women’s marathon will be contested on Sunday, Sept. 14th at 8 a.m. local time, while the men’s race will be contested on Monday, Sept. 15th at 8 a.m. local time.

Meet the team:

Betsy Saina (2:19:17 PB, 2024 Tokyo Marathon) – Perhaps surprisingly, this will be Betsy Saina’s first time representing the United States at a global championships. Her last time competing at a global championship was in 2016, when she placed fifth in the 10,000 meters at the Rio Olympics, representing Kenya. Saina started representing the United States in 2021. After running 2:21:40 at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, Saina was considered a top contender for the 2024 Olympic team but suffered in the heat and dropped out of the Marathon Trials after 22 miles. She rebounded by heading to Tokyo a month later and running 2:19:17 to move to No. 3 on the U.S. all-time list. Saina’s last marathon was a 2:31:51, 19th place finish at October’s Chicago Marathon.

Susanna Sullivan (2:21:56 PB, 2024 Chicago Marathon) – Sullivan will return to the World Championships two years after competing in Budapest. In hot conditions, she finished 58th in 2:44:24. Last year, she missed the U.S. Olympic Trials due to a knee injury but then came back with a seventh place (top American), 2:21:56 personal best at the Chicago Marathon. She is No. 10 on the U.S. all-time list.

Erika Kemp (2:22:56 PB, 2025 Houston Marathon) – Kemp will make her Team USA debut in Tokyo. In January, she lowered her personal best by 11 minutes to take second at the Houston Marathon. She is No. 12 on the U.S. all-time list.