Emily Sisson Talks Transition From Olympic Track To Marathon Life

To running diehards, she’s widely known for her prowess on the Olympic track and for her performances in the 5000m and 10,000m competitions. But for Emily Sisson, long-distance running has always been at the center of her passions.

“I always thought I would transition away from the 5000m race and go with the longer distances,” Sisson said this week, gearing up for the Chicago Marathon, which takes place on October 9.

Sisson, an Olympian and Team USA competitor at the Tokyo Olympics, is also the American record holder in the half marathon, as well as a full-time professional runner with New Balance.

Her long list of career highlights also includes her accolades as a two-time USA Track & Field Champion, plus two national collegiate titles in 2015, as NCAA Champion in both the indoor and outdoor 5000m races. Sisson is still today the NCAA indoor record-holder at 5000m. In May 2022, she also broke the USA women’s half marathon record at the One America 500Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a 1:07:11 time.

Competing at the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed a whole year because of the Covid-19 outbreak, Sisson finished as the top American (10th place) in the

10,000m, after winning that event at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. In clocking a 31:03.82 at the Trials, Sisson broke the 17-year-old Trials record set by Deena Kastor in 2004. In 2019, she ran the fastest American marathon debut ever on a record-eligible course (2:23:08).

This Sunday, Sisson will be running the Chicago Marathon. I connected with her this week to ask her about her transition back to longer-distance running and her regimen as a marathon athlete.

Andy Frye: You’ve been running your whole life. What are your proudest achievements and the races that stick with you most?

Emily Sisson: I would have to say winning the U.S. Olympic trials 10,000m last summer is my proudest moment. Competing at the Olympics itself was incredible, even though my family could not attend with the COVID restrictions.

AF: You were also a two-time NCAA champion, with success in the 5000m especially. What did you do to transition to longer distances?

Sisson: Luckily, my professional coach now, Ray Treacy, was also my college coach, and he knew how to tweak my training slightly over many years in order to train for the 10,000m, the half marathon, and the marathon.

It did not involve changing much, just steadily increasing mileage throughout the season and increasing the length of workouts, long runs, and so on.

AF: People take up marathons at every age. But what preparations and training do runners add when they hit age 30?

Sisson: As I’ve gotten older, I have really enjoyed and benefited from adding a strength routine in addition to running. I have also found incorporating rest into the routine has been vital as well.

Sleeping well, fueling well with UCAN products—before and after running to maintain energy levels without sugar—and looking after myself is so important to combat the physical stress of training.

AF: As you prepare for the Chicago Marathon (and New York if you are running that), what skills and experience do you use to your advantage on race day?

Sisson: As I have gained more experience in the sport, I have been able to handle these big race days with more confidence and composure, compared to when I was younger. I simply reiterate to myself that I have done my best, and all I need to do is give it my all.