Amy Cragg runs 2:21:42, takes 3rd at 2018 Tokyo Marathon: Six minute PB puts Amy as Number 5 American All time

Amy Cragg, the 2017 London World Championship bronze medalist in the marathon, just opened, and rightfully so, a few more eyes with her fine performance at the Tokyo Marathon today (actually February 25, 2018). Amy Cragg just ran 2:21:42, nearly a six minute personal best (2:27:03) on the very fast Tokyo course! Congrats Amy!

Amy Cragg, BAA 10k, photo by PhotoRun.net

Amy Cragg went out with 2015 champion Birhane Dibaba and the pre race favorite, Ruti Aga. They stayted together until around 33 kilometers. Dibaba and Aga battled away, as Amy Cragg, then on a 2:20:30 pace, battled her own demons. Dibaba went on to win, as she had in 2015, but this time with a fine PB of 2:19:51, just missing the 2:19:47 course record. Ruti Aga ran 2:21:19 for second place, (remember, last September in Berlin, where Ruti had placed second?).

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Amy Cragg tends to not have easy finishes. In order to break 2:22, Amy Cragg had to dig deep inside herself, and she became the fifth fastest American woman of all times, with her fine 2:21:42.

Top results for women so far #TokyoMarathon pic.twitter.com/EyqACqNMbL
— Justin Lagat ðŸ‡°ðŸ‡ª (@Kenyanathlete) February 25, 2018

A few weeks ago, someone emailed, “Where is Amy Cragg?” And I noted that she was training for a marathon . And train she had. We are so proud of Amy Cragg for her strong accomplishment!

Congrats also to Coaches Jerry Schumacher, Pascal Dobert and Alistair Cragg (who happens to be her husband) and the Bowerman Track Club.

It wasn’t easy, but Amy smashed her PR by nearly six minutes (6!) and took third place in Tokyo. 2:21:42 is now #5 all-time in the US. A just reward for a winter of hard work. @hastyhastings #bowermantc #tokyomarathon #bowermanbabes
A post shared by Bowerman Track Club (@bowermantc) on Feb 24, 2018 at 7:30pm PST

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."
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