2 min readJust three weeks after dropping out of the Chicago Marathon, Sara Vaughn—a late addition to the elite field—was the top American at the 2024 New York City Marathon.
She finished sixth in 2:26:56.
Vaughn, a 38-year-old mother of four, contracted COVID before Chicago and stepped off the course after nine miles. But she said she felt great throughout Sunday’s race in New York. She was the last American to stay in the lead pack, maintaining her spot past the 20-mile mark. She ultimately finished 2 minutes and 20 seconds behind the winner, Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya.
Vaughn said in the post-race press conference that she had considered not running on Sunday. The race conflicted with her daughter’s Colorado state championship cross-country meet on Saturday. But Calia, a freshman at Boulder High School, was having none of it. She looked at her mom and said: “Mom, you gotta go to New York.”
That sealed the decision for Vaughn.
(Calia had a good 5K race, placing 30th in the 5A classification in 18:48.85. Vaughn’s oldest daughter, Kiki, is a freshman at distance-running powerhouse Northern Arizona University.)
Vaughn’s performance at New York comes on the heels of, until now, a rocky year. She had an off day at the Olympic Marathon Trials in February, admitting that she struggled to adapt to the humidity of Orlando. She dropped out after mile 18. But at New York, she raced to her potential, (fittingly) looping the song “Good Day” by Forrest Frank in her head during the final miles.
Her sixth-place result is the highest finish at a major marathon since finishing seventh at Chicago.
Jess McClain was the second American across the line on Sunday, placing eighth in 2:27:19 in her first World Marathon Major. Kellyn Taylor, the top American last year, was 10th in 2:27:59. Fan favorite Des Linden, in her 29th marathon start, was 11th.
Other Americans included Tristin Colley in 13th, Maggie Montoya in 14th, and Savannah Berry in 16th. Dakotah Popehn, the top American at the Paris Olympics in August, faded in the second half of the race. She was 17th in 2:31:45.
Jenny Simpson, 38, one of the most-decorated American milers of all time, finished 18th in 2:31:54. She told Outside Run before the race that she would retire from professional running after New York. Simpson won the 1500 meters at the 2011 World Championships and earned a bronze medal in the event at the 2016 Olympics.
Vaughn earns $25,000 as the top U.S. runner. McClain picks up $15,000 for her efforts, and Taylor will walk away with $10,000.
Theo Kahler is the news editor at Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:36 in the half marathon, and enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)
