For a moment, history was just a few steps away, and a 34-year-old American made sure she did not miss it. With miles left in the race, Jessica McClain had an unwanted American record weighing on her shoulders, as she kept pace with the lead pack. That’s even if, at mile 24, she was more than seven seconds behind runaway leaders Sheila Chepkirui and Hellen Obiri. Yet, McClain refused to fall away. Instead, she found another gear in the final miles, overtaking Obiri, reigning champion, to secure a historic finish for American women’s distance running.

The 34-year-old became the first American woman in eight years to finish on the podium at the New York City Marathon. And McClain wasn’t far off winner Sheila Chepkirui, who crossed the line in 2:24:36, with the American just six seconds behind at 2:24:42. The battle for second, however, went right down to the wire, with defending champion Hellen Obiri, a three-time Olympic medallist, finishing third by just 0.01 seconds.

The race was so close that McClain passed Obiri in the final metres to secure second place despite being nearly seven seconds behind the leading pair around mile 24. However, the 34-year-old pushed through and closed the gap before the finish line.

It was a historic win for Jess McClain, as Shalane Flanagan was the last American woman to finish on the NYC Marathon podium. She did so in 2018, finishing third in 2:26:22 after making history a year earlier by winning the 2017 race.

McClain’s second-place finish has now brought an American woman back to the NYC Marathon podium. What helped her was that she knew the course well, along with big decisions in the final stretch of the race.

“I really didn’t feel great through 18 miles. I just had to stick with it. I don’t really know what happened, but I couldn’t be happier right now,” Jess said after the race, speaking to ESPN.  

Yet despite her early struggles, she stayed close to the leading pack, keeping them within attack range. The women covered the first half in 1:13:52, and McClain stayed near the front group as the race continued. However, eventually, Chepkirui and Obiri got antsy and started moving beyond the lead pack around mile 23. Yet McClain refused to lose out and didn’t let them get away. 

She explained this decision, saying, “The last two miles through the park, I was just like really focused on the tangents and my form, And I was taking the shortest line possible, and I kind of noticed Hellen kind of not taking the tangents, and I think honestly, like, every small percentage of anything helped in the last few miles.”

This detail helped her during the closing stages as McClain completed the 25th mile in 5:10 and entered the final stretch with a chance to challenge Obiri. She also practised the final 400 metres several times during race week to prepare for the uphill finish in Central Park. That’s why, during the sprint, she used her arms to help her cause. It worked perfectly as she beat the three-time Olympic medalist and former champion by the narrowest of margins.

Her second-place finish also earned her $85,000 in combined prize money. This included the award for finishing second and the bonus for being the top American woman, according to Runner’s World. However, she didn’t do it alone as Jess McClain had coach David Roche helping her plan and train every step of the way.

David Roche’s coaching approach also helped McClain’s success

Jess McClain’s journey makes her NYC Marathon achievement even more special. She initially turned professional with Brooks and joined the Brooks Beasts track club in Seattle. But things didn’t go as planned, and she stepped away from professional running during the pandemic.

However, she eventually rediscovered the bug for running, and her career regained momentum when she won the 2022 Mesa Marathon. McClain then narrowly missed a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics after the US Olympic Trials but has continued to improve. And along the way, Coach David Roche has played an important role in McClain’s progress over the last few years. 

His reaction after the NYC Marathon showed how much the result meant to him and the people close to her.

“That was one of the coolest things to witness; We were with Connor (Jess’ husband) seeing her come up to that finish line and he was jumping up and down and just thinking about how much like the changes that their family’s like is one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever experienced,” David Roche said after the race. 

However, Roche’s role in her success goes beyond emotional support. 

“The race plan for Jess is always to just be Jess,” Roche explained.

Instead of giving her a strict plan to follow, he lets her race according to her strengths. McClain’s late sprint against Obiri showed exactly what the coach meant. Even when the Kenyan runners pulled ahead, she stayed close and waited for her chance to move.

“Having Megan, who’s such an expert in female athlete health and performance, has been clutch, so we just talk about everything, like, you know, no stone left stone left unturned,” Roche credited Megan. 

Megan’s knowledge of female athlete health and performance has also played an important role in their coaching methods. They do not look only at training sessions and race results. Instead, they also consider the athlete’s overall health and individual needs.

For Jess McClain, the NYC Marathon was another big moment in her comeback after leaving professional running. Now, after making history, McClain will look ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.