Who are top Americans in 2022 Boston Marathon? Des Linden, Molly Seidel, Colin Bennie are in field

While standouts from Ethiopia and Kenya have dominated the podium in recent years, elite American runners have made Boston Marathons plenty exciting for spectators on the route and on television.

CJ Albertson proved to be much more than an early rabbit when he opened a wide lead on the chase pack in last October’s race. The pack eventually caught him after 20 miles, but he rebounded late to  finish 10th.

An American male hasn’t won Boston since 2014, when Meb Keflezighi prevailed in the event’s triumphant Boston Strong return after the tragic bombing at the finish line the year before. That followed a 34-year drought without a U.S. champion since Greg Meyer won in 1980.

“(Scott) Fauble, Albertson, they’ve got a good amount of Boston experience,” said Colin Bennie, the top U.S. finisher at 2021 Boston, seventh overall. “They’ll be ready to take a good shot, and then there’s Jake Riley coming off the Olympics."

The women’s field also includes talented U.S. runners, led by Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel, who lived in the Boston area for five years. Des Linden is the last American to win Boston, prevailing four years ago.

Here are some of the top American contenders for the 2022 Boston Marathon, which will be held Monday, April 18:

Top American men

CJ Albertson

Hometown: Fresno, Calif.

Age: 28

In October, Albertson set his own pace from Hopkinton for the first 20 miles until the elite pack caught up, then he rebounded in Boston for a top-10 finish, in 2:11:44. He placed in the top 10 in three marathons last year, second (2:14:29) at Grandma’s in Duluth in June and eighth (2:14:45) at the California International in December. His top time is 2:11:18, while finishing 10th at the 2020 Marathon Project. That February, he placed seventh (2:11:49) at the Olympic Trials.

Colin Bennie

Hometown: Princeton, Mass.

Age: 26

In just his third marathon last October, the Massachusetts native was the top American finisher at Boston, seventh overall, in 2:11:26. Bennie placed ninth in his debut at 26.2 miles, at the 2020 Olympic Trials in 2:12. He finished third later that year at the Marathon Project in Chandler, Arizona, in 2:09:38. Bennie has enjoyed success under coach Chris Fox, first at Syracuse, where the Orange won the 2015 NCAA title, and now while running for the Reebok Boston TC.

Scott Fauble

Hometown: Golden, Colo.

Age: 30

Fauble’s best marathon came at Boston in 2019, when he finished seventh in 2:09:09, also as the top American, and placed 16th at Boston last fall, in 2:13:47. He turned in his first top 10 at the 2018 NYC Marathon, seventh in 2:12:28. At the 2020 Olympic Trials in Atlanta, Fauble crossed in 2:12:39, good for 12th place. His top performance at 5,000 meters also came in a race in Boston, in 13:50 in 2018.

Jake Riley

Hometown: Bellingham, Wash.

Age: 33

Riley, an eight-time cross-country/track All-American at Stanford, finished second behind Galen Rupp at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2020 in Atlanta, in a personal-best 2:10:02. Riley finished 29th in that Olympic marathon in 2:16:26. He won the 10-kilometer 2012 USATF Club Cross-Country Championship in 29:58. Riley was the top American, ninth overall, in the 2019 Chicago Marathon (2:10:36). 

Jared Ward

Hometown: Kaysville, Utah

Age: 33

Ward is making his third appearance at Boston, having placed 10th in 2017 in 2:15:28 and eighth in 2019, in a personal-best 2:09:25. After finishing third at the 2016 Olympic Trials in Los Angeles, he placed sixth in Rio de Janeiro in 2:11:30. Ward won three national championships in 2015 — in the marathon, 25K and 20K. He also has three top-10 finishes at the New York City Marathon, sixth in 2018 and ’19, and 10th in 2021.

Top American women

Des Linden

Hometown: Chula Vista, Calif.

Age: 38

The two-time Olympian is a favorite of the Boston crowd after winning in 2018 in a driving rain, in 2:33:55, the first American to win in 33 years. She’s as experienced as any when it comes to Boston. She placed second,  just 2 seconds behind, in 2011 (personal-best 2:22:38), fourth in 2015, and ’17 and fifth in 2019. Last April, she completed a 50K last April in a world-record 2:59:54, a 5:47 pace over more than 31 miles.

Dakotah Lindwurm

Hometown: St. Francis, Minn.

Age: 26

Lindwurm, who reaped multiple Div. II cross-country/track All-America honors at Northern State (S.D.), was a goaltender for her high school girls’ hockey team in Minnesota. In June, Lindwurm won the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, in 2:29:04, then finished 13th at Boston (2:31:04) in October.  She placed 13th at the Marathon Project in 2020, in 2:30:38. Lindwurm has run three half marathons in 2022 — eighth in Houston (1:09:36), fourth in Atlanta (1:12:38) and 11th in New York (1:10:38).  

Nell Rojas

Hometown: Boulder, Colo.

Age: 34

Rojas was the top American finisher at 2021 Boston (2:27:12), finishing sixth overall. Daughter of former professional runner Ric Rojas, who also was her coach, she won the 2019 Grandma’s Marathon in 2:28:06, qualifying her for the 2020 Olympic Trials. Earlier that year, she won the Bolder Boulder 10K in 34:32. At the Trials, she stayed with the lead pack for most of the race before placing ninth in 2:30:29.

Molly Seidel

Hometown: Nashotah, Wis.

Age: 27

The Olympic bronze medalist in Sapporo ran Boston last October as a fundraiser, but the former Boston resident is out to win it this year. After securing the first medal by a U.S. woman marathoner since 2004 (2:27:46) in August, Seidel finished fourth in NYC three months later, in a U.S.-course record 2:24:42. She placed top 10 in her other two competitive marathons, second at the 2020 Olympic Trials and sixth at London later that year.

Sara Vaughn

Hometown: Gering, Neb.

Age: 35

While Vaughn primarily has been a middle-distance runner during her pro career, she shined in her debut at 26.2 miles in December, winning the California International Marathon in 2:26:53, and soon after had a new shoe sponsor in Puma. The mother of four and full-time real estate agent is coached by her husband Brent.  The Colorado graduate is not turning her back on the track — she placed fifth in the 1,500 at the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic last August.