Emma Bates

Emma Bates (born July 8, 1992) is an American long-distance runner, who competes primarily in the marathon.

She attended Elk River High School in Minnesota, graduating in 2010.

During her senior year, she achieved runner-up in the state cross country championships and led her team to a state title.

She also recorded personal bests of 11:08.25 for 3200 m and 5:00.13 for 1600 m. Reflecting on her high school training, Bates stated that she took a relaxed approach.

In an interview, she recalled, “On easy days, my teammates and I would often not even run — we’d go to the grocery store and get donuts or something.”

Bates attended Boise State University in Idaho, where she was a 12-time All American in the NCAA.

She primarily specialized in the 10000 m, placing third in this event at the 2013 NCAA Track and Field Championship and progressing to win first place in 2014.

Her first half marathon was at the Doha Half Marathon on 12 January, where she placed 4th with a time of 1:12:52.

In cross country, she was the runner-up at the 2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships, finishing behind Abbey D'Agostino.

Her winning time of 32:32.35 in 2014 was the second fastest in the championship's history.

At the 2014 NCAA Cross Country Championships, she finished third.

Bates turned professional in June 2015 and was associated with the Boston Athletic Association until 2017.

In January 2021, she signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the sports company Asics and trains with the distance group Team Boss.

Encouraged by her parents to channel her energy, Bates began running the 6th grade.

In July 2015, following her time at Boise State, Bates began competing professionally for the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), as part of the High Performance group.

This decision led her to relocate to Boston, Massachusetts.

During this early phase of her career, Bates competed in a range of distances.

Her fastest times in 2016 included a 4:22.48 in the 1500 metres and a 56:00 in the ten-mile race.

Bates also participated in the 2016 USA Track and Field Championships, finishing 21st in the 10000 m. The year 2017 marked a shift in Bates' focus as she transitioned to longer-distance events, including the half marathon.

Her half marathon debut was at the Des Moines Half Marathon on 15 October 2017, where she won with a time of 1:15:10.

Bates faced challenges in her first few years a professional runner after joining the BAA.

In an interview with ESPN, she stated, "I was not enjoying life in Boston, not enjoying running like I once did and did not fully believe in the training program I was a part of."

By the end of 2017, Bates decided to leave the BAA and return to Idaho.

There, she established a new training group called the Idaho Distance Project.

Bates participated in various road races within the USATF Running Circuit.

These races included the US 20 km Road Running Championships and the US 10M Road Running Championships, where she secured third place in both.

The circuit operates on a points system, where athletes earn points according to their race finishes — the better the finish, the more points gained.

Her achievements include winning the USA Marathon Championships in 2018, placing second in the 2021 Chicago Marathon, and finishing fifth in the 2023 Boston Marathon.

Bates also represented the United States in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she set a personal best of 2:23.18 and finished seventh.

Her highest position on the World Athletics Rankings was No. 14 in the marathon in July 2022.

In college, Bates competed for Boise State University, becoming a 12-time All-American.

She won the 10000 metres at the 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships and was the runner-up in the 2013 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.

Bates's consistent high placements allowed her to accumulate enough points to win the 2018 USATF Running Circuit.

Bates competed in two half marathons in 2018.

She then improved her personal best at the 2018 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships on 24 March, finishing in 1:11:45 and placing 27th, making her the fastest American woman in the race.

Bates capped the year by participating in the California International Marathon on 2 December, which also served as the USA marathon championships.

In this race, her first-ever marathon, she won with a time of 2:28:19.

She faced difficulties during the race, as she had to stop multiple times to vomit in the latter half of the course.

During her peak training for this event, she logged 110–115 miles per week.

In January 2019, Bates secured a professional sponsorship deal with the sportswear company Asics.