SAPPORO, Japan — When she was in fourth grade, Molly Seidel wrote that her wish was to win Olympic gold.
Seventeen years later, the Hartland native is coming home with a bronze medal.
In just her third time running the event, Seidel finished third in the women’s marathon Saturday morning in Sapporo, Japan, located north of Tokyo. The race concluded Friday evening in the central time zone, back where her family and friends were rooting her on from Nashotah.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe it,” Seidel told NBC Sports reporter Steve Porino after the race. “Just getting here was already a dream come true and to be able to come out today against a field like this and be able to come away with a medal, with the bronze, for the U.S., I’m in shock. I’m in disbelief right now. I worked so hard for this.”
It was an inspiring performance by Seidel, one of the most decorated distance runners in state history dating back to her days with University Lake School. She finished the marathon in 2 minutes, 27.46 seconds, just 26 seconds behind gold medalist Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya (2:27.20). Winning silver was Kenya's Brigid Kosgei (2:27.36). Seidel became just the third American to medal in the event and the first since 1984.
The race began Saturday at 6 a.m. local time, an hour earlier than originally scheduled because of the conditions, with both the temperature and humidity soaring into the mid-80s by race’s end. Seidel was among the top-10 runners through the halfway point alongside USA teammate Aliphine Tuliamuk, whom Seidel finished eight seconds behind at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She was seventh through 13.1 miles and ran the first half of the race in around 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Tuliamuk would fade but Seidel held strong, even leading the way for portions of the race. Just after the 23-mile mark, the Kenyan runners pulled away and Seidel also fell behind Israel's Lonah Chemtai Salpeter as she seemingly dropped out of medal contention.
But Chemtai would run out of gas shortly thereafter, opening the door for Seidel. She took advantage and kept her distance from fourth-player runner Roza Deleje of Ethiopia, who finished nearly a minute back.
As she approached the finish line, Seidel tapped her chest, pointed to the sky and let out a scream in celebration as she was overcome with joy.
It’s a good thing her coach convinced her to bring her medal uniform before leaving that morning.
“My coach, as we were leaving the room he told me to bring it with me and I was like, ‘Why would I bring that with me?’” Seidel said. “He said, ‘Oh, just in case you might need it.’ So I’m really glad my coach had the forethought and believed I could do it even if I didn’t. I just wanted to come out today and get up in it and stick my nose where it didn’t belong and see what I could come away with, and I guess that’s a medal.”
Seidel qualified for the marathon on Feb. 29, 2020 when she finished second in a field of 444 runners in Atlanta. The Hartland native and 2012 graduate of ULS was a four-time national champion at Notre Dame (’16) and ran the sixth-fastest time in U.S. Olympic Trials history at 2:27.31 in her first time running a marathon. She also ran a time of 2:25.13 last October at the London Marathon, finishing sixth.
Seidel, who turned 27 on July 12, won the WIAA Division 3 state cross country meet, the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200-meter run all four years at University Lake School, giving her 12 state titles. She also earned New Balance Indoor Nationals mile and two-mile All-American honors, and won the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 2011.
The pace was slower than expected on Saturday because of the hot and humid conditions, which may have benefited Seidel. She ran in similar conditions when she booked her trip to the Summer Games in Atlanta and ran 10 seconds faster than her qualifying time to win the bronze.
The USA Network broadcast cut to the Seidel viewing several times and Porino showed her cheering supporters back home at the end of their interview, leading her to break down in tears before proving her Wisconsin roots.
“Oh my god, you guys. We did it,” Seidel said. “I’m good. I’m so tired. Please drink a beer for me.”
Commenters also brought up her previous struggles with OCD during the race. That only added to the inspirational performance by Seidel, and while her fourth-grade prophecy didn’t quite come true, it was a golden performance for bronze for the Flagstaff, Az. resident who spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic back home training for the biggest day of her running life.
“Everybody has supported me through this,” Seidel said. “This is just not me. This is my family, this is my coach, this is everyone that’s trained with me. I’m so grateful for everyone that got me here. I’m just so happy.”
