Minnesota native Emma Bates was the top US women’s runner in Monday’s Boston Marathon.
Bates, from Elk River, Minn., finished fifth overall and just 22 seconds behind the winner, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri. Bates ran the 26.2-mile race in 2 hours, 22 minutes, 10 seconds.
The placement also solidified Bates as a favorite to make the three-woman Olympic team at next February’s trials in Orlando, according to NBC Sports.
Bates was in the lead late, before being overtaken. At around the 15-mile mark she was in a gropu of about 11, before leading them off ahead.
Around the 20-maker, the crowd could be heard chanting, “Emma! Emma!”
Just after that, Bates saw her coach.
“I was at mile 20 looking at my coach like, ‘I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m going to go with it,’” Bates said. “It was really surreal for the longest time.”
With about a mile to go, a group led by Obiri, and three others broke away from Bates.