© Copyright – 2025 – Athletics Illustrated
Typically, the “moving up” conversation is reserved for athletes who compete in the middle distances and then 5000m and 10,000m events. Not often, if ever, has an Olympic marathon medallist moved up to ultrarunning while still competitive. It was just two years ago that Molly Seidel set her personal best in Chicago at 2:23:07.
The 31-year-old American, who earned a bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, is moving up. First, though, Seidel will take in the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 2. She holds the fastest NYC Marathon time by an American at 2:24:42, which she set in 2021.
Seidel has indicated that she will focus on trails in 2026, but will continue to race marathons. Meanwhile, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games marathon is still on her radar.
Her first ultramarathon will be the Black Canyon 100K, a point-to-point trail race in Arizona known for its fast, rugged course and deep elite field. The race runs over the February 14/15 weekend. Racers start in Spring Valley and end up in New River, AZ.
Always one foot on the trails
“Trail running came back into my life in a big way in the last few years as I had to take a step back from the marathon due to injury,” said Seidel. “It first started as the only pain-free running I could do. And then evolved into what was bringing me the most joy. I found a community around it. I also think there’s a lot of growth opportunities for me there. And right now the idea of improving my uphill running or technical downhill skills gets me more excited than shaving 30 seconds off a marathon time,” she told Training Peaks.
The Wisconsin native has always had one foot off the road. She grew up trail running and ran her PB in Chicago after a summer of running on dirt, which included racing the Speedgoat 28k, which is a steep and technical race located in Utah’s Wasatch mountains.
“The decision to focus more heavily on trails feels more like a realignment than a transition,” Seidel says. “I’ve been doing trails since the start of my career; I was always the kid who preferred cross country over track. It feels more creative as well, like it’s giving me the opportunity to expand my definition of what a successful running career could look like or who I am as an athlete.”
Seidel grew up playing soccer and enjoying alpine skiing, sailing, basketball, and field hockey, as well as running.
In 2021, she told Athletics Illustrated, “…I will substitute a morning with a shakeout run, so I will typically go 70-75 miles per week with lots of cross-country skiing or depending on the conditions and how much snow there is, I might not have a choice between running or skiing. Without cross-country skiing, I am usually running 90 miles or more.”
Black Canyon Ultras
The event offers a 50K and 100K, or measured exactly to 62.2 miles. Elevation gain is plus 5,219 feet (1590m), the elevation loss, however, is significant at 7,337 feet or 2236m. The maximum altitude runners will pass over will be 4,199 feet (1255m). The minimum altitude sits at 1,737 feet or 529m.
Course records for the 100K were set in 2025 at 7:24:55 by Seth Ruhling and 8:16:18 by Riley Brady. Brady’s marathon personal best is 2:53:12 from Philadelphia in 2021.
