When you’ve ever puzzled how briskly a number of the world’s high path runners are over the marathon distance, the reply is: very.
On Sunday on the 2025 Houston Marathon, the highest American finisher was path runner Christian Allen from Orem, Utah. Allen, who received the Speedgoat 50K ultra-trail race in 2023, completed seventh total, with a time of two:10:32.
Allen’s time is amongst one of many quickest recorded marathon instances by a professional path runner. His time even surpasses the marathon greatest set by Western States 100 and UTMB Mont Blanc champion Jim Walmsley, who ran 2:15:05 in 2020.
Allen’s efficiency is much more spectacular when you think about the less-than-ideal circumstances; Sunday’s racers confronted 30 km/h winds throughout the first half of the race.
In Allen’s preparation for Houston, he travelled to Provo, Utah, to coach along with his former Brigham Younger College teammates and U.S. Olympic marathoners Conner Mantz and Clayton Younger. Mantz and Younger competed within the Houston Half-Marathon, with Mantz ending second, breaking the American report in 59 minutes and 17 seconds.
Like {many professional} path runners at the moment, Allen ran monitor collegiately for BYU below coach and distance-running guru Ed Eyestone, the place he set private bests of 13 minutes and 32 seconds over 5,000m earlier than transitioning to the paths after his time within the NCAA.
Richmond, Va. Photograph: Kevin Morris
Allen made his mark on the path operating scene in July 2023 by successful the Speedgoat 50K in his residence state of Utah. The race is famend as one of many hardest path ultras within the U.S., with greater than 3,500 meters of elevation acquire within the Wasatch Mountains.
American ultramarathoner Sage Canaday applauded Allen’s marathon time on-line, citing his capacity to push boundaries in path operating. “Gone are the times when a 2:30 marathoner may present as much as a aggressive ultra-trail race and win, particularly on the 50 km distance,” wrote Canaday.
Canaday believes Allen’s potential is excessive, presenting him with a selection: change into among the best path runners on the earth or intention for a spot on the U.S. Olympic marathon workforce for L.A. 2028.