Emma Bates facts for kids
Bates at the 2023 Chicago Marathon
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | July 8, 1992 Elk River, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) | |||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||
| Country |  United States |
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| Event(s) | 5000 m, 10,000 m, cross country running, road racing | |||||||||||||
| College team | Boise State Broncos | |||||||||||||
| Club | Asics | |||||||||||||
| Turned pro | July 2015 | |||||||||||||
| Coached by | Joe Bosshard | |||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | ||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Emma Bates, born on July 8, 1992, is an amazing American long-distance runner. She is best known for competing in the marathon, a super long race! Emma has achieved many great things in her career. She won the USA Marathon Championships in 2018. She also placed second in the 2021 Chicago Marathon and fifth in the 2023 Boston Marathon. Emma even represented the United States at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. There, she ran her fastest marathon ever, finishing seventh.
Before becoming a professional runner, Emma competed for Boise State University. She was a 12-time All-American, which means she was recognized as one of the best college athletes many times. She won a national championship in the 10,000 meters race. She also finished second in a national cross country championship. Emma became a professional runner in 2015. She now trains with a group called Team Boss and is sponsored by the sports company Asics.
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Emma Bates' Running Journey
Starting Young: High School and College Running
Emma Bates started running in 6th grade. Her parents encouraged her to use her energy in a fun way. She went to Elk River High School in Minnesota. In her final year, she was the runner-up in the state cross country championships. She also helped her team win a state title! Emma remembers her high school training as pretty relaxed. She once said that on easy days, she and her teammates would sometimes go get donuts instead of running.
After high school, Emma went to Boise State University in Idaho. She became a 12-time All-American athlete. This means she was one of the top college athletes in the country. She was especially good at the 10,000-meter race. In 2013, she placed third at the NCAA Track and Field Championship. The next year, in 2014, she won first place! Her winning time was one of the fastest ever in that championship. In cross country, she finished second in 2013 and third in 2014 at the NCAA championships.
Becoming a Professional Runner
Early Professional Years (2015-2017)
After college, Emma became a professional runner in July 2015. She joined the High Performance Group at the Boston Athletic Association (BAA). This meant she moved to Boston, Massachusetts. During these early years, Emma tried different race distances. She ran well in shorter races like the 1500 meters. She also competed in the 2016 USA Track and Field Championships.
In 2017, Emma started focusing on longer races, like the half marathon. She ran her first half marathon in Des Moines on October 15, 2017, and she won it!
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However, Emma faced some tough times in her first few years as a pro. She told ESPN that she wasn't enjoying life or running as much. By the end of 2017, she decided to leave the BAA. She moved back to Idaho and started a new training group called the Idaho Distance Project. This change helped her find her joy in running again.
Big Wins and New Sponsors (2018-2019)
In 2018, Emma competed in many road races across the USA. She finished third in some big championships, like the US 20 km and 10-mile races. Her strong finishes helped her win the overall 2018 USATF Running Circuit!
She also ran two half marathons in 2018. She placed fourth in Doha and then set a new personal best time at the 2018 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. She was the fastest American woman in that race!
Emma finished 2018 by running her very first marathon, the California International Marathon. This race was also the USA Marathon Championships. Even though she had to stop a few times during the race, she won! Her winning time was 2 hours, 28 minutes, and 19 seconds. To prepare for this race, she ran over 100 miles each week!
In January 2019, Emma got a professional sponsorship deal with Asics, a well-known sports company. She ran her first race for Asics at the New York City Half Marathon, finishing fourth. A few months later, she placed third in the USA Half Marathon Championships. In October 2019, Emma ran her second marathon, the 2019 Chicago Marathon. She finished fourth and was the first American woman to cross the finish line. This race was very competitive, and the winner even set a new world record!
Overcoming Challenges (2020-2021)
In February 2020, Emma competed in the US Olympic Trials marathon. She finished seventh, which was just outside the top three needed to qualify for the Olympics. After this, many races were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emma returned to racing in October 2020. She set a new personal best in the half marathon, finishing second. Her last race of the year was the Marathon Project, where she placed fourth.
In April 2021, Emma moved to Boulder, Colorado. She joined Team Boss, a training group led by coach Joe Bosshard. This move helped her improve even more. In October 2021, she ran the 2021 Chicago Marathon and finished second! This was her first time on the podium (top three) in a World Marathon Majors race, which are some of the biggest marathons in the world.
Recent Achievements (2022-2024)
On July 18, 2022, Emma ran the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. She finished seventh and set a new personal best time of 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 18 seconds. She was part of a very strong group of American runners in that race. Later that year, she finished eighth in the New York City Marathon.
In 2023, Emma ran two marathons. Her first was the 2023 Boston Marathon. She finished fifth and ran an incredibly fast time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 10 seconds! She even led the race for a long time. This was her fastest marathon ever, even though the course's downhill sections mean it doesn't count as an official record by some rules. In October, she ran the 2023 Chicago Marathon. She finished 13th, struggling with foot pain in the second half of the race.
Due to her foot injury from the Chicago Marathon, Emma announced in January 2024 that she would not compete in the 2024 US Olympic Trials. However, she still ran the Boston Marathon in April 2024. She was the top American woman to finish, placing 12th overall.
Emma's Life Outside of Running
Emma Bates loves spending time outdoors. She is an enthusiastic backpacker and enjoys hiking in the Sawtooth Range in Idaho. In 2017, she even moved to a quiet cabin in the Boise National Forest. The cabin was powered by solar energy and had no TV or cell service, offering peaceful trails for her runs. In 2023, Outside Magazine wrote about how Emma's partner helps her deal with the pressures of being a top athlete.
Images for kids
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Bates at the 2023 Chicago Marathon
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Bates at the Des Moines Half Marathon in 2017, her debut at the distance.
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Bates near halfway point in 2024 Boston Marathon in which she came in 12th
