Molly Bookmyer
Birth dateFebruary 4, 1991 (age 35)[1]
Birth placeBrecksville, Ohio[1]
HometownColumbus, Ohio, United States[1]
ClubOiselle Underbird Team[2]
EducationBrecksville–Broadview Heights High School, Ohio State University[1]

Molly Bookmyer (born Molly Jacobsen) is an American long-distance runner. She has twice qualified for the US Olympic marathon trials.

College

Bookmyer was a walk-on cross-country and track athlete at Ohio State University.[3] She ran cross country for three years and track for two, where she focused on the steeplechase.[4]

Professional career

In 2024, Bookmyer won the Twin Cities Marathon and set a new marathon personal best time of 2:28:52.[5]

Bookmyer qualified for the 2024 US Olympic marathon trials by running a 2:30:37 at the 2023 Toronto Waterfront Marathon. She had hoped to run have a break-through race and run 2:27, but was well-within the qualifying standard of 2:37.[6] At the Olympic marathon trials, Bookmyer dropped out after 12 miles.[7]

Bookmyer ran the 2021 New York City Marathon but did not finish due to a lingering injury.[8]

Bookmyer qualified for the 2020 United States Olympic marathon trials by running a 2:44:07 at the Chevron Houston Marathon in 2019.[9] However, she was unable to race as she was diagnosed as having a femoral neck stress fracture the week before the trials.[10]

Personal life

Bookmyer married her husband Eric in 2017.[11] Her husband was diagnosed with cancer, and Bookmyer took time off running as a result.[12] However, Bookmyer started running again as a means to reduce stress but quickly regained her competitive drive and set out to qualify for the 2020 US Olympic marathon trials to honor her husband.[13]

At the age of 25, Bookmyer was diagnosed with a non-cancerous brain tumor and has since undergone two brain surgeries.[14]

Achievements

2024Twin Cities MarathonMinneapolis, Minnesota to Saint Paul, Minnesota1stMarathon2:28:52[15]
2024Grandma's MarathonTwo Harbors, Minnesota to Duluth, Minnesota3rdMarathon2:30:16[16]
2024Dicks Sporting Goods Pittsburgh MarathonPittsburgh, Pennsylvania2ndHalf Marathon1:12:17[17]
2023Toronto Waterfront MarathonToronto, Ontario8thMarathon2:30:37[18]
2022Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus MarathonColumbus, Ohio1stHalf Marathon1:10:51[19]
2022Grandma's MarathonTwo Harbors, Minnesota to Duluth, Minnesota7thMarathon2:32:53[20]
2022USATF 25K ChampionshipsGrand Rapids, Michigan6th25 km1:28:40[21]
2022Chevron Houston MarathonHouston, Texas9thMarathon2:33:19[22]
2021Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus MarathonColumbus, Ohio1stHalf Marathon1:12:29[23]
2021Van Wert 4 MileVan Wert, Ohio1st4 mile20:43.95[24]
2019Amway River Bank RunGrand Rapids, Michigan3rd25 km1:27:26[25]
2019OhioHealth Capital City Half MarathonColumbus, Ohio1stHalf Marathon1:13:28[26]
2019Chevron Houston MarathonHouston, Texas31stMarathon2:44:07[27]
2018OhioHealth Capital City Half MarathonColumbus, Ohio1stHalf Marathon1:19.05[28]

References

  1. ^ "Athlete Bios: Molly Bookmyer". US Olympic Team Trials. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  2. ^ Mayer Irvine, Heather (22 September 2023). "Oiselle Announces Roster of “Underbird” Athletes for Olympic Marathon Trials". Runner's World
  3. ^ Juva-Brown, Theresa (22 April 2020). "“I Never Thought I Would Get This Fast or Be This Healthy Again”". Women's Running Magazine. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  4. ^ Oller, Rob (29 October 2021). "Clintonville's Molly Bookmyer overcomes physical trials on way to NYC Marathon". The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio)
  5. ^ Zgoda, Jerry (7 October 2024). "Perfect day for breaking away - Kimining, Bookmyer claim titles in the return of the Twin Cities Marathon". Minnesota Star Tribune
  6. ^ "Brain cancer survivor chasing “breakthrough” run at TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon". Canadian Running Magazine. 12 September 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  7. ^ Metzler, Brian (7 February 2024). "9 Key Takeaways From the U.S. Olympic Trials". Run Magazine. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  8. ^ "TCS New York City Marathon". World Athletics. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Athlete Bios: Molly Bookmyer". 2020 US Olympic Team Trials. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  10. ^ Fehr, Jasmine (5 November 2024). "Q&A With 2:28 Marathoner Molly Bookmyer On Her Journey To Elite Running After Two Brain Surgeries". Citius Magazine. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  11. ^ Juva-Brown, Theresa (22 April 2020). "“I Never Thought I Would Get This Fast or Be This Healthy Again”". Women's Running Magazine. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  12. ^ Clark, Ernie (30 June 2019). "Olympic hopefuls will pace the field for 22nd annual Beach to Beacon race". Bangor Daily News (Maine)
  13. ^ Barnes, Matt (22 January 2024). "Former college walk-on overcomes tumor to make Olympic trials dream come true". KARK 5 News (Columbus, Ohio). Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  14. ^ Barnes, Matt (22 January 2024). "Former college walk-on overcomes tumor to make Olympic trials dream come true". NBC - 13 WHO (Des Moines, IA)
  15. ^ Zgoda, Jerry (7 October 2024). "Perfect day for breaking away - Kimining, Bookmyer claim titles in the return of the Twin Cities Marathon". Minnesota Star Tribune
  16. ^ Wellens, Matt & Hoverman, Reagan (26 June 2024). "In a class by - Belarusian Olympian Mazuronak wins women's marathon by more than six minutes". Duluth News-Tribune
  17. ^ "AND THE WINNERS ARE". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA). 6 May 2024.
  18. ^ Campbell, Steve (15 October 2023). "USA’s Emily Durgin finishes fifth at TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon; Top results". World Track. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  19. ^ Behrens, Cole (17 October 2022). "columbus marathon - Crossing the line - Marathon winners better previous times during Sunday's event". Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)
  20. ^ Nowacki, Jon (19 June 2022). "LINDWURM'S 'BEST DAY EVER' - Eagan native brings another Grandma's Marathon title home". Duluth News-Tribune
  21. ^ "NAZ Elite's Tuliamuk wins 11th national title, other Flagstaff-based runners stand out in Grand Rapids". Arizona Daily Sun, The (Flagstaff, AZ). 14 May 2022.
  22. ^ "2022 Chevron Houston Marathon/Aramco Houston Half Marathon top results". The Houston Chronicle. 16 January 2022.
  23. ^ Schmidt, Lori (17 October 2021). "Former Buckeye, current Nationwide Children's employee wins Columbus Marathon women's division". Columbus Dispatch, The (OH)
  24. ^ "Martin finishes first in Van Wert 4 Mile". Lima News, The (Ohio). 10 July 2021.
  25. ^ Wallner, Peter (11 May 2019). "River Bank Run 25K: A record-setting performance, times two". Grand Rapids Press, The
  26. ^ Ward, Allison (27 April 2019). "Canadian runners flock to Columbus for half marathon". The Columbus Dispatch
  27. ^ "RUNNING; Results". Houston Chronicle. 21 April 2019.
  28. ^ Malone, JD (28 April 2018). "Thousands run in 15th annual Capital City Half Marathon". The Columbus Dispatch