Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel is heading off-road.
The 30-year-old marathoner announced this week that she’ll make her ultramarathon debut next February at the Black Canyon 100K, a point-to-point trail race in Arizona known for its fast, rugged course and deep elite field.
The move comes as Seidel begins a new chapter in her career, one focused less on PRs and more on long trail efforts and big goals in the ultrarunning world.
“Trail running came back into my life in a big way the last few years,” she said in a post shared by her coach, Cliff Pittman. “It started as the only pain-free running I could do and then evolved into what was bringing me the most joy.”
Seidel is currently training for the New York City Marathon, which she’ll run in November. But she and Pittman have made clear that NYC is more of a stepping stone, the Black Canyon 100K is the real target.
From Olympic Bronze to the Trails
Seidel made headlines in 2021 when she won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in only her third career marathon. She followed that up with a personal best of 2:23:07 at the 2022 Chicago Marathon, but injuries and burnout eventually forced her to take a step back from road racing.
In the meantime, she found herself spending more time on the trails, first for recovery, and eventually for enjoyment. She raced the Speedgoat 28K in Utah in 2022, one of the more technical mountain races in the U.S., and began thinking seriously about trying longer distances off-road.
“It feels more like a realignment than a transition,” Seidel said of her shift to trail racing. “I’ve been doing trails since the start of my career. I was always the kid that preferred cross country over track.”
Now healthy and back to full training, she’s building toward her first ultra with a slightly different approach, including longer long runs, bigger volume, and workouts designed not just for speed, but for durability.
What Is the Black Canyon 100K?
The Black Canyon 100K is a 62-mile race through Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, running mostly on singletrack trail between Mayer and New River, just north of Phoenix. With nearly 5,000 feet of net downhill and over 6,000 feet of climbing, the course is fast but still punishing, often marked by high temperatures, exposed sections, and rocky terrain.
Put on by Aravaipa Running, the race is one of the most competitive ultras in the U.S., and part of the Golden Ticket series for the Western States 100. The top two finishers earn automatic entry to Western States, the most prestigious 100-mile race in North America.
While Seidel hasn’t explicitly said she’s chasing a Golden Ticket, her camp has hinted that Western States 2027 is the long-term goal. She’s also eyeing the Javelina 100, another major trail race in Arizona, for 2026.
Though new to the ultra world, Seidel’s strengths, including mental toughness, aerobic engine, and race-day grit, could serve her well in the transition. And while she admits she’s still learning the technical side of trail racing, her early efforts show promise.
“As a marathoner, I’m definitely not the fastest woman out there,” she said. “What set me apart in my best races was that when things got really hard, I could handle it.”
She’ll get that chance again soon, first in New York, and then, for the first time, in the desert.
