The Marathon Project wrapped up the 2025 marathon calendar on Sunday morning in Chandler, Arizona, with controlled, fast racing and two clear winners. Priscah Cherono took the women’s professional race in 2:25:17, while JP Flavin won the men’s race in 2:09:18, leading a dense pack of sub-2:10 finishers.
The event marked the first edition of The Marathon Project since its pandemic-era debut in 2020. The format was largely unchanged, a flat, looped course, limited fields, and an emphasis on execution rather than spectacle, but the racing unfolded under very different circumstances, with athletes now choosing the event rather than needing it.
Cherono’s Win Wasn’t Just Fast, It Was Unexpected
Cherono’s victory stood out immediately, both for the huge gap and for the story behind it.
The Kenyan runner moved to the front early and spent much of the race running alone, gradually extending her lead with little drama.
By the finish, she had built a gap of more than three minutes, an unusually decisive result for a race designed to keep fields compact. Her winning time of 2:25:17 was a big personal best, improving on the 2:27:41 she ran in Venice way back in 2016 (almost ten years ago!).
What made the performance compelling was not just the number on the clock, but the arc of her career.
Cherono has been part of elite distance running for a long, long time, competing internationally across cross country and the marathon during an era when Kenya’s depth left little room for error, with a highlight being the 2008 Olympic Games. Yup, 2008!
Her career never followed the clean, upward trajectory that tends to attract attention. Injuries, time away from the sport, and finally the disruption of the COVID years pushed her out of the spotlight entirely.
Sunday did not feel like a promoted comeback for her. There was no buildup around redemption or her return. It felt more like a runner quietly testing where she still stood, and finding that the answer was a lot higher than expected.
Behind Cherono, Molly Grabill ran a steady, controlled race to finish second in 2:28:56. Jane Bareikis followed in third at 2:30:16, with Hanna Lindholm (2:31:19) and Mica Rivera Wood (2:31:35) rounding out the top five. Positions behind the leader shifted gradually rather than dramatically, with small packs forming early and holding shape through most of the race.
Eight women finished under 2:36, a solid reflection of the course and conditions, but the race itself belonged to Cherono from start to finish.
Flavin Breaks Through in a Crowded Men’s Race
The men’s race unfolded very differently. Where the women’s race separated early, the men’s field stayed tightly packed deep into the second half, producing one of the closest finishes of the weekend.
JP Flavin crossed the line first in 2:09:18, holding off Turner Wiley by just nine seconds. Nadeel Wildschutt finished third in 2:09:40, followed closely by Benjamin Rosa in 2:09:47. Four runners finished within 29 seconds of the win, and five broke 2:10:20.
For Flavin, the result marked a clear step forward. The 27-year-old American lowered his personal best by more than three minutes, improving on the 2:12:34 he had previously run. On a course designed to reward patience and even pacing, he stayed composed as the field thinned and responded when it mattered late.
Wiley’s second-place finish in 2:09:27 continued a strong season, while Wildschutt and Rosa both delivered controlled performances that kept them in contention through the final loops. Nicholas Hauger rounded out the top five in 2:10:18.
Further back, Thomas Fafard placed sixth in 2:10:29, and Paul Chelimo finished seventh in 2:10:55. For Chelimo, a two-time Olympic medalist at 5,000 meters, the race represented another incremental step in his transition to the marathon. His time marked a substantial improvement on his previous best of 2:18:08, set in Málaga last year, even if it left him outside the podium.
Stephen Jones (2:11:17), Barry Keane (2:11:31), and Connor Winter (2:11:43) completed the top ten, with a steady flow of sub-2:13 performances following behind.
A Race Built for Speed
The Marathon Project’s six-loop course at Wild Horse Pass delivered what it promised. The flat layout, predictable conditions, and limited field sizes allowed athletes to settle quickly and avoid the congestion that often defines large city marathons.
Aid access was clean. Pacing stayed consistent. Moves unfolded gradually rather than in response to chaos. The race rewarded athletes willing to commit to an even effort rather than gamble late.
That structure showed most clearly in the men’s results, where depth mattered more than a single decisive move, and in the women’s race, where Cherono’s early commitment effectively ended the contest.
Top Results – The Marathon Project 2025
Women
- Priscah Cherono – 2:25:17
- Molly Grabill – 2:28:56
- Jane Bareikis – 2:30:16
- Hanna Lindholm – 2:31:19
- Mica Rivera Wood – 2:31:35
- Lily Anderson – 2:34:12
- Flannery Davis – 2:35:10
- Jessica Watychowicz – 2:35:35
- Jaci Smith – 2:36:20
- Carter Norbo – 2:36:25
Men
- JP Flavin – 2:09:18
- Turner Wiley – 2:09:27
- Nadeel Wildschutt – 2:09:40
- Benjamin Rosa – 2:09:47
- Nicholas Hauger – 2:10:18
- Thomas Fafard – 2:10:29
- Paul Chelimo – 2:10:55
- Stephen Jones – 2:11:17
- Barry Keane – 2:11:31
- Connor Winter – 2:11:43
