Amy Cragg had been in search of a marathon that would showcase the speed she’s been working on for years. But as every long-distance runner can attest, those days—when the right competition, nice weather, solid training, and good health come together on the perfect course—are few and far between.

Cragg, 34, finally found her moment on Sunday in Tokyo, and the grimace on her face as she pushed the final few meters told a story of a woman who wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass. She placed third at the Tokyo Marathon, a World Marathon Majors race, in 2:21:42. Her previous best at 26.2 miles was 2:27:03, which she ran twice: first in her debut at the distance at the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon, and again (yes, down to the second) at the 2014 Chicago Marathon.

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Published: Feb 26, 2018 1:35 PM EST Deena Kastor (2:19:36 American record), Jordan Hasay (2:20:57), Shalane Flanagan (2:21:14), and Joan Benoit Samuelson (2:21:21).

In 2015, Cragg joined the Bowerman Track Club in Portland, Oregon, and has been training with Flanagan, who in November became the first American woman to win the Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Nutrition - Weight Loss Amazing Runners World Show, Harry Styles Ran the Tokyo Marathon world championships, DAA Industry Opt Out.

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Amy Cragg is third at the 2018 Tokyo Marathon

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She’s left no doubt that she’s one of the best in the U.S. in tactical, championship-style races, but those kinds of competitions don’t typically allow for faster times. Cragg wanted to reserve this year to find out how much time she could hack off her old PR, and she had a feeling it would be a lot.

“Right now I think I can run significantly faster than that, but we will narrow in on a window as we get closer to the race,” Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.

At the prerace press conference, Cragg guessed she’d finish in 2:22:59, but on Sunday, she hung with the leaders until 30K, on a 2:20 pace. Birhane Dibaba of Ethiopia broke away and eventually won in 2:19:51. Ruti Aga, also of Ethiopia, was second in 2:21:19.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! It was a painful finish but definitely worth it yesterday,” Cragg wrote on her Instagram post. “Took seven years but I finally broke my debut marathon time!”

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Fans and training partners who were watching from afar had plenty of congratulations for Cragg—including  Flanagan, who was watching from altitude camp in Woodland Park, Colorado, as she prepares for the Boston Marathonin April.
Also notable on Sunday was the depth of Japanese men’s talent. A national record was set by Yuta Shitara in 2:06:11—and he won $1 million for the effort. Six Japanese men finished faster than 2:09 and four more finished under 2:11.