Roe, Maier Take USATF Half Marathon Titles
ATLANTA - March 2, 2025 - Taylor Roe and Alex Maier, two former Oklahoma State Cowboys, captured their first U.S. titles on Sunday morning with breakthrough performances at the USATF Half Marathon Championship in Atlanta. The race was part of the Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend, organized by Atlanta Track Club.
Roe held off hometown favorite Emma Grace Hurley and a hard-charging Amanda Vestri for the victory in the women's race. While Maier fended off Olympians Shadrack Kipchirchir in the men's race. All six will represent the United States at the World Road Running Championships this fall.
The women's pre-race favorite, American-record holder Weini Kelati, made a decisive move just before mile five, opening up a massive gap on the field by the time they entered Piedmont Park. The steep uphill climb exiting the park at mile eight however, allowed Hurley and Roe to reel in Kelati, overtaking her and taking off for a duel that lasted for the next three miles. Hurley and Roe would each surge to the front only to have the other match their stride, swapping the lead three times before Roe made a move Hurley couldn't match. With a mile and a half to go, the 2022 NCAA Champion in the 3000 meters, shifted gears and set her sights on the finish.
Roe broke away to break the tape in 1:07:22, a personal best and course record in just her second race in the half marathon distance. Hurley, who was also running just her second half marathon, finished in second, thirteen seconds back. Vestri took the final spot on the team in 1:08:17. Roe's winning time on the winding and hilly Atlanta course is a pending national record for a women's only race. It also makes her the fifth fastest woman in American history. It is also the fastest half marathon ever run in the state of Georgia.
"It's good news, but also bad news because this means I have another half marathon," Roe joked after the race. "I train with some of the best runners in the world. So, I came in with the confidence today that no matter what the other runners did, it wouldn't be anything I hadn't faced in practice."
One of those runners Roe trains with is Maier. Once teammates at OSU, the pair now both run professionally for Puma Elite in Raleigh, N.C. under the guidance of Olympians Amy and Alistair Craig. Maier also had to reel in early leaders to get to the front. In the opening miles, Hillary Bor, Ahmed Muhumed, Nathan Martin and Shadrack Kipchirchir put forty-meters on the rest of the field with Bor, a two-time Olympian in the steeplechase setting the pace.
But at the same spot on the course where Roe and Hurley caught Kelati - exiting Piedmont Park - the men's chase pack caught up, putting Maier in the mix. And by mile 10, he took control of the race pulling Bor and Kipchirchir with him for a three-man breakaway. As the trio climbed a hill on an overpass just past the 12-mile mark, Maier made a move. From there, the 2022 NCAA runner-up in the 10,000m, never looked back and went on to win in 1:00:48, ten seconds in front of Kipchirchir. Bor rounded out the top three in 1:00:59.
"Going in, I knew I had a good chance to make the team. So, it was really about just trying to grab a top three spot," said Maier, who made his half marathon debut at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in January. "But when we got to 5K to go, I was feeling really good and decided to make my move."
Roe and Maier each win $20,000 for their victories. They will compete in the half marathon at the World Athletics World Road Running Championships, September 26-26. The championships also include one-mile and 5K races.
