Jeannie Rice Secures Seventh Marathon Major Win at Sydney Marathon

At the 2025 Sydney Marathon, American masters running legend Jeannie Rice achieved an extraordinary feat: completing all seven World Marathon Majors. The 77-year-old veteran crossed the finish line in an impressive 3:37:48, clinching the victory in the women’s 75-79 age category. Remarkably, her time was not only 1 hour and 21 minutes faster than her closest competitor, but it also surpassed the top male finisher in the same age bracket, who clocked in at 4:00:52—giving Rice a commanding 22-minute lead. This stunning performance is equivalent to running a pace of faster than 5:10 per kilometer (or 8:19 per mile) for the entire 42.2 km.

Hideko Sato-Fraser from Japan secured second place in the W75-79 division with a time of 4:59:30, while Slovakia’s Eva Seidlova finished third at 5:11:53.

A master of endurance, Jeannie Rice has now won her age division at each of the seven World Marathon Majors. In April 2025, she set a new world record in the W75-79 category at the London Marathon with a time of 3:33:27, winning her division by a massive 30 minutes. That race also saw her finish ahead of all male competitors in the same age group, posting a time 11 minutes faster than the top male.

In addition to her marathon victories, Rice has rewritten the record books in track and field. At the USATF Masters Track and Field National Championships in 2024, she set new world records in the 1,500m, 5,000m, and 10,000m for the W75-79 category. She also holds the marathon world record for the W70-74 division with a time of 3:27:50, set in 2018 when she was 70.

Although Rice ran a time of 3:33:15 at the 2023 Boston Marathon—just 10 seconds faster than her current W75-79 marathon world record—the Boston course's net downhill profile disqualified it from record consideration.

A Remarkable VO2 Max and Performance at Shorter Distances

Rice’s extraordinary endurance is also supported by impressive physiological data. Just days after her world-record run in London, she participated in a series of tests at a sports lab in England. Researchers found that she recorded a VO2 max of 47.8—the highest ever measured in a woman over the age of 75. Additionally, her maximum heart rate peaked at 180 beats per minute.

This summer, Rice continued to impress with her performances in shorter races. In July, she completed the Johnnycake Jog 5-miler in 39:56, followed by a 24:06 finish at the Friday Night Lights 5K. In mid-August, she ran a 23:04 at the Rock Hall 5K in Ohio.

Rice, who trains in Mentor, Ohio for half the year, spends her winters in Naples, Florida. Her ongoing success is a testament to the power of consistency, dedication, and an incredible athletic mindset.

By: Cameron Ormond

Credit: runningmagazine.ca