Ryan Smith, from Westport, crossed the finish line first at the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington on May 24, posting a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 52 seconds. His performance broke the 24-year-old course record by 1 minute and 10 seconds.
He led the field of 1,834 runners for the entire 26.2 miles and earned $2,400 for the win.
"I mean, holy cow! What? I don't know. I'm, ah, I have no words. That exceeded all my goals," a stunned Smith told WCVB, seconds after crossing the finish line.
Even more impressive, Smith had never competed in a marathon before, and he'd only run his first half-marathon a few months ago.
Running, however, has long been part of Smith's life.
He competed at Division III Bates College, where he ran cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. He also served as a team captain for all three programs, according to the university's athletic department.
After graduating in 2023, Smith moved to Boston to work in the energy field.
Smith continued to run for fun with friends and his dog after ending his collegiate career, but he told the Boston Globe he felt like he had "unfinished business" with the sport. He decided to make the US Olympic Team in the marathon.
“I felt like I had more to give,” he said. “I felt like my results didn’t reflect what I was capable of.”
By finishing the marathon with a time below 2 hours and 16 minutes, Smith qualified for the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles, giving him a chance to compete for a spot on Team USA.
That gives him almost two years to train for the March 2028 tryouts.
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