CJ Albertson photo via Clovis Community College

A Fresno cross country track coach made a big showing at the Boston Marathon, returning for a personal record with the top performance of any American.

CJ Albertson, 30, placed seventh in Monday’s Boston Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 53 seconds, making him the top American finisher. He’s competed in the race since 2021, when he led by as many as two minutes halfway into the 24.6-mile battle of endurance before falling before. He finished 10^th that year. He’d place 13^th and 12^th his next to Boston Marathon outings.

Albertson is the head men’s cross country track coach at Clovis Community College, according to the Clovis Crush team website. He attended Buchanan High School and Arizona State University, and is a record-holder at both schools, according to his bio.

Sisay Lemma, a 34-year-old from Ethiopia, was the winner with a time of 2:6:17.

Hellen Obiri of Kenya defended her women’s title with a time of 2:27:37.