Bates also represented the United States in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she set a personal best of 2:23.18 and finished seventh.

She also recorded personal bests of 11:08.25 for 3200 m and 5:00.13 for 1600 m. Reflecting on her high school training, Bates stated that she took a relaxed approach.

In an interview, she recalled, “On easy days, my teammates and I would often not even run — we’d go to the grocery store and get donuts or something.”[4] Bates attended Boise State University in Idaho, where she was a 12-time All American in the NCAA.

After graduating from Boise State, Bates began competing professionally for the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) in July 2015 as part of the High Performance Group.

A shift in Bates' focus occurred in 2017 as she transitioned away from the track to longer-distance events, including the half marathon.

Bates's high finishes allowed her to accumulate enough points to win the 2018 USATF Running Circuit.

[11] She then improved her personal best at the 2018 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships on March 24, finishing in 1:11:45 and placing 27th; she was the fastest American woman in the race.

The race featured strong competition, including a world record set by the first-place finisher, Brigid Kosgei.

On 29 February 2020, Bates competed in the 2020 United States Olympic trials marathon in Atlanta, Georgia.

In April 2021, Bates relocated to Boulder, Colorado to join Team Boss, a training group led by coach Joe Bosshard.

She placed seventh in 2:23:18, setting a personal best and finishing with one of the strongest ever American contingents (Sara Hall was fifth, Keira D'Amato was eighth).

[22][23] Her performance came during intermittent rain and headwinds, and it was just shy of the fastest time by an American woman on this course, narrowly missing Shalane Flanagan's record of 2:22:02.

While Bates achieved a personal best in this race, her time is not considered legal for record purposes by World Athletics due to the course's net downhill elevation.

[25] The announcement followed a foot-related injury sustained by Bates during her running of the 2023 Chicago Marathon the previous October.

[27] In 2017, she moved to a remote cabin in the Boise National Forest that offered secluded trails for running.