MIDLOTHIAN, Va., — Midlothian’s Keira D’Amato believes that elite runners, because of the training and recovery involved, have about two good marathons in them each year.
D’Amato’s first marathon in 2022 set a new American women’s record. She’s hoping her second marathon is good enough to win a medal for Team USA.
D'Amato was the first alternate for this year’s USA Marathon team for the World Championships which will be held later this month in Eugene, Oregon. When Molly Seidel went down with an injury, D’Amato got the call for which she’s waited her whole life.
“I said ‘How many days do I have to think about this?’ They said ‘We’ll give you a couple of hours (to decide),” D’Amato recalled.
The marathon will be held on July 18, giving her just two weeks to fully prepare.
“I’ve been training and running real hard,” D’Amato explained.
She had been training for the Peachtree 10K in Atlanta and was planning for her second marathon this year later this fall.
“So I was starting to work a lot on speed with 5 and 10ks. I was going to start my marathon training this week.”
D’Amato’s record-breaking time in Houston was 2:19:12. That might be good enough for a podium finish in Oregon, but it’s about more than just speed.
“This is all about competing. Time is really thrown out the window in races like this. It’s going to be tactical.”
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D’Amato attempted to qualify for the U.S. Olympic marathon team back in 2020 for the games in Tokyo but she finished 14th. She has already qualified for the Paris trials which will be held in early 2024.
This opportunity, while unexpected, is also the result of years of training and hard work.
“This has been a dream of mine to represent the U.S. for as long as I can remember,” D’Amato said. “But I’m not going there for a victory lap. I’m going for a battle. It’s not just about being there, it’s about representing our country in the best way I know how.”
At the age of 37, D’Amato is running better than ever but is also faced with the reality of a shrinking window of physical opportunity.
That also makes this so special.
“I don’t know when my body is going to start pushing back more,” D’Amato admitted. “So I feel like when I have an opportunity like this, I have to seize it and go for it. I feel like I have nothing to lose. Who knows how long this wild rid is going to last but I’m going to make it last as long as I can.”
The women’s marathon will start around 9:15 ET on the 18th.
D’Amato joins former Mills Godwin standout Britton Wilson who will run the 400-meter hurdles at the World Championships.
