What did you do in your late 30s? This property agent just smashed US marathon record, and she quit running for 8 years
- Keira D’Amato’s story might be the most stunning in American sports right now
- The 37-year-old mother of two has just broken a record that stood for 15 years
Keira D’Amato’s transformation into US marathon record holder is maybe the most stunning story in American sports right now.
The 37-year-old mother of two became the country’s fastest woman ever in the marathon, breaking a record that had stood for more than 15 years.
Her time of 2hrs 19mins 12secs at the Houston Marathon on Sunday broke Deena Kastor’s 2006 mark by 24 seconds.
That might be impressive enough, until you considered that she quit running for eight years after a mostly obscure college career at American University and an even less decorated attempt to make it as a pro, D’Amato quit running for eight years.
During that time she had two children and advanced her career as a real estate agent, only returning to running in 2017 because she signed her husband up for a marathon as a prank.
Even in February 2020 she was considered an also-ran among the country’s best runners over the distance, and finished just 15th at the Olympic Trials.
Maybe the most impressive part of her record, though, is she called her shot weeks ago.