“Part of me just can’t believe this is happening, and the other part is like, this is happening because you’ve worked your tail off, Keira,” D’Amato said on thebroadcast. “You’ve worked so hard to get here, but like what?! I just feel like dreams come true, you know?”
“I mean, they see me day in and day out. Leave for a run and come back like an hour or two later,” D’Amato, 37, said. “So, they’ve been part of this journey and part of the sacrifice. And when I crossed the line and they were there, oh man. It's just one of the happiest moments in my life.”Keira D’Amato at the finish as she hugs her mom, Liana MacDowell, after breaking the American record at the Houston Marathon.
After a blazing start, D’Amato maintained her growing lead in the later stages of the race and even picked up the pace with an average mile of 5:19 heading into her 1:55:42 split at 35K. With only 1.4 miles left in the race, she put herself in perfect position to improve on the record with a projected finish of 2:19:23.
After becoming a four-time All-American at American University, the Midlothian, Virginia, native graduated in 2006 and struggled with injuries in her post-collegiate years. The first chapter of her running career ended with ankle surgery in 2009.
KeiraDAmato I’m surprised that you termed it “a little wind.” We had a 15 MPH headwind for long stretches. It’s telling that she won by 10 minutes and that no man broke 2:11. The fact that she broke the record with that wind makes it all the more impressive to me.
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