Keira D'Amato (born Keira Carlstrom on October 21, 1984) is an American

distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance running comes two d ...

. She held the American women's record in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

with her time of 2:19:12 at the 2022

Houston Marathon The Houston Marathon is an annual marathon usually held every January in Houston, Texas, United States, since 1972. With thousands of runners and spectators, it is the largest single day sporting event in the city. It is run concurrently wi ...

, until

Emily Sisson Emily Sisson (born October 12, 1991) is an American distance runner who holds the North American record in the marathon, set Oct. 9, 2022, at the 2022 Chicago Marathon, where she ran 2:18:29 to finish second, becoming only the second non-Africa ...

set a new record time on October 9, 2022. She is the

world best A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

holder for the women's-only 10 mile distance and a three-time

USA Track & Field USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and ...

national champion.

Biography

D'Amato ran for

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...

from 2002 to 2006, where she was a four-time All-American and 11-time

Patriot League The Patriot League is a collegiate athletic conference comprising private institutions of higher education and two United States service academies based in the Northeastern United States. Outside the Ivy League, it is among the most selective gr ...

champion, competing in

cross-country Cross country or cross-country may refer to: Places * Cross Country, Baltimore, a neighborhood in northwest Baltimore, Maryland * Cross County Parkway, an east–west parkway in Westchester County, NY * Cross County Shopping Center, a mall in Yo ...

, indoor track, and outdoor track. She was also named an Academic All-American in 2006. After a series of injuries in her post-collegiate career, D'Amato took a hiatus from the sport in 2009. She became involved in cycling and adult soccer, and worked as marketing director for a local Virginia running store chain. In 2016, she made her return to competitive running, and began to compete in the marathon. She ran a marathon with her husband in 2017, completing the course in 3:14:54. At the 2017 Richmond Marathon later that year, she cut her time down to 2:47:00. With a time of 2:34:55 at the 2019

Berlin Marathon The Berlin Marathon (german: Berlin-Marathon, ) is a marathon event held annually on the streets of Berlin, Germany on the last weekend of September. Held annually since 1974, the event includes multiple races over the marathon distance of , inclu ...

, she qualified for the 2020 US Olympic Women's Marathon Trials, where she finished 15th with a then-personal best of 2:34:24. In November 2020, D'Amato set the American record for the 10-mile women's-only race in 51:23, breaking the previous record set in 2014 by

Janet Cherobon-Bawcom Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (born August 22, 1978) is an American distance runner. She grew up in Kenya, before attending college in the United States. In college, she won three Division II national championships and was named an All-American eight t ...

. Following further success at multiple distances that year, she signed a sponsorship deal with

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...

in February 2021. On January 16, 2022, she ran the American women's record in the

at the

, finishing in 2:19:12 and taking 24 seconds off the previous American record set by

Deena Kastor Deena Michelle Kastor (née Drossin; born February 14, 1973) is an American long-distance runner. She was a holder of American records in the marathon (2006-2022) and numerous road distances. She won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at t ...

in 2006. With two weeks' notice before the

2022 World Athletics Championships The 2022 World Athletics Championships was the eighteenth edition of the World Athletics Championships. It was held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, United States, from July 15–24, 2022, with the country hosting that competition for the f ...

, D'Amato was called up from the alternate position to represent the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

for the first time. She finished eighth in the event with a time of 2:23:34 in a historic showing for the United States, which saw all three American women finish in the Top 8. D'Amato holds three

USATF USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and ...

National Titles: the 2021 Women's Half Marathon title, with a time of 1:07:55; the 2022 Women's 6K title, with a time of 17:52 and a new course record in

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes and ...

; and the 2022 Women's 20k title, with a time of 1:04:29 and a new course record in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

Personal life

Outside of professional running, D'Amato also holds a career in real estate. In 2022, she opened her own running store in the greater

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

area, where she resides with her husband and two children. On her return to competitive running, D'Amato stated, "I feel like I have nothing to lose. I have another life outside of this, which is very important to me. And I feel that gives me a lot of freedom to take risks and not be afraid of failing. ... Everything that I wish I would have one in round 1 I'm now doing it in the second phase. I'm taking it really seriously, but I also am having more fun than I’ve ever had in my whole life.”

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:D'Amato, Keira 1984 births Living people American female long-distance runners American female marathon runners 21st-century American women