Jan 18, 2022 - Sports

Keira D'Amato breaks American women's marathon record

Kendall Baker

Picture of Keira D'Amato running — Keira D'Amato begins to celebrate as she approaches the finish line during the 2021 Chicago Marathon on Oct. 10, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Keira D'Amato, a 37-year-old mother, smashed the American women's marathon record on Sunday, winning the Houston Marathon with a time of 2:19:12.

Driving the news: D'Amato quit running after college, had two kids and became a real estate agent. She thought her racing career was over.

She slowly started running again when her husband was deployed, and now she's etched her name in the history books.

What she's saying: "Part of me just can't believe this is happening and the other part is like, 'this is happening because you worked your tail off,'" D'Amato said in an interview with a Houston ABC affiliate. "Dreams come true, you know?"

"To think that this dream was gone a decade ago, and somehow I just believed that age is just a number and it doesn't matter how old you are, you can chase your dreams. And I'm just so fortunate to have a family that supported that," she added.

The bottom line: This is the best story in sports right now — the kind they make movies about. It's also an important reminder that it's OK to take breaks in life, and that it's never too late to start again.

The big picture: Also on Sunday in Houston, 38-year-old Sara Hall broke the American women's record for the half marathon.

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Keira D'Amato breaks American women's marathon record

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