The USATF Half Marathon Championships did not disappoint on Sunday, December 5, in Hardeeville, South Carolina. The course was a four mile road loop designed to produce fast times.
USATF to Elect New President Amid Budget Deficit.
Keira D’Amato Continues Her Streak of Great Races
In the women’s race, 37-year-old Keira D’Amato pulled away from the field around mile five to finish in a one-minute PR of 1:07:55, almost two minutes better than second place. The win continues a streak of strong races by D’Amato, who turned professional earlier this year by signing with Nike. Natosha Rogers (1:09:36) and Dakotah Lindwurm (1:09:40) finished second and third, respectively.
D’Amato is a full-time realtor and mom of two. She was a four-time All-American for American University, but after ankle surgery in 2009, she took a hiatus from running. Seven years later, she found the sport again while her husband was deployed for the National Guard. She had busy days spent taking care of two young children, and rewarded herself with running. Since then, she’s seen plenty of success, notching a top-10 spot on the U.S. women’s marathon list, snagging the American record in the 10-miler, and now a national championship title.
“Having a second chance at this is just, I can’t even tell you... I’m so grateful to try to rewrite my story with running because it didn’t end the way that I wanted it to end,” D’Amato told Runner’s World earlier this year. “I feel so thankful that I get to pick a new ending, and I want this ending to be awesome.”
Conner Mantz Shines in Pro Debut
Whereas D’Amato’s narrative is a comeback story, Conner Mantz’s is a rise to prominence. The 24-year-old Brigham Young University student won his second NCAA Cross Country title just two weeks ago—which was his second NCAA Cross Country title this year, due to the NCAA postponing the 2020 championships to 2021 spring.
Mantz, who recently signed a professional contract with Nike, found himself in a group of eight at mile 10. Mantz pushed the pace until the group whittled down to three men—Mantz, Sam Chelanga, and Nico Montanez—with a mile to go. Chelanga tried to push ahead, but Mantz wouldn’t let him go.
In the final meters, Mantz threw down his kick to break the tape first, clocking 1:00:55 for his first professional win in his second half marathon ever.
D’Amato and Mantz earned $7,000 each for taking first place. A total of $40,000 was dolled out to the top 10 athletes of each gender.
Chris Hatler is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but before joining Runner’s World and Bicycling, he was a pro runner for Diadora, qualifying for multiple U.S. Championships in the 1500 meters. At his alma mater the University of Pennsylvania, Chris was a multiple-time Ivy League conference champion and sub-4 minute miler.
