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‘Why not me?’: Keira D’Amato is focused on a new goal

May 7, 2024 | Blog

by: Jordan Connell, DC News Now
Posted: May 7, 2024 / 12:00 PM EDT
Updated: May 7, 2024 / 09:49 AM EDT

(NEXSTAR) – American distance runner Keira D’Amato is setting her sights on the 10k after her Olympic marathon trial did not go the way she had hoped.

“It was tough to process,” D’Amato said. “When I fall short or I fail, I learn my lesson and move on, and this one stung a little bit more.”

D’Amato says she is ready to pick herself back up. She now hopes to qualify for the 10k on the track in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“I have nothing to lose, everything to gain, and I have a chance to be an Olympian. Why would I not pursue that?” D’Amato said.

In 2020, D’Amato broke the American women’s 10-mile record with a time of 51:23.

D’Amato says in a way, not performing as well in the marathon trial took some of the pressure off her.

“I’m gonna go for it. I’m gonna put like my heart, my soul, my running shoes, everything I have into this, and we’ll see what happens.”

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keiradamato

Author of DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK
Pro Runner for @nikerunning
Once, I broke the Marathon American Record: 2:19:12
…and also, the Half: 66:39

Usually after a race, I say, “Find one person who Usually after a race, I say, “Find one person who had more fun than I did today. I’ll wait.”

Wellllll… I’m pretty sure all 12,000+ women at the @nikerunning After Dark Tour in LA this weekend did. 🥹💗

And that made me cry. In the best possible way.

The course looped back on itself a few times, so I collected approximately one million high fives (NEW HIGH FIVE PR 🙌🏼), but I also got to witness something that was even better.

Sisterhood. Support. Passion. Smiles. Hard work. Cheers. Pure, unfiltered FUN.

I kept tearing up. Just watching women show up for themselves and for each other. Women chasing big goals, tackling new distances, coming back from setbacks, and making time for something that matters to them. The streets lined with people cheering them on. Strangers celebrating strangers.

Just thousands of women being reminded that they belong here.

This was my first road race since hip surgery, and I couldn’t have imagined a more beautiful way to come back. I went into the weekend excited to run a little feral through the streets of LA. I left feeling like a better human for having witnessed all of that goodness.

A reminder that there’s still SO much good in this world. And sometimes it looks like 12,000 women running through a city after dark, high-fiving strangers, chasing their own version of a finish line, and cheering each other the whole way there.

Thank you, @nikerunning, for creating this space for us. For making room for those going for their fastest, the first-timers, the comeback stories, and everyone in between.

Video: @soy_yocarloscg Photos: @philh.lee & @nikerunning 
#NikeAfterDark
FERAL. 🪩💃🏼⚡️ Thousands of women. The streets of L FERAL. 🪩💃🏼⚡️

Thousands of women. The streets of LA. A half marathon after dark. ARE YOU KIDDING?!

Tonight, we’re protecting our joy, taking up space, and reminding ourselves that running doesn’t always have to be about the clock. Sometimes it’s about the people beside you, the music, the goosebumps, and getting to do something you love.

So whether you’re chasing a PR, tackling your first half, coming back from a setback, or just here for the party… YOU BELONG HERE.

Go run your own race. Cheer for a stranger. Take up space. Get a little feral.

GOOD LUCK, LADIES. LET’S MAKE SOME NOISE. 💃🏼🔥🖤

@nikerunning #AfterDarkTour
Birthday girl. 🪩 Some people get wiser with age. Birthday girl. 🪩

Some people get wiser with age. Others get access to a gold fringe jacket, crimped hair, and the coolest traveling DJ booth at the @runtastic Haunted Night race (complete with fog machine, strobe lights, glow sticks… and full control of the playlist and mic to practice my @strava jokes).

Feels like I’m doing something right.
20 MILES.🥛 Exactly 8 months ago, I had labrum rep 20 MILES.🥛

Exactly 8 months ago, I had labrum repair surgery. Today, I ran 20 miles. And then I promptly lost my mind. (If you’ve read the first chapter of Don’t Call It A Comeback, you know… this tracks.)

The second I finished, I started crying. @toddandilene was there with a high five, Coach @edeyestone with a hug, @connermantz with chocolate milk, and my teammates hyping me up (@micariverawood @morgannokesrun @kyliehmantz @irunfastxc). I tried to hold it together, but the significance of the moment hit me all at once.

On paper, this might be my least impressive year yet. The stats aren’t exactly screaming career highlight reel. But when I look at what it took to get here, this might be the year I’m most proud of.

Eight months ago, I was having surgery. Since then, there have been countless hours of rehab, a lot of patience, plenty of little milestones, and a fair amount of optimism that I’d eventually get back to doing the things I love. I kept picturing the day when a 20-mile long run would be something I could actually celebrate again.

And today, I got to celebrate it. 💛

So today, I’m zooming out. Taking a minute to appreciate the progress, the people who helped me get here, and the fact that something that once felt so far away is now in the books.

But first, more chocolate milk.🥛 

🚲📸Videos and water service by Todd @runeliteprogram
Chicago, you’ve given me a lifetime of memories. ❤ Chicago, you’ve given me a lifetime of memories. ❤️

2021: A 4th-place finish.
2022: Celebrating @em_sisson_ breaking my American record in the marathon with @joanbenoitsamuelson and @deenakastor. 
2023: A 5K win.
2024: Two broken bones in my foot and the heartbreak of dropping out of the marathon… followed by a huge gift: being with all my siblings to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday.
2025: Another 5K win, watching my teammate @connermantz break the American record, and kicking off my book tour with @mgcentro in a city that has given me so much.

That’s the magic of this city. It gives you moments you never forget, lessons you never expected, and a front-row seat to people doing extraordinary things.

This year, I get to experience it all from a different perspective: cheering YOU on.

I can’t wait to watch thousands of dreams unfold, finish lines get crossed, and people discover what they’re capable of.

Go get ’em, Chicago. The magic is yours this year. 🏙️❤️
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