Fast Women: Weini Kelati, Erika Kemp break records in Houston

A full circle moment for Cory Ann McGee

Jan 20, 2025

Issue 333, sponsored by PUMA

Weini Kelati on her way to an American record at the Houston Half Marathon. *(Photo by Steven Anderson)*

Weini Kelati lowers her American record

Ethiopia’s Senayet Getachew and Kumeshi Sichala earned victories at Sunday’s Houston Half Marathon and Marathon, respectively. Behind them, Americans Weini Kelati and Erika Kemp produced record-breaking runs with Kelati taking 16 seconds off of her own American record and Kemp running an incredible 11-minute personal best.

The half marathon took off first, and it was unfortunately eventful from the start, with at least three women falling shortly after the gun. Emily Venters and Susanna Sullivan posted photos of their road rash to Instagram after the race, and Molly Bookmyer also said that she was part of the pile-up.

It was also eventful in the sense that the race went out quickly, with Getachew, Kelati, and Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba hitting 5K in 15:30 and 10K in 30:50. At that point, they were on pace to run a blistering 1:05:02, but they slowed in the second half of the race, not helped by the tough headwinds they were facing on an unusually chilly day.

During the 12th mile, Getachew began to pull away from Kelati, and though Kelati kept her close, she was unable to reel her in. Getachew, the 2023 World Cross Country U20 champion, who is still only 19, won the race in 1:06:05, and Kelati took second in 1:06:09. In addition to breaking her own half marathon record, Kelati also set pending American records for 15K (46:32), 10 miles (50:05), and 20K (1:02:43) along the way.

Getachew earned $15,000 for the win, and Kelati earned $8,000 for her runner-up finish, plus a $10,000 bonus for breaking the American record. Kelati said afterward that she is in much better shape than last year, but the wind was tough and her stomach began bothering her mid-race. “It almost stopped me—my stomach was really upset,” she said on the race broadcast. “But I’m really happy that I got the record again.”

Four different women—Sara Hall, Emily Sisson, Keira D’Amato, and Kelati—have now broken the American half marathon record a total of six times in the past three years. And the way Kelati started out on Sunday seems to indicate that she has more in her on her best day.

Diriba finished third in 1:06:48 and six weeks after making her half marathon debut, Amanda Vestri shaved another 43 seconds off of her time, taking fourth in 1:07:35. Vestri gave her performance a grade of B/B+, so I can’t wait to see one of her A days, but she’s off to a fantastic start in this event, and she’s now eighth on the U.S. all-time list.

Natosha Rogers finished fifth in 1:08:35, a 61-second personal best, Australia’s Lauren Ryan, who is new to the half marathon, shaved 2:57 off of her best time and took sixth in 1:08:43. And despite her fall, Venters got up and finished seventh in 1:08:48, a strong debut. Right behind her, Taylor Roe, who was also debuting, also ran 1:08:48, taking eighth. There may have been other women in the pile-up at the start, but the three I’m aware of all ran personal bests. Sullivan finished 10th in 1:08:59, a 43-second PR, and Bookmyer broke 70 minutes for the first time, running 1:09:44 for 18th. (Half marathon results)

Erika Kemp celebrates her runner-up finish at the Houston Marathon. *(Photo by Steven Anderson)*

A breakthrough day for Erika Kemp

Calli Hauger-Thackery was originally planning to race the Houston Half Marathon, but due to recent illness, she decided to pace the marathon instead. She led Ethiopia’s Kumeshi Sichala, Anna Dibaba, and Tsige Haileslase through halfway in 1:10:54 before she exited the race. At halfway, Erika Kemp was only five seconds back.

The top four remained close through 25K, but shortly after, Sichala picked up the pace significantly and began to pull away. Kemp and Haileslase remained together through 30K, but over the next 5K, Kemp took sole possession of second. They maintained their order to the finish, with Sichala winning in 2:20:42, taking 4:43 off of her personal best, and earning $50,000.

But it was Kemp who had the biggest breakthrough of the day, finishing second in 2:22:56 and taking 11:01 off of the personal best she set at the 2023 Boston Marathon. She earned $20,000. “I feel so, so good with the half marathon and the 20K,” she told reporters at the pre-race press conference. “We’ve just spent the last couple years really trying to figure out how to just be strong enough to double that effort and really compete at the end, and I think we’ve just about figured it out.”

She was right. She said afterward that she felt really good early on and she knew it was going to be her day. An 11-minute personal best is rare at the elite level, but Kemp’s performances at shorter distances indicated that she was capable of more in the marathon. And she knew that if she focused on racing, a fast time would come. “Anything under 2:24 would have made me truly ecstatic,” she said.

Kemp, who will turn 30 on Sunday, is based in Providence, Rhode Island, and coached by Kurt Benninger. Her run at the 2023 Boston Marathon already made her the fastest American-born Black woman in the marathon, but she pushed the record into much tougher territory with her run in Houston. She also became the fifth American woman to dip under the World Championships qualifying standard of 2:23:30.

Haileslase and Dibaba faded in the late stages of the race but hung on to take third (2:25:09) and fourth (2:26:49), respectively. American women took the next four spots with Amber Zimmerman finishing fifth in a PR of 2:29:01, Whitney Macon finishing sixth in a PR of 2:32:20, 48-year-old Dot McMahan placing seventh in 2:35:04, her fastest time in nearly 10 years (according to her World Athletics page), and Maya Weigel finishing eighth in 2:35:09.

During Sunday’s races, dozens of runners honored Lilia Vazquez by wearing special bibs, in addition to their race bibs. She was killed by a hit-and-run driver last month in Houston, while training for the race. The driver has still not been found. (Marathon results)

Thanks to PUMA for sponsoring Fast Women this month

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Cory Ann McGee races in a donated uniform during high school. *(Photo courtesy of McGee)*

A full circle moment for Cory Ann McGee

Last week, Olympian Cory Ann McGee turned to her Instagram followers for help identifying a girls’ high school cross country team in Los Angeles that has been affected by the wildfires that have ravaged the city. She had some lightly worn and new running gear to donate, and she knew her Team Boss teammates would have items to contribute as well.

She received such a positive response that since her initial post, the operation has ballooned. McGee now has a coach in Los Angeles helping her identify two teams in need of support, and she has talked to fellow pro runner Ben Blankenship about teaming up with his nonprofit, Endless Mileage. She has also heard from fellow Olympians Anna Cockrell, Karissa Schweizer, and Emily Infeld, who all had items to contribute.

As the people of Los Angeles work to put their lives back together, many others are finding ways to help out. But for McGee, this is personal. In August 2005, she had just started eighth grade when Hurricane Katrina decimated her hometown of Pass Christian, Mississippi, destroying or damaging more than 90 percent of the homes.

McGee, now 32, recalls all of the schools in town being either leveled or flooded. Her middle school was reduced to “a pile of bricks.” For the next couple years, school took place in modular buildings. Her grandmother and so many of her friends lost their homes. McGee’s house was damaged, but because it was still standing, it became a place of refuge for many people in the community.

Nineteen years later, she still gets emotional when she thinks about the strength of her community and the support they received following the disaster. During that time, the smallest gestures went a long way. She remembers lining up with her classmates to receive a shoebox filled with donated school supplies and trinkets. “That was pretty much everything that some of my friends had after Katrina,” she told Fast Women.

She also raced throughout high school wearing uniforms that were donated following the disaster. “Katrina rocked my community, and then I feel like that was a big part of what motivated me to be a good runner,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’m representing Pass Christian, I have to do my best.’ I trained through [the aftermath of] Katrina and qualified for the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships for the first time [the following] year. There were so many things about that time that made it such an intense, formative experience.”

McGee’s donation efforts are still a work in progress, but she’s been fielding calls from a variety of people who want to help. And many pro runners are in a good position to do so, because they receive so much clothing from their sponsors. Team Boss organized a similar effort three years ago, following the wildfire in Boulder County. McGee has talked to Blankenship about supplementing sizes so that the donated items will work for all of the kids who have been affected.

The timing works out well because McGee is headed back to Colorado this week to clean out her apartment and begin the process of moving all her belongings to Boston. It’s a natural time to assess what she does and doesn’t need and pass the extras on.

After college, McGee lived in Boston and was a member of New Balance Boston for four years. But at the end of 2018, she made the decision to move to Colorado and join Team Boss. She had just met PJ Sullivan, who she married last March. “On our third date, I was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna move to Colorado,’” she said. Aside from Covid, when they lived together for a stretch, the two have been in a long-distance relationship for six years. But since the end of the 2024 track season, McGee has been spending much of her time in Boston, where she plans to be based going forward.

She’ll continue to be a member of Team Boss—“I’m Team Boss forever,” she said—and Joe Bosshard is still her coach. McGee will take the indoor season off from racing, as she has done the past two years, and she didn’t say when she would race next.

“I don’t want to put a ton of pressure on myself as I’m figuring out what the new situation looks like,” she said. “I’m used to having Joe and having teammates. As much as I loved living [in Boston], I did find training here to be difficult, so I feel like there’s a little bit of fear, where I’m moving back to a place where it was really hard. So I just want to get back and see how I feel.”

Additional Results

A handful of athletes who usually specialize in the 800m got off to a fast start in the 600m over the weekend. At the Arkansas Invitational, after winning the mile (4:42.39) earlier in the meet, Shafiqua Maloney of St. Vincent and the Grenadines also won the 600m in a facility record of 1:24.60. She had a good battle (Twitter link) with Arkansas’ Sanu Jallow-Lockhart, which wasn’t decided until the homestretch. Jallow finished second in a Gambian record of 1:25.37. She wasn’t far off Britton Wilson’s collegiate record of 1:25.16, and she became the second-fastest NCAA athlete of all time. At the UW preview, Stanford’s Roisin Willis’s 1:25.74 600m was more of a solo run. Because the University of Washington’s track is 307 meters, it’s considered “oversized” and times run there don’t count for record purposes. But her time was the third-fastest ever by an athlete in the NCAA. (Arkansas Invitational results | UW Preview results)
Also at the Arkansas Invitational, Krissy Gear came from behind to win the 800m in a personal best of 2:00.67. Puma Elite’s Dorcas Ewoi (2:01.37) and Gracie Morris (2:01.97) were next across the line, and then Arkansas’ Bella Whittaker, who is usually a 400m specialist, finished fourth in an impressive 2:02.69. It looked like Gear had a dramatic kick, but she really just ran a relatively even pace throughout the race, which is rare in the 800m. Angel Piccirillo paced the first 600m of the race and then won the 3,000m later in the meet, in 9:07.10. (800m replay, also a Twitter link, because that’s the only place I can find it.)
And also at the UW Preview/Mile City Challenge, Sinclaire Johnson won the 1,000m in 2:35.11 with Lithuania’s Gabija Galvydyte, who now runs for the Bowerman Track Club, finishing close behind in 2:35.70. Portland’s Laura Pellicoro finished third in 2:37:04, the fastest time in NCAA history, but again, because of UW’s oversized track, it won’t count as a collegiate record. (Penn State’s Danae Rivers holds the record of 2:38.58.) The following day, Galvydyte won the mile in a PR of 4:27.96. Grace Fetherstonhaugh took second (4:30.09), Kristie Schoffield was third (4:31.55), and Stanford’s Juliette Whittaker was the top collegian, in fourth, running 4:31.72.
After pacing the mile earlier in the meet, Nikki Hiltz opened up their season with a low-key race at NAU’s Lumberjack Team Challenge. Paced by fellow Olympian Elise Cranny, they ran 2:04.50 to win the 800m at 6,900 feet above sea level. NAU’s Alex Carlson won the mile in an impressive 4:37.27—which converts to an NCAA-leading 4:27.20 because of the altitude—before finishing second to Hiltz in the 800m (2:09.49). (Results)
Bailey Hertenstein won the mile at CU’s Colorado Classic, running 4:36.83 at about 5,900 feet above sea level. And third-place finisher Ella Baran was listed as a member of the Union Athletics Club in the results, so it looks like Pete Julian is coaching her. (Results)
Penn State’s Hayley Kitching won the 1,000m at the Nittany Lion Challenge, running 2:39.86, which moves her to third on the collegiate all-time list (not counting Pellicoro’s run). (Results)
McKenna Keegan won the 500m at Penn’s Quaker Invitational, running 1:10.31. (Results)
Boston University’s Vera Sjoberg won the Battle in Beantown mile on her home track, running 4:33.92. (Results)
Florida State’s Bieke Schipperen won the mile at the Jimmy Carnes T&F Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, with a 4:34.15. (Results)
Rachel McArthur won the 3,000m at the Virginia Tech Invitational in 9:05.80. (Results)
Jess McClain won the Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon in 1:12:05.
Allie Kieffer won the Austin International Half Marathon in 1:12:55. (Results)
Hiruni Wijayaratne ran 17:13 to win the UAE Healthy Kidney 5K in Miami, which offered an impressive prize purse. She earned $5,000 for her win. Runner-up Brogan Abernathy ran 17:34 and won $2,500, and third-place finisher Monica Rasmussen ran 18:29 and earned $1,500. (Results)

Podcast Highlights

It was good to hear from Sifan Hassan on the Citius Mag podcast. She said she took her longest break of her pro career after the Olympic Games. She said that because the marathon is such a test of one’s endurance, winning Olympic marathon gold in Paris “feels like 10 Olympic gold medals.” This was a fun one, partially because Hassan always has entertaining comments about the challenges of being a high-level distance runner.
I appreciated Courtney Olsen’s honesty on The Trail Network Podcast. She discussed parting ways with Hoka and other aspects of professional ultrarunning. “If what I just did this year didn’t equate worth of a contract to someone by now, then I don’t know what will, and so I am totally happy not being desperate for it in the future,” she said.
Former pro runner and current dietitian Maddie Alm has launched The Fueling Forward Podcast to create a space for athletes to share their nutrition-related experiences. In the first episode, Alm shares her own story.
On Unexpected Curves, Marielle Hall had a brief conversation with Erika Kemp about how the places athletes live and train impact athletic performance.
The always-entertaining Allie Ostrander was on the Ali on the Run Show, where she talked about her plans to race the Mesa Half Marathon on February 8.
It was interesting to hear from Katie Izzo on I’ll Have Another. She talked about moving to Flagstaff, coming up with her plan to get the equivalent of the Olympic 10,000m standard by running cross country, and having a shortened buildup to the Trials due to injury. She said she might make her marathon debut as soon as 2026.
On Lactic Acid, Emily Durgin said that it’s been great to have Izzo in Flagstaff now, so they can train together on a regular basis. And she talked about living a balanced life in general. “[Professional running] can be a really isolating lifestyle if you’re not careful. How many hours a day can you run and work out? Only a few, so the rest of the day, yes, we’re supposed to rest and recover, but that doesn’t mean you need to do it alone.”
On The Running Effect Podcast, Gabbi Jennings said that she is very fit right now. “I’m obviously dying to make a team,” she said. “I’m going to be in Tokyo. You heard it here first. Given that everything goes right and we’re healthy leading into the season, I just don’t see a world where I don’t make it, with this new training that we’re doing and this new confidence that I have.”
Former marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, who is running this year’s Tokyo and Boston Marathons, was on Marathon Talk last week. She comes on around the 34:00 mark. She said she’s really trying not to think about goals or times as she prepares for both races.

Additional Episodes: Fiona O’Keeffe on For the Long Run | High school standout Jane Hedengren on The Running Effect Podcast | Calli Hauger-Thackery on NYRR’s Set the Pace podcast (she comes on around the 12:20 mark) | Michaela Rose on Sports Spectrum’s What’s Up Podcast

Whew, this has been a long one, and a long day of work. Remember to check out PUMA’s Project3, and thanks to all of you who keep this newsletter going with your contributions via Venmo and Patreon. I could not do this without you. Wishing you the best week possible.

Alison

Fast Women: Weini Kelati, Erika Kemp break records in Houston

A full circle moment for Cory Ann McGee

Issue 333, sponsored by PUMA

Weini Kelati lowers her American record

A breakthrough day for Erika Kemp

Thanks to PUMA for sponsoring Fast Women this month

A full circle moment for Cory Ann McGee

Other News and Links

Additional Results

Podcast Highlights

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