Erika Kemp won her second national title Monday morning when she out-raced the field at the USATF 20K Championships in New Haven.
Kemp, a 2013 Rancocas Valley graduate, was part of a breakaway group of four runners that also included Emily Durgin, Lindsay Flanagan and Makena Morley halfway through the 12.4-mile race.
Flanagan eventually dropped off the pace, and with two miles to go, Kemp pulled away from Durgin and Morley and won by more than half a minute over Morley.
Kemp ran 1:06.20 over the road course through the streets of New Haven, and Morley was second in 1:6.59.
Because it’s web site is the worst site on the planet, the USATF does not have full results available of one of its own national championship events. Inexcusable.
Kemp earned $9,000 for her first-place finish.
The race was Kemp’s first race since the U.S. Olympic Trials, where she raced both the 5,000 and 10,000.
Kemp’s time is No. 39 on the all-time world 20,000-meter road course performance list on the World Athletics web site and No. 5 in U.S. history.
Kemp’s previous U.S. title came at 15,000 meters in Jacksonville in 2019, where she ran 50:54.
She actually ran faster for 20,000 meters today than she did for 15,000 meters two years ago.
Her mile pace for 9.3 miles in Jacksonville was 5:27.7, and her mile pace for 12.4 miles in New Haven was 5:20.3.
Kemp ran a track 5,000 PR of 15:10.10 this year in Attleboro, Mass., which ranks No. 14 in the U.S. this year and No. 52 all-time.
She set her 10,000 PR of 31:35.63 last year in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. That ranks No. 35 in U.S. history.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 