Rancocas Valley graduate Erika Kemp became the fastest marathon runner in South Jersey history Monday at the Boston Marathon.
Kemp placed 28th among women and 12th (I think) among American women in her marathon debut in 2:33.57.
The fastest previous marathon by a South Jersey native was Cherokee graduate Megan Lacy’s 2:39.12 in Duluth, Minn., in June of 2019.
Kemp and Lacy overlapped in high school in various Burlington County and South Jersey races.
Kemp, 28, averaged 5:52.6 per mile over the 26.2-mile course from Hopkinton, Mass., into downtown Boston.
It’s tough to figure out how many American women finished ahead of Kemp, since the BAA web site for some reason doesn’t list nationalities in its results.
But from what I can tell:
5 – Emma Bates [2:22.10]
11 – Aliphine Tuliamuk [2:24.37]
17 – Sara Hall [2:25.48]
18 – Desiree Linden [2:27.18]
20 – Annie Frisbee [2:28.45]
22 – Annie Rohrer [2:30.52]
23 – Sydney Devore [2:31.08]
24 – Maggie Montoya [2:31.19]
25 – Anne-Marie Blaney [2:31.32]
26 – Maegan Krifchin [2:32.46]
27 – Dakota Lindwurm [2:33.53]
28 – Erika Kemp [2:33.57]
Kemp ranks 57th in U.S. history with her 15:10.10 for 5,000 meters in Boston in May 2021 and 43rd with 31:35.63 for 10,000 meters in San Juan Capistrano in December 2020. Her 32:18 for a 10K road course is 36th, and she’s 6th on the 20K road course list.
Here’s a look at the fastest marathoners ever from New Jersey I was able to find:
2:31.18 … Anne Marie Lauck, North Hunterdon [1996, Columbia, S.C.]
2:32.05 … Sarag Pagano, Immaculate Heart [2023, Nagoya, Japan]
2:33.57 … Erika Kemp, Rancocas Valley [2023, Boston]
2:35.09 … Amanda Marino, Jackson [2019, Duluth, Minn.]
2:39.06 … Megan Curham, Villa Walsh [2022, Minneapolis]
2:39.12 … Megan Lacy, Cherokee [2019, Duluth, Minn.]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 