Rancocas Valley’s Erika Kemp, the top-ranked American marathoner this year, has been named to the U.S. team that will compete at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.
In only her 2nd lifetime marathon, Kemp ran 2:22.56 in January at the Houston Marathon, the 12th-fastest time in U.S. history. In her first marathon in April 2023, Kemp ran 2:33.57 in Boston.
Her 2:22.56 is by far the fastest marathon ever by a New Jersey native, breaking the previous record by more than eight minutes. In 1996, North Hunterdon graduate Anne Letko ran 2:31.18 in Columbia, S.C.
Kemp was an All-America both on the track and in XC at North Carolina State. Since graduating, she’s 8:53.06 for 3,000 meters, 15:10.10 for 5,000 meters and 31:28.69 in the 10,000 and won USATF road national titles in 2019 at 15,000 meters in Jacksonville and in 2021 at 20,000 meters in New Haven.
Kemp is currently training in Providence, R.I., with a group that includes Haddonfield graduate Marielle Hall, who is No. 19 all-time U.S. with 31:05.71, when she placed 8th at Worlds in Doha, Qatar. Hall was inducted in the South Jersey Track Hall of Fame Class of 2025 in March. Kemp and Hall are training with Kurt Benninger, husband of Olympian Molly Huddle. Hall hasn’t raced since June 2023 at the New York Mini 10K.
Also representing the U.S. on the women’s marathon team will be Betsy Saina and Susanna Sullivan. Saina is the No. 3 U.S. woman all-time with her 2:18.19 last year in Tokyo. Saina represented Kenya at 10,000 meters in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Sullivan ran 2:21.56 in Chicago last year, No. 10 all-time on the U.S. list.
The World Championships marathon is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST on Sunday, Sept. 14. You can find a map of the course here.
One interesting twist about Kemp’s performance in Houston: Her Rancocas Valley Class of 2013 teammate, Alicia Bleko, also raced the Houston Marathon that day and ran a lifetime-best of her own at 2:46.44. Belko was an All-America in the steeplechase at Stockton.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 