Ethiopias Gotytom Gebreslase broke the championship record to win the race with a time of 2:18:11.
D’Amato’s fellow Team USA teammates Sara Hall and Emma Bates finished fifth and seventh, respectively.
But there was a catch: The 26.2-mile race was just two weeks away.
Jamie Sabau via Getty Images
Then reality started hitting.
I would have to say yes to a marathon in two weeks, which feels a little crazy.
Lets just say it was a whirlwind of emotions.
DAmato accepted on the spot.
For those unfamiliar, non-professional marathon training plans generally last anywhere from 12 to 18 weeks.
Those running the New York City Marathon in November, for instance, may just be starting their plans.
Even for the pros like DAmato, training works in a similar fashion.
It seems crazy, but Im so excited at the same time, she says.
Im beyond proud to represent the country the way I know how.
Its wild, and Im here for it.
All of this makes DAmatos debut far from typical.
But thats actually quite fitting, since her running career hasnt exactly followed the usual path either.
DAmato also has a day joband will soon have two.
Add two kids to the mixTommy is 8 and Quin is 5and its organized chaos.
But DAmato says she wouldnt have her second chapter of running any other way.
She retired from the sport, married, had two kids, and got a job.
Then in 2017, she and her husband, Anthony DAmato, signed up for the Shamrock Marathon.
DAmato finished quicker than she had planned in just 3:14but still 12 minutes behind Anthony.
(It was the last time I ever beat her in a race, he toldRunners Worldlater.)
So DAmato started training a little more purposefully.
But DAmatos improvement curve was just beginning.
I think in my first round, I felt so much pressure.
This time, coming in as a parent with no one expecting anything of me has been really freeing.
Thats been kind of beautifulto be free, in that sense.
In her early 20s, DAmato says that running was all-encompassing.
Now after workouts, she shifts into mom mode or work mode.
She jokes that her kids and clients dont care whether she nailed it or bonked that day.
Its given her some necessary perspective to a sport that can understandably feel like its the be-all and end-all.
Everyone has bad days, DAmato says.
I have a lot of bad days.
I venture to treat workouts like races and I take them really, really seriously.
As DAmatos star has risen, its taken the full support of her family to make everything work.
Her husband, she says, sacrifices his workout time so she could get hers in.
And flexibility is key all around to keep everything running smoothly.
One thing that is rigid?
She prioritizes that time above training and work.
I really protect that time, she says.
I look at that as dont mess with me during that time unless its a special circumstance.
I dont make a habit of eating into that time.
After that top priority, real estate or running filters in next depending on the day, she says.
It takes a village, and I ask for a lot of help with my family and support system.
Molly absolutely leveled up American distance running.
I think it showed other people whats possible, DAmato says.
as you get older.
Im not slowing down.
Im getting older, but Im still getting faster, she says.
Does that mean a shot at Team USA for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris?
Im going for it, man.
Definitely going for it.
