Keeler Ramacier to Run More Marathon

Kelly Keeler Ramacier would rather keep it a low-key thing, but the More Magazine Marathon is making a big deal out of her. Keeler Ramacier is the headliner for the marathon for women over 40 to take place Sunday in New York's Central Park.

"I have not told many people here that I am running," Keeler Ramacier told DtB recently. "I wanted to stay extremely low-key about it. I have a tendency to put WAY too much pressure on myself and I didn't want anyone to know in case I crashed and burned."

The race organizers are excited to get the word out about Keeler Ramacier, 46, however. Their release notes she did not begin running until she was 32 years old, and was a smoker until just months before her first 26.2-mile race in Columbus, Ohio in 1994.

Keeler Ramacier, as many Minnesotans already know, improved rapidly and went on to compete in two U.S. Olympic Trials marathons, including a 17th-place finish in 2000 at age 38. Keeler Ramacier, who is the former director of event and program development for the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, has a marathon personal best time of 2:42:25 seconds, which she ran in 1997 at Grandma’s.

"My goal is around 3 hours," Keeler Ramacier said. "I would love to break 3:00 but, honestly, this winter's training was tough and my knee did not hold up that well. Things are better now that the temps are up. I think 7 min. pace is very doable if I don't have any knee troubles. The course is hilly and it could be tough logistically."

Keeler Ramacier won't get to face three-time More Marathon champion Susan Loken, who has also won three straight USA Masters titles at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. Loken, as part of her preparations for the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston on April 20, will participate with Beth Hawkins in the relay event at More.