Shippensburg University alumna Katie Spratford ’13 put forth an incredible effort in the 2023 Mesa Half Marathon that has qualified her to compete in the 2024 USA Track & Field (USATF) U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the marathon.
On Saturday, Feb. 4, Spratford placed fourth in the Mesa Half Marathon with a time of 1 hour, 11 minutes and 52 seconds (1:11.52), clearing the qualification standard (1:12.00) by eight seconds.
Spratford, the No. 4 female in the race, finished only nine seconds behind Molly Seidel, the 2020 Olympics bronze medalist in the marathon who had previously finished second at the 2020 USATF U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the marathon.
It is the latest incredible accomplishment for Spratford, who earned her spot in the trials despite having to navigate the more rigid qualification standards of the half marathon. The USATF marathon trials standard is 2:37.00; Spratford’s equivalent marathon pace from her Mesa performance would have been approximately 2:30.00 to 2:31.00, a clearance of the full marathon standard by six minutes (Conversions are unofficial, given the many variables involved, but still close approximations).
As a result, Spratford becomes the third Raider to have qualified for the 2024 USATF U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the marathon. Neely Spence Gracey ’12 ran 2:30.29 on Dec. 4 at the California International Marathon, and Matt Gillette ’13 ran 2:17.57 on May 28 at the Edinburgh Marathon.
In her decorated three-year Raider career, Spratford attained eight All-America awards in her sports: three in cross country (’10, ’11 and ’12), three in indoor track & field (5K in ’12 and ’13, DMR in ’12) and twice in outdoor track & field (10K in ’12 and ’13). She also won Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championships eight times – six indoors, one outdoors and one in cross country.
Spratford was also an Academic All-American ® who graduated cum laude with a degree in exercise science.
For more information on the qualifications for the 2024 USATF U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the marathon, visit:
