Two Cities Marathon F0-14: Keilia Booher Goes the Distance

• Sole finisher in F0-14: Keilia Booher, 14, of Campbell, CA crossed in 4:25:11 (10:07/mi).
• Mid-race surge: Booher climbed from 63rd to 54th among women through the halfway point, gaining nine places on the field.
• Strong middle miles: Her 10K-to-half split ranked 53rd-fastest among all women on that segment.
• Late fade: After peaking at 54th among women near the halfway mark, she slipped back to 62nd by the finish — the back half of a marathon is always where the real race begins.

At 14 years old, Keilia Booher stood as the only finisher in the F0-14 age group at the 2024 Two Cities Marathon — and she made it count. Completing a full 26.2 miles on a point-to-point course running along the Fresno/Clovis border, she crossed the line in 4:25:11 at a 10:07-per-mile average. That's a marathon, finished, at 14.

The early and middle miles told an encouraging story. Booher worked her way steadily through the women's field, moving from 63rd at the first checkpoint all the way up to 54th by around the halfway mark — a net gain of nine places that reflected real competitive momentum. Her split from 10K through the half was the 53rd-fastest among all women in the race, a stretch where she was genuinely racing, not just surviving.

The final miles brought the familiar marathon reckoning. She slipped from 54th back to 62nd among women over the second half, a fade that's no surprise on a flat, fast course where the back half has a way of exposing anyone who pushed a touch too hard early. It doesn't diminish what came before — holding sub-11-minute miles for 26.2 miles is a legitimate athletic feat at any age, let alone 14.