Julia Kirtland is a former American distance runner who specialized in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

. She won the 1997 USA Marathon Championship, and also placed in the top 25 at the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.

Early life

Kirtland grew up in

Auburn, New York Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States. Located at the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, the city had a population of 26,866 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city of Cayuga County, the ...

before relocating to

Northfield, Massachusetts Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Northfield was first settled in 1673. The population was 2,866 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Connectic ...

. There she attended high school at

Northfield Mount Hermon Northfield Mount Hermon School (abbreviated as NMH), is a co-educational college-preparatory school in Gill, Massachusetts. It educates boarding and day students in grades 9–12, as well as post-graduate students. It is a member of the Eight S ...

, competing in field hockey and cross country. Kirtland continued her running career at

Macalester College Macalester College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1874, Macalester is exclusively an undergraduate institution with an enrollment of 2,142 students in the fall of 2023. The college ha ...

in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She became one of the most decorated runners in the history of NCAA Division III, winning eight individual NCAA Championships and earning 16 NCAA All-American awards. She graduated in 1987 and was inducted into the Macalester Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.

Career

Kirtland made the jump up to the marathon distance in 1994, notching an Olympic Trials qualifying time at the

Twin Cities Marathon The Twin Cities Marathon is a marathon in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area which normally takes place the first weekend in October. The race is often called "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America" due to a course that winds through down ...

. In the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in South Carolina, Kirtland placed 14th of 160 women in a time of 2:37:53. She finished one spot behind 1984 Olympic Champion and fellow Maine resident,

Joan Benoit Joan Benoit Samuelson (born May 16, 1957) is an American marathon runner who was the first women's Olympic Games marathon champion, winning the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She held the fastest time for an American wo ...

. The following year, Kirtland returned to the Twin Cities and won the 1997 USA Marathon Championship in a time of 2:37:46. Kirtland represented the United States at the 1997 World Championships in

Athens, Greece Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, placing 36th in the marathon. A resident of

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

since the early 1990s, Kirtland was a dominant force in Maine road races. She won the Maine Women's division of the

Beach to Beacon 10K The TD Beach to Beacon 10K is a road running event that takes place along the coastline of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. It begins at Crescent Beach State Park and ends at the Portland Head Light in Fort Williams Park. Starting out as mainly a loc ...

in 1998, 1999, and 2000, the first three years of the event's existence. At the 1999

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...

, Kirtland placed 13th in a time of 2:39:45, which qualified her for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. At the Trials, Kirtland finished 23rd of 170 women in a time of 2:45:28. Kirtland was inducted into the Maine Running Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2013, Kirtland was inducted into the NCAA Division III Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Personal

Kirtland lives in

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

and owns a sports massage clinic.

References

External links

World Athletics Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirtland, Julia Living people American track and field athletes American female long-distance runners American female marathon runners Track and field athletes from Maine 1965 births