Kim Merritt

Who is Kim Merritt?

Kim Merritt is a former American long-distance runner who competed in the marathon. Her career coincided with the development of women's running in the United States and she was at the forefront of distance running in the mid-1970s.

She won the 1975 New York City Marathon and in 1976 she took the women's titles at both the Boston and Honolulu Marathons. Her personal best time of 2:37:57, set at the 1977 Oregon Track Club Marathon, was an American record for the distance and made her the fourth best runner worldwide that year. Merritt also won numerous shorter races on the national circuit, including the Falmouth Road Race, Crim 10 mile run and Gate River Run. She ceased competing around 1980, although she made an unsuccessful attempt at the 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials.