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Lead Stories: Monday, December 1, 2008

Grigoryeva is Victorius at 2008 Chicago Marathon

Posted October 12th, 2008 at 11:27 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons

1 Grigoryeva, Lidiya 2:27:17 (RUS)
2 Biktimirova, Alevtina 2:29:32 (RUS)
3 Shimahara, Kiyoko 2:30:19 (JPN)
4 Tomescu-Dita, Constantina 2:30:57 (ROM)
5 Davila, Desiree 2:31:33 (USA)

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Dita Looking to Charge Ahead in Chicago

Posted October 11th, 2008 at 9:30 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

At yesterday’s kick-off press conference for the 31st Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Olympic Marathon champion Constantina Dita was introduced to the assembled media by 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor. When Dita rose to speak at the podium, reporters also rose to give her a standing ovation, something rarely seen at this kind of gathering.

Dita, her blue eyes beaming and just a little misty, looked at race director Carey Pinkowski seated next to her.

“He’s a great person,” she said of Pinkowski who looks noticeably trimmer than last year. “I think he’s training more because he’s more skinny.”
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Bank of America Chicago Marathon: Women’s Preview

Posted October 10th, 2008 at 1:30 PM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The Women’s Race at the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will feature a clash between youth and experience. On the side of experience are reigning Olympic champion Constantina Tomescu-Dita and two-time defending Chicago champion Berhane Adere, both of whom have remarkable credentials and are in fine form. They will be challenged by relative newcomer Bezunesh Bekele and several other talented women looking to prove themselves on this big stage.
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Mikitenko Will Not Chase WMM Title in New York

Posted September 30th, 2008 at 8:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

In a surprising development, newly crowned real,- Berlin Marathon champion Irina Mikitenko said she would not attempt to win the 2007/2008 World Marathon Majors series title and the attendant USD 500,000 award by competing in the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 2. The three-time Olympian is currently tied with Ethiopian Gete Wami for the series lead with 65 points, and Wami’s participation in New York has already been announced.

“Money isn’t everything,” said Mikitenko at a press conference in Berlin today. “I’ve already done very well, winning London and Berlin. If you’re in a sport at this level, you need goals and targets, and my goal is next year’s World Championships marathon here in Berlin. The most important thing is to win. If you win, money follows.”
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World Marathon Majors Fall Season Set Open in Berlin

Posted September 17th, 2008 at 9:02 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

With the Olympic Games results now in the books, the World Marathon Majors is set to open the Fall season at the real,-BERLIN-MARATHON on Sunday, September 28. Six athletes are still in the running for a half share of the $1,000,000 annual prize.

On the men’s side, Kenyans Martin Lel and Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot are the last two athletes in contention for the 2007/2008 title. Lel has 76 points to Cheruiyot’s 55. Lel has already scored in four events (the maximum number allowed in a two-year scoring period). Should he choose to race again, Lel could still improve his score by improving upon his 5th-place finish in the Olympic Games because an athlete may have his best four results count. For Cheruiyot to defend his championship he will first have to recover from the injury which forced him to withdraw from the Olympics. Then, only a victory –coupled with Lel failing to add to his lead– would give Cheruiyot the title.
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Gold Medalist Dita Leads Chicago Field

Posted September 11th, 2008 at 10:45 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Organizers of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will have the sparkle of gold at their race on Sunday, October 12, when Romania’s Constantina Dita steps to the starting line. The newly crowned Olympic Games gold medalist will have just 56 days to recover from her breakaway win in Beijing, then rally back to perform at her best in Chicago. It will be her fifth appearance in the Windy City, a race she won in 2004 and finished second one year later in a personal best 2:21:30.

“I am delighted to be returning to Chicago,” said Dita through a press release. “I have always felt great running there and have been fortunate to have some of the best races of my life there. It will also be nice to return because I understand Chicago is bidding for the 2016 Olympic Games and I think it would be a wonderful place to have them.”

In Beijing Dita pulled away from the field just before the halfway point, and romped to a solo victory in 2:26:44, 22 seconds ahead of silver medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya. She became the oldest Olympic Games marathon champion at 38.
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Front-Running Tomescu-Dita Takes Marathon Title

Posted August 16th, 2008 at 11:46 PM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

In this morning’s seventh edition of the Olympic Marathon for women, Constantina Tomescu-Dita took a big gamble, and it paid off.

Breaking from a large pack just before the midway point, the 38-year-old Romanian, whose front-running style had backfired on more than one occasion in the past, forged off on her own to claim a dominating victory and became the oldest-ever women’s Olympic Marathon champion.

“It was a great performance,” said Dita, who was a distant 20th in Athens four years ago. “Going into the second half, I thought I could do it.”
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Large Pack Still Together at 10 Miles

Posted August 16th, 2008 at 8:09 PM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

A large lead pack is still intact 10 miles into the 2008 Women’s Olympic Marathon. Romanian Constantina Tomescu-Dita (Pictured) was the leader of the 40 woman pack at the 10 mile mark, reaching it in 57:49. The pace thus far has been sluggish but consistent, with opening 5k splits of 18:24, 17:46, 17:42.

Britain’s Liz Yelling has assumed most of the pacing duties despite a nasty spill around a tight corner, undoubtedly caused by the light rain that has begun to fall on the course. Also at the front of the lead pack is World Record Holder Paula Radcliffe and fan favorite Zhou Chunxiu of China.
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Germany’s Irina Mikitenko Earns Upset Victory at 2008 Flora London Marathon

Posted April 13th, 2008 at 6:30 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

Germany’s Irina Mikitenko, who had a previous personal best time of 2:24:51, has defeated pre-race favorties Gete Wami and Berhane Adere to win the 2008 Flora London Marathon!

In what is her first major, international marathon victory, Mikitenko earned the victory and followed in the tradition of fellow German Uta Peppig in a time of 2:24:14.

Svetlana Zhakarova was the runner up (2:24:39) and Ethiopia’s Gete Wami, who had taken a serious fall and hurt her hip earlier in the race, finished third in 2:25:35. Selina Kosgei, Ludmila Petrova, Souad Ait Salem, Berhane Adere, Constantina Tomescu-Dita and Liz Yelling
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London Marathon 2008: Elite Women’s Race Preview

Posted April 11th, 2008 at 3:30 PM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The women’s competition at the 2008 Flora London Marathon promises to be intense despite the absence of perennial favorite and World Record holder Paula Radcliffe, who recently withdrew due to a toe ailment. The race will still include a pair of Ethiopian stars as well as several other first class British marathoners. These women will be racing for one of the most prestigious titles in the marathon world as well as points in the World Marathon Majors contest.

Leading the way for the women will be the inaugural World Marathon Major Champion, Gete Wami of Ethiopia. Wami had a stellar track career before turning to the marathon, and has finished on the podium in numerous world class marathons. She won last fall’s Berlin marathon and finished second at London last year (to China’s Chunxiu Zhou). Her lifetime best of 2:21:34 ranks near the top of the field but is almost a minute slower than that of fellow Ethiopian Berhane Adere, whose 2:20:42 is the fastest in the field. Adere also sports an impressive marathon resume with two Chicago victories and the 2008 Dubai title to her credit. Adere will be looking to avenge a few uncharacteristically poor performances at London as her fourth and eleventh place finishes the last two years are far below her standards.
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