New York City Marathon 2011 - Women's Bios

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New York City Marathon 2011 - Women's Bios
By Sharon Ekstrom

photo: Victah Sailer / PhotoRun
Mary Keitany
Age: 29
Country: KEN
PB: 2:19:19, 2011 London Marathon
Mary Keitany, half marathon world record holder, returns to 2011 New York City Marathon where she debuted in the distance one year earlier. Keitany, a decorated athlete from the World Half Marathon Championships in 2007 and 2009 where she won silver (66:48) and gold (66:36) respectively. With twenty nine** half marathons to her name and a two year streak of victories in the distance, Keitany has run more sub-67:00 half marathons than anyone.

Keitany showed much promise in 2010 - kicking off the year with a win at the Abu Dhabi Half (67:14) and a second place finish at the Worlds Best 10K. She then had a string of victories at the London 10K, the Berlin 25K and Lisbon Half Marathon. Her debut at the 2010 New York City Marathon held high expectation. Although Keitany could not hold onto fellow Kenyan Edna Kiplagat's surge at mile 24; she proved herself a force to be reckoned with in the 26.2 mile distance.

For 2011, Keitany has had an season of victories highlighted by a World Record half marathon finish in 65:50 at the 2011 Ras al Khaimah race in February and a victory of the 2011 London Marathon (2:19:19), where she rematched Edna Kiplagat, Inga Abitova, and two former London Marathon champions (Liliya Shobukhova and Irina Mikitennko). Keitany now returns to New York. This soft-spoken Kenyan is a clear favorite, this time entering the field with this world record title and better experience in the distance.

photo: Victah Sailer / PhotoRun
Caroline Kilel
Age: 30
Country: KEN
PB: 2:22:36, 2011 Boston Marathon
Caroline Kilel is a half marathon and marathon specialist from Kenya slated for the 2011 New York City Marathon roster. While most notably Kilel was 4th in 68:16 at the 2009 Half Marathon World Championships, a race won by Mary Keitany, the fastest in the 2011 New York City Marathon field.

Kilel's marathon history includes eleven career marathons, 6 of which are victories and all except two are top 3 finishes. She first broke the 2:25 marathon finish barrier with a victory of the 2010 frankfurt marathon where she finished in 2:23:25. But improvements continue for this 30 year old.

Kilel took victory of the 2011 Boston Marathon in a personal best of 2:22:36. She returned later in the summer to win the BAA 10K and took third at the Lisbon Half (again a race won by Keitany). Will she let Keitany get away with another victory? Has her training been strong enough to outkick her on the New York City course?

photo: Victah Sailer / PhotoRun
Kim Smith
Age: 29
Country: NZL
PB: 2:25:21, 2010 London Marathon
Kim Smith truly made a name for herself at the 2011 Boston Marathon. Despite never completing the race, this New Zealand national record holder in the marathon and in track from the one mile to the 10000m, did much of the work as an unofficial pacer taking the women out under course record pace. Making sure they never were too comfortable, she earned a solid lead in the initial miles of the Boston Marathon; so much so, that she was almost guaranteed victory had she been able to stay the course; but no one can predict the outcome of a marathon. She succumbed to injury at mile 17 - a torn soleus muscle in her right calf - and struggled to continue. She was soon caught by other women and could not finish; but her valiant efforts in this deep field were not and should not to be forgotten.

A strong contender on the track, Smith was a two-time Olympian from the Athens and Beijing Olympics in the 5000m and 10000m. She was 5th at the 2007 World Championships n the 10000m, 6th at the 2008 World Championships in the 3000m and 7th at the 2009 World Half-Marathon Championships. While her first attempt at distance at the 2008 New York City Marathon led to a DNF, she returned to the marathon at the 2010 London Marathon finishing in 2:25:21 (8th place), setting a national record in the marathon. She returned to New York in 2010 and ran a 2:29:28 (5th place).

While injuries following Boston hampered much of her summer track season, Smith worked on speed and hill reps and returned to racing and won the 2011 Rock 'N' Roll Philadelphia Half-Marathon in 67:11 - the fastest half-marathon ever run on US soil which beat her previous all-comers record of 67:36 from the 2010 Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon. Smith is in top form and with six of 9 career half marathons faster than 70:00. If she is healthy at the start, she has a good shot to be the first female Kiwi to win the New York City Marathon.

photo: Victah Sailer / PhotoRun
Inga Abitova
Age: 29
Country: RUS
PB: 2:22:19, 2010 Berlin Marathon
2010 European Silver medalist in the 10000m, Inga Abitova of Russia, 29, will be racing her second marathon in the US. Abitova is part of the new generation of Russian marathoners to replaced their veteran compatriots ever so dominant on elite rosters for over a decade. The new generation is also stepping up their performances providing a rivalry to the top Africans in the distance. Abitova is one of them.

She began her running career in the 3000m before turning to the 10000m and Marathon in 2004 and 2005 at age 23. She debuted in the marathon distance at the 2005 Belgrade Marathon taking victory in 2:38:20, and was a runner-up finish in 2:33:55 at 2006 Mumbai Marathon. She won the European Championships 10000m also in 2006 and became the 2007 Russian National Champion in the 10000m.

Abitova ran the London Marathon for the first time in 2007 finishing 9th in an unimpressive 2:34:25; but her focus remained on the track. Abitova was sixth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics 10000m (behind Flanagan who finished third) and took the silver medal at the 2010 European Championships.

Beginning in 2009, Abitova began to see breakthroughs in the marathon, improving her time to 2:25:55 at the 2009 London Marathon (6th place) and winning the Yokohama Marathon in 2:27:18 which gave her all the confidence she needed. Abivtova returned to the 2010 London Marathon for the third time - this time finishing as runner-up in a personal best of 2:22:19, behind her fellow Russian Liliya Shobukhova. She followed the performance with a 4th at the New York City Marathon (2:29:17). An early leader, she was unable to hold onto the 4:53 pace at mile 23.

At the 2011 London Marathon, Abitova, who settled comfortably in the lead pack, was once again broken by the fast initial miles and finished 2:26:31 (15th place). The jury is out on how Abitova will do at the 2011 New York City Marathon. She was originally signed on to run Chicago; but withdrew from the field citing an injury. The second fastest on the roster, she has only raced the London Marathon this year, meaning there may be no race (half or 10k) to test her fitness; but with the 2012 Olympics around the corner, she is running out of time.

photo: Victah Sailer / PhotoRun
Isabellah Andersson
Age: 30
Country: SWE
PB: 2:23:41, 2011 Dubai Marathon
While there has been a dearth of running talent from Scandinavia since legendary Norwegian Grete Waitz was in competition, Isabellah Andersson of Sweden is making a name for herself on the International race circuit. This four time winner of the Stockholm Marathon debuted in 2008 at her hometown marathon (2:34:14) and has raced nine marathons since. She is a decorated national champion on the track and in the half marathon distance and holds the national record for Sweden.

In 2010 she raced her first high profile marathon at the 2010 Dubai Marathon finishing 5th in 2:26:52 before running 3 additional marathons that year - Stockholm in June (1st place), the European Championships in July (5th place) and Frankfurt in October (4th place).

For 2011, she returned to the Dubai Marathon and ran a personal best and a national record in 2:23:41 (3rd place) at such a high profile race. While she ran the 2011 Stockholm Marathon in her slowest marathon finish, she may have been saving herself for the 2011 World Championships in Daegu where she took 7th (2:30:13).

With her performances steadily improving, how she will do in her first race in the United States is anybody's guess; but with her recent training and racing on the track, one may assume that she could be capable of a strong finishing kick if she has the wherewithall to take on such a deep field of fast women.

photo: Victah Sailer / PhotoRun
Bizunesh Deba
Age: 24
Country: ETH
PB: 2:23:31, Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon
At 24, Bizunesh Deba has always been a road racer specializing in the half marathon and marathon distances. With ten career marathons since her debut at the 2009 Quad Cities Marathon in 2:44:22, Deba is a prolific marathoner who followed her Quad Cities victory with a 7th place at the 2009 New York City Marathon (2:35:54) one month later. Having had another short one month recovery, Deba was victorious at the 2009 California International Marathon (2:32:17) in December. She also ran road races ranging from the 5K to half marathon throughout that year, collecting victories in most, and top ten in the high profile ones.

If that wasn't a lot of racing, Deba ran five marathons in 2010 winning all but one - the 2010 New York City Marathon (2:29:55, 10th place). With her finish times improving, Deba ran her fastest finish at that time at 2:27:24 the Twin Cities Marathon; winning that race along with the 26.2 for Donna, Grandma's and California International Marathons.

Deba continued to succeed in the distance in 2011. And although she has scaled back on marathoning, she won the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon (2:26:34) and went on to better her time at the 2011 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon (2:23:31, personal best).

Deba returns to New York City Marathon seeking personal redemption. While she has won 8 of 10 career marathons, she finished in 7th place (2:35:54, 2009) and in 10th place (2:29:55, 2010). It was these performances which mar her untarnished record of marathon victories. For the 2011 New York City Marathon she stands to better her time, but she could also be a contender.

photo: Victah Sailer / PhotoRun
Worknesh Kidane
Age: 29
Country: ETH
PR: 2:26:15, 2011 Boston Marathon
Worknesh Kidane of Ethiopia has already had an illustrious running career from track to cross country to the roads spanning over a decade. Kidane was a standout in junior level competitions in the 3,000, 5,000m and 10,000m; as well as in cross country. Her accolades include five medals at the World Cross Country Championships, silver medal from the 2003 World Championships 10,000m, a 4th place from the 2004 Athens Olympic 10,000m and top 3 finishes at a number of road races ranging from 5K to the Half Marathon.

Kidane took time off racing and running in 2006-2008 to focus on her family. And in 2010 she returned to racing - along with the mix of cross-country, she earned four top 4 finishes on the roads - winning the Great Manchester 10K (31:19), 3rd at the NYRR Women's Mini 10K (personal best 31:18), 3rd at the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon (68:31) and 4th at the London 5K (15:35).

While injury kept her from a marathon debut along with her husband Gebre Gebremariam at the 2010 New York City Marathon, she debuted months later - running a 2:27:15 at the 2011 Dubai Marathon and continued to have a string of personal bests and victories in races through the year. To further test her fitness prior to the 2011 Boston Marathon, she finished in 5th place (69:32) at the 2011 New York City Half Marathon. She then ran the 2011 Boston Marathon in a 2:26:15 personal best and followed with victories at the Peachtree 10K Road race and the Diamond League 10000m in Birmngham later that summer.

Going into the 2011 New York City Marathon, she finished second at the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half in a personal best of 67:26. There is no telling what Kidane is capable of in New York, but this veteran runner has enough to give a surprise performance.

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New York City Marathon 2011 - Women's Bios