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December 2009
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Abitova takes crown at Yokohama International Women's Marathon |
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16.11.2009 |
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Inga Abitova of Russia won the inaugural Yokohama
International Women's Marathon on Sunday. |
Inga Abitova of Russia won the inaugural Yokohama International Women's Marathon on Sunday, overshadowing the Beijing Olympic gold and silver medallists.
The reigning European champion in the 10000m delivered a commanding performance, clocking 2:27:18, to win by more than a minute-and-a-half over her nearest competitor Kiyoko Shimahara of Japan.
Shimahara, the Marathon silver medallist at the 2006 Asian Games, completed the race in 2:28:51 to finish ahead of two-time Olympic silver medallist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, who was third with 2:29:13.
Italy's Bruna Genovese, a winner at the 2004 Tokyo International Women's Marathon, finished fourth with a time of 2:29:57. Reigning Olympic champion Constantina Dita of Romania finished a disappointing 11th in 2:36:06.
It was Dita, though, who set the initial pace, forming the lead pack with Shimahara, Abitova and Genovese, while Ndereba trailed behind the pack by approximately 15 metres through the initial stages.
The equation started changing after the half-way stage, as Dita failed to keep pace with the rest of the pack. As the race inched towards the final loop, 27-year-old Abitova went into the lead with a brilliant change of pace. The Russian carried her lead to the finish, winning her first Marathon race of the year.
Lithuania's Zivile Balciunaite finished seventh clocking 2:32:09.
After the launch of the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year, the sponsors of the Tokyo International Women's Marathon decided to move the race to Yokohama. The course of the inaugural marathon race in Yokohama consisted of three loops of 13.18km; making it the first multiple loop Marathon race in Japan.
Top results:
1. Inga Abitova (RUS) 2:27:18
2. Kiyoko Shimahara (JPN) 2:28:51
3. Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 2:29:13
4. Bruna Genovese (ITA) 2:29:57
5. Miki Ohira (JPN) 2:30:22
7. Zivile Balciunaite (LTU) 2:32:09
11. Constantina Dita (ROU) 2:36:06
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