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Post-Race Coverage:
Race Recap: Men's Championships | Women's Championships
Results: Men's Results | Women's Results
Pre-Race Coverage:
What To Expect: MarathonGuide.com's Preview |
IAAF's Men's Preview | IAAF's Women's Preview
Race/Athlete Profiles: The Men | The Women
Facts/Figures/Lists: Men's Past Athlete Performances | Women's Past Athlete Performances | Men's Starting Lists | Women's Starting Lists
Extras: Video Coverage | Course Map
2009 World Championships Women's Marathon Bio's
by Sharon Ekstrom
 Kara Goucher (USA)
Kara Goucher is making strides as a top marathoner. Although injuries hampered her earlier track career, by 2006, she set personal bests at all distances on the international circuit, running the World "A" Standard in the 1500m, 5000m, and 10000m. At the 2007 World Championships Goucher won the bronze medal in the women's 10000m event, then continued on to win the 2008 US Olympic Team Trials in 5000m and took second in the 10000m behind American record-holder Shalane Flanagan. Although Goucher competed in the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics 10000m finishing 10th with a personal best time of 30:55.16, and the 5000m placing 9th with a 15:49.39. Yet, her focus quickly shifted to the marathon with a debut at the 2008 New York City Marathon where she took 3rd in 2:25:53. All eyes were on Goucher as the next great marathoner, as she confidently eyed a victory at the 2009 Boston Marathon in her second attempt at the distance. Although Goucher came in 3rd in 2:32:25, the disappointed runner coached by running legend Alberto Salazar put aside her plans to have a baby and returned to the racing circuit ready to take on the 2009 World Championships.
 Paula Radcliffe (UK) - WITHDRAWN
Hands down, Paula Radcliffe is one of the greatest women in the history of running. A national hero in Great Britain, she is best known worldwide as the fastest female marathoner with a 2:15:25 from the 2003 London Marathon. Radcliffe remains the only woman to break 2:18 and she did it three times! Other great accomplishments include 10k World Record Holder, Half-Marathon World Record Holder (if counting the slightly downhill course), 2000 and 2001 World Half Marathon Champion, 2005 World Marathon Champion, winner of the Chicago Marathon and three-time winner of both the New York City and London Marathons. Yet, an Olympic medal still eludes the thirty-five year old and a series of setbacks have out-shadowed her more recent victories of the New York City Marathon.
Despite two disappointing performances at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics, Radcliffe had redeemed herself with wins of the 2004 New York City Marathon (2:23:10), 2005 London Marathon, 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, 2007 New York City Marathon (2:23:09) and 2008 New York City Marathon (2:23:56). Not to mention she took a break in 2006 to have her first baby.
Yet, Radcliffe felt further setbacks going into 2009, as a broken toe prevented her from running the London Marathon. Opting for surgery, she headed to California in March to remove a bunion from her right foot believing it was a contributing factor to her injuries. To test herself prior to the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Radcliffe won the 2009 New York City Half-Marathon in what was her slowest half-marathon finish ever in hot and humid conditions. Mind you, she finished three seconds off the tanding course record. Although she has not raced yet in 2009, if in peak form she still can dominate any field.
 Zhou Chunxiu (CHN)
Zhou Chunxiu is not a familiar name in the racing circuit in Europe or the United States, but she remains a threat to any western field she participates in. Best known for a rigorous Olympic training regimen consisting of a marathon per day in altitude, this top Chinese runner debuted in the marathon distance in 2003, when veterans like Radcliffe and Ndereba already had a number of marathons under their belts. Although she placed 5th at the 2005 World Championships (2:24:12), Chunxiu did not make a name for herself until a 2:19:51 at the 2006 Seoul Marathon, earning her ninth on the all-time fastest marathoners list. She did not become a major threat to world-level competitors, until she stole the victory of the 2007 London Marathon in 2:20:38. Chunxiu followed that victory with a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, losing to Catherine Ndereba by eight seconds. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Zhou earned a bronze medal, losing out on silver by a narrow margin of one second once again to Ndereba. She ran the 2009 London Marathon taking on rival Ndereba for a third time, but struggled in the race finishing in 12th place (2:29:02). Despite Chinese newpapers stating that the fitness levels of both Chunxiu and the other Chinese runners were sub-par, Chunxiu who finishes nearly every race in the top three can surprise us once again.
 Dire Tune (ETH)
In an event where most marathoners tend to have over a decade of solid racing, Ethiopian Dire Tune at twenty-four has a marathon resume spanning five years with wins of the 2006 Hong Kong Marathon, 2007 and 2008 Houston Marathon and 2008 Boston Marathon, a win of the 2009 RAK Half Marathon in personal best of 67:18 and a world record in the 2009 Golden Spike one hour race. She was the youngest champion ever of the Boston Marathon winning the 2008 race in 2:25:25, this was three months after her victory at the Houston Marathon in a personal best time of 2:24:40. But Tune has never performed well at a championship race ? 2005 World Championships (35th place), 2007 World Championships (DNF), 2008 Beijing Olympics (15th place). If Tune can win gold, the Ethiopians can dominate the championships.
Svetlana Zakharova (RUS)
Thirty-nine year old Svetlana Zakharova of Russia is s veteran runner with 29 marathons to her name. While she is not the oldest female on the World Championship marathon roster; (the oldest woman in the field is Luminita Zaituc of Germany who is 41) - Zakharova is one of only 5 in the field capable of running sub:2:22. In fact, her personal best is a 2:21:29 from the 2002 Chicago Marathon. Other accolades include 17 top three finishes including wins of the Honolulu Marathon (1997-2:33:14 and 2002-2:29:08), Boston Marathon (2003-2:25:20) and Chicago Marathon (2003-2:23:07). Her expansive resume also includes two second-place finishes at the London Marathon and two second place finishes at the Honolulu Marathon, and a bronze at the 2001 World Championships among other top performances in a career spanning 13 years. Although this will be Zakharova's first World Championship since 2003, she has recently finished 4th in the 2009 London Marathon (2:25:06) - proof that she remains a worthy competitor in any top field.
 Lyudmila Petrova (RUS)
A veteran of the London Marathon course, Russian Lyudmila Petrova has completed six London Marathons, finishing in the top ten at every race. What is most remarkable about this 40-year-old with nearly two decades of running experience is that she can still race at high levels. She acquired her personal best finish at the 2006 London Marathon with a 2:21:29, stealing the Russian national record from Svetlana Zakharova, and in 2008, placed fifth in London in a 2:26:45 - the fastest finish for a 39-year-old. Just months later, Petrova was runner-up to Paula Radcliffe at the New York City Marathon (2:25:43). She is no novice to the distance sport that incorporates strategy, skill and past experience and she has proven that age is of no bearing in the marathon.
Bezunesh Bekele (ETH)
At 25, Bezunesh Bekele's talents are just starting to emerge in the marathon distance. Her PR of 2:23:09 earned her 2nd place at the 2008 Dubai Marathon and her 7th place finish at the 2008 Chicago Marathon (2:32:41) are enough to put her at the top of many women's fields. While boasting good half marathon times in past years, including wins at Rotterdam in 2005 and Lisbon in 2007, Bekele's sole marathon win came at the 2009 Dubai Marathon in 2:24:02. Three months later, she followed that performance with a 4th place finish at the Boston Marathon in 2:33:08. Bekele has time to prove herself on the world stage and the World Championships can be where she will shine.
Bai Xue (CHN)
At twenty years of age, China's Bai Xue has 10 marathons under her belt. Surprisingly, Xue debuted in the marathon distance at the 2003 Beijing Marathon at the age of 15! Not to mention this teenager placed 8th with a 2:37:07 at that same race where the winner Sun Yingie, eleven years her senior, became the third fastest woman in the world. In 2004, she was still developing in the distance was 3rd at the Seoul Marathon in 2:42:21. By 2009 Xue has six top three finishes including two victories at Zhengzhou (2007, 2:33:51) and Beijing (2008, 2:23:27). While she has predominantly raced in Asia, she will represent China in her first race in Europe on the world stage.
Desiree Davila (USA)
At twenty-six years. Desiree Davila of the Hansons-Brooks team has run only three marathons - the 2007 Boston Marathon (2:44:56), the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials (2:37:50) and the 2008 Chicago Marathon (2:31:33). Although her previous forays at world championship races in the 20K and Half-Marathon distances did not bode well for the top American. Her finishes at the Half Marathon National Championships have produced 2nd and 4th place finishes in 2008 (72:10) and 2009 (72:24) respectively. Despite being an underdog in the race, Davila could surprise us as reigning champion Luke Kibet did at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.
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