An old problem tried to undermine Atalelech Asfaw's hopes of winning the 10th annual Des Moines Marathon.
Asfaw has battled hamstring injuries in her left leg for the better part of three years. Her leg began to hurt again Sunday after the naturalized American citizen had opened a big lead near the Drake neighborhood.
"It was very painful," Asfaw said. "I was just praying. After the half marathon I thought I might have to stop."
The 28-year-old native of Ethiopia blocked out the pain, relentlessly churning out 6-minute miles until the finish. Asfaw shattered the women's marathon record by more than 3 minutes by running 2:37:55. She wiped out the year-old record of 2:41:23 set by Alena Vinitskya.
"I'm happy to break my time," said Asfaw, whose previous best for the 26.2-mile distance was 2:42 run four years ago.
Asfaw, Kenyan Doreen Kitaka and Ukrainian Tatyana Byelovol ran together until mile 4, when the other women couldn't keep pace.
"I started pushing and after that, they didn't come with me," Asfaw said. "I go at the same pace."
Truphena Tarus, who defeated Asfaw to win the Mississippi Blues Marathon in January, took second in 2:43:00. Tarus is a Medali Sports runner from Kenya living in West Des Moines.
Asfaw said she has struggled with the hamstring injury since her 2:42 marathon. "I ran too many marathons," she said.
Now she hopes to run under 2:35 and plans to run in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston in January.
"All of my friends are running 2:35," she said. "I have to run under 2:35."
Asfaw's record was one of two set in the women's races Sunday. Jenna Boren of Minneapolis broke her own record in the half marathon by running 1:16:03. Boren, 34, ran 1:16:40 during her win two years ago.
"I'm trying to get comfortable with 6-minute pace," said Boren, who ran with the women's marathon leaders until the split before 3 miles. "Today I didn't go out too fast and didn't freak out."
No comments:
Post a Comment