Plan comes together for Shobukhova
Liliya Shobukhova surely doesn't lack confidence.
Trailing by 24 seconds in late stages of Sunday's Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the talented Russian runner still felt she was in command of the race.
Having won the Chicago Marathon last year, one can certainly understand why she has confidence in her abilities no matter how far behind she is. With Astede Baysa of Ethiopia setting the pace, Shobukhova ran a tactical race and repeated her feat from last year to come from behind. Shobukhova grabbed the lead in the 21st mile and did not look back en route to her third major marathon championship in 2:20:25.
Her new personal best time inked a new Russian women's national record, 22 seconds better than her friend and training partner Galina Bogomolova. Shobukhova also will go home a lot richer -- $615,000 in fact. She received $75,000 for the win, a $40,000 bonus for finishing under 2:21 and a cool $500,000 for capturing the 2009-10 World Marathon Majors competition.
“A perfectly judged race, said Shobukhova about her race strategy. “I had my own plan when I run marathons. I was always in control. I was aiming to win at close to 2:20.
Baysa finished second at 2:23:40. Russia's Maria Konovalova (2:23:50), American Desiree Davila (2:26:20) and Germany's Irina Mikitenko (2:26:40) rounded out the top five.
Taking a more conservative approach with this race was good planning given the conditions. It was 67 degrees at the start. Shobukhova said she likes it a bit cooler. For Baysa, she felt the rise in the temperatures at around the midway point of the race impacted her race.
“I had very good preparation in Ethiopia, Baysa said. “I was in very good shape. So I thought that I could win. But when I was alone, it became too hot.
Three of the last four marathons have been run in unseasonably warm conditions including in 2007 when the temperature soared to 89 degrees, the highest race day temperature in Chicago Marathon history. That year, race organizers stopped the race about four hours into it because of high heat and humidity. Hundreds of runners got sick and 184 went to hospitals.
“You'll have to ask the athletes if they could have run better on another day, said Chicago Marathon Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. “But I'd say, in cooler weather, sure. We need to get Mother Nature to cooperate.
As for Shobukhova, she plans to use part of her prize earnings to build a hotel in her hometown along with her husband, Igor Shobukov to help develop the small remote Urals town of Beloretzk, Russia, as a ski resort.
Former Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson turned in a nice performance. She clocked in at 2:47:50, although she missed the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying time of 2:46.