Tomescu-Dita Wants Sub 2:20 and Win in Chicago By David Monti (c) 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
CHICAGO
(20-Oct-2006) -- Constantina Tomescu-Dita sees her mission at the 29th
LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon with vivid clarity: to run the fastest
marathon of her already illustrious career.
That would seem like
a logical goal for a woman who is 29 or 30 years-old and still building
her marathon career. But Tomescu-Dita, who is already the Romanian
record holder with a 2:21:30 personal best, is just three months shy of
her 37th birthday. How much faster can she run?
"I want to go
faster," said the 2005 IAAF World Championships Marathon bronze
medalist at a press conference today. "My preparation is very well
this year. I say I can run under 2:20."
Only eight women in the
history of the sport, and only one European (world record holder Paula
Radcliffe), have broken the 2:20 barrier. American Deena Kastor was
the latest to join the club with her 2:19:36 North American record at
the Flora London Marathon last April, and Tomescu-Dita made it plain to
her rivals today that she planned to be the next. The only obstacle
which may stand in her way are the potentially cold conditions;
forecasters are calling for temperatures to be just above the freezing
mark when the race at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday in Grant Park.
"If it
is good weather I can run under 2:20," said Tomescu-Dita who won the
2005 IAAF World Half-Marathon title in dreadfully cold and wet
conditions in Edmonton.
There is no doubt that she is fit. At
the IAAF World Road Running Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, on Oct.
8, Tomescu-Dita provided the only serious challenge to gold medalist
Lornah Kiplagat, finishing just two seconds behind the Dutchwoman in
1:03:23, under both the previous IAAF and ARRS-recognized world records
of 1:03:26 and 1:03:54, respectively. Her mark at 20-K converts to a
2:20:54 marathon by one popular conversion formula, and probably
indicates even greater fitness because Tomescu-Dita had to race the
20-K in the midst of her marathon training when her legs would be heavy
with mileage.
"It helped me a lot," said Tomescu-Dita about how her silver medal in Debrecen boosted her confidence for Chicago.
Tomescu-Dita
has had excellent success in Chicago, including a victory in 2004 in
2:23:45. She's also been second here twice, in 2003 in 2:23:35, and
again last year when she nearly caught Deena Kastor in the final
kilometer to finish just five seconds down on the American in the
Romanian record 2:21:30. She expects her experience here to help her
on Sunday.
"I know the course," she said. "I know it's fast."
