Rookie Topples Women’s Record
She came. She saw. She conquered.
Bloomsday rookie Delillah Asiago maneuvered through the 12K course like a veteran and ran away with the women’s title Sunday morning in record fashion, beating her nearest competitor to the finish line by more than 2 minutes.
Asiago broke away from the pack of elite women runners a little more than a mile into the race and cruised to a course record of 38 minutes, 19 seconds, shattering the mark set last year by Olga Appell in 38:45.
“I was running easy and I felt good,” the 23-year-old Kenyan said. “I knew I was going to win.”
France’s Nadia Prasad and 1992 and 1993 Boston Marathon champion Olga Markova had a fierce duel for second place with Prasad edging Markova at the finish. Prasad finished in 40:25. Markova settled for third in 40:30.
Jody Hawkins of Barstow, Calif. finished fourth in 41:21, and Spokane marathoner Kim Jones ended up fifth, her best finish ever, with a time of 41:39.
Asiago was relentless, opening her lead to nearly 300 yards with a 4:50 second mile. She increased that to almost a half mile at six miles, where she began her kick towards the finish line.
“I knew that I was going to win because of my training,” said Asiago, who is a training partner of men’s champion Josphat Machuka. “Machuka is why I’m so strong.”
Strong is an understatement. Asiago was so dominating that by the time she reached the top of Doomsday Hill, Prasad and Markova were just beginning the climb.
“She just took off and we couldn’t go with her,” Prasad said. “I never gave up, but I had to worry about Olga.”
Asiago has become one of the hottest runners in the world, placing first three times and second once in her last four races. She captured wins at the Crescent City Classic in New Orleans two weeks ago, the Azalea Trail Run in Mobile, Ala., at the end of March and at the Gasparilla Distance Classic in Tampa, Fla., in mid-February. Her runner-up finish came at the beginning of April at the Carlsbad 5000.
“She’s the best out there on the roads these days,” seven-time Bloomsday champion Anne Audain said. “I’m not surprised that she won.”