Andrea Wallace (born 22 November 1966) is an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
former
long-distance runner
Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength.
Within e ...
who represented
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
in the
10,000 metres
The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...
at the
1992 Olympic Games in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. She also won a silver medal over 15 km at the
1991 IAAF World Women's Road Race Championships The 1991 IAAF World Women's Road Race Championships was the ninth and final edition of the annual international road running competition organised by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF). The competition was hosted by the Netherland ...
in
Nieuwegein
Nieuwegein () is a municipality and city in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. It is bordered on the north by the city of Utrecht (city), Utrecht, the provincial capital. It is separated from Vianen to the south by the ...
.
Career
Wallace was born in
Northallerton,
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and was a member of Torbay Athletics Club. She emerged as one of the UK's leading distance runners in 1990, winning the UK World Cross-Country trial in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, before going on to win the
UK National 3000 metres title and the
AAA Championships
The AAA Championships was an annual track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association of England. It was the foremost domestic athletics event in the United Kingdom during its lifetime, despite the existence of the officia ...
National 10,000 metres title on the track.
Having missed the 1990 World Cross Country Championships through injury and then declined selection for the 1990 European Championships, Wallace's first major championships was the 1990
IAAF 15 km World Road Race Championships in Dublin, where she finished a fine fourth, just one second away from a medal. The following year she placed 27th at the 1991 World Cross Country Championships. Then at the 15 km World Road Race Championships in Nieuwegein, she won the silver medal in a best time of 48:43, narrowly losing out to
Iulia Negura of Romania but finishing ahead of
Uta Pippig
Uta Pippig (born 7 September 1965) is a retired German long-distance runner, and the first woman to officially win the Boston Marathon three consecutive times (1994–1996). She also won the Berlin Marathon three times (1990, 1992 and 1995); the 1 ...
of Germany.
In the spring of 1992, Wallace finished third at the
London Marathon in 2:31:33. In the summer, she won her second AAAs 10,000 metres title in 32:21.61, to earn Olympic selection. At the
Barcelona Olympics however, she struggled, managing to run only 34:29 in her heat, failing to reach the final.
In 1993, Wallace achieved her lifetime best half-marathon performance, running 69:39 in Bath.
In 1994, she finished second at the
Great North Run Half-Marathon behind
Rosanna Munerotto
Rosanna Munerotto (born 3 December 1962) is an Italian long-distance runner who specialized in the marathon race.
Biography
She won three medals, at senior level, at the International athletics competitions. She participated at two editions of t ...
of Italy, having previously finished second in 1991, behind
Ingrid Kristiansen
Ingrid Kristiansen (née Christensen on 21 March 1956) is a Norwegian former athlete. She was one of the best female long-distance runners during the 1980s. She is a former world record holder in the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres and the marathon ...
.
At her best on the roads, as of 2018, Wallace still ranks in the UK all-time top ten lists for the 15 km and half-marathon. Her 15 km best of 48:43 (Nieuwegein 1991) ranks her sixth and her half-marathon best of 69:39 (Bath 1993) ranks her seventh. Her 10 km road best of 31:56 (Stoke 1991) ranks her 11th.
Achievements
*AAAs National 10,000 metres Champion (1990, 1992)
*UK National 3000 metres Champion (1990)
Note: At the 1992 World Half Marathon Championships, Wallace won a team silver medal, along with Liz McColgan
Elizabeth Nuttall (née Lynch, formerly McColgan; born 24 May 1964) is a Scottish former middle-distance and long-distance track and road-running athlete. She won the gold medal for the 10,000 metres at the 1991 World Championships, and a ...
and Suzanne Rigg.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wallace, Andrea
Living people
1966 births
Athletes from Yorkshire
People from Northallerton
English female long-distance runners
British female long-distance runners
British female marathon runners
Olympic athletes for Great Britain
Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics