Berlin marathon 2012 buelowstrasse between kilometers 36 and 37 30

Olena Shurkhno ( uk, Олена Шурхно, née Samko – ; born 8 January 1978) is a

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

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 specialises in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

. Her personal best for the distance of 2:23:32 hours is the Ukrainian record. She has won marathons in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Tempe, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Vale of Tempe , image_skyline = Tempeskyline3.jpg , imagesize = 260px , image_caption = Tempe skyline as se ...

and

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

Career

Shurkhno started her career as a

steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

specialist and competed at national level in the event until 2005. She set her personal best for the

3000 metres steeplechase The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, a ...

of 10:19.19 minutes in 2004 and also timed 10:13.71 in a novel

indoor Indoor(s) may refer to: *the interior of a building *Indoor environment, in building science, traditionally includes the study of indoor thermal environment, indoor acoustic environment, indoor light environment, and indoor air quality *Built envi ...

version of the event. It was only when she turned her

running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

talents to the

road racing Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...

circuit in 2007 that her international career blossomed. Having signed up with Andrey Baranov's Spartanik sports agency, she travelled to compete at the

Country Music Marathon The Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Marathon, previously known as the Country Music Marathon (2000–2015), is an annual marathon, half marathon, and 5K run that has been held in Nashville, Tennessee, since 2000. The marathon is followed by an eveni ...

and her first competitive marathon outing brought her a win in 2:37:52 hours. She returned to the race the following year and was an improved runner. She did not defend her title, being beaten by Russian

Svetlana Ponomarenko Svetlana Ponomarenko (russian: Светлана Пономаренко; born 28 November 1969) is a Russian long-distance runner who competes professionally in marathon races. She has a best of 2:29:55 hours for the distance. She won six consecuti ...

, but came second with a much improved time of 2:33:37 hours. A similar result came at the

Toronto Waterfront Marathon The Toronto Waterfront Marathon is an annual marathon held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in October. The race day also includes a half marathon and 5 km race. The race has quickly become an elite level marathon and is one of just five World A ...

later that year, where she was second to Mulu Seboka and ran a new best of 2:30:13 hours. Her sole outing of 2009 saw her win the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon. She managed third at the same race the following year, but performed less well at the

Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon The Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon is an annual marathon foot-race held in San Diego, California. Established in 1998, it is the original race in the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series. The event includes a half marathon.Cruz, Dan (2010-06-07)Lim ...

, finishing ninth. Shurkhno returned to the top of the marathon podium at the

Baltimore Marathon The Baltimore Marathon is the flagship race of several races held in Baltimore, Maryland known collectively as the Baltimore Running Festival. The event was once one of the fastest-growing marathons in the United States, but the number of finishe ...

in October. The 2011

San Diego Marathon The Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon is an annual marathon foot-race held in San Diego, California. Established in 1998, it is the original race in the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series. The event includes a half marathon.Cruz, Dan (2010-06-07)Lim ...

was quick and she dipped under two and half hours for the first time, recording 2:28:34 for fourth while the winner

Bizunesh Deba Bizunesh Deba (born 8 September 1987), also known as ''Buzunesh Deba'', is a Bronx-based Ethiopian long-distance runner. Her personal best for the marathon is 2:19:59, set during the Boston Marathon in 2014. A prolific runner since 2009, she i ...

set a state record. Shurkhno set one herself while defending her title at the 2011 Baltimore Marathon, as she clocked a

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

state record of 2:29:11 hours. Moving away from her typical racing grounds in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, she competed at the high calibre

Nagoya Women's Marathon The , named until the 2010 race, is an annual marathon race for female runners over the classic distance of 42 km and 195 metres, held in Nagoya, Japan in early March every year. It holds World Athletics Platinum road race status. It ...

in Japan in March 2012 and improved her best by almost three minutes, coming seventh in 2:25:49. She was overlooked for the Ukrainian Olympic team and

Tetyana Hamera-Shmyrko Tetyana Hamera ( uk, Тетяна Гамера-Шмирко; born 1 June 1983) is a Ukrainian long-distance runner. She represented her country at the 2012 Olympics in London, finishing fifth in the women's marathon. This result was among her ...

set a national record at the event. This mark did not stand for long as a month later Shurkhno ran a new Ukrainian record time of 2:23:32 hours to place third at the

2012 Berlin Marathon The 2012 Berlin Marathon was the 39th edition of the annual marathon event and was held on Sunday 30 September on the streets of Berlin, Germany. An IAAF Gold Label Road Race, it was the third World Marathon Majors event to be held that year. Geoff ...

Personal life

She is a mother of one (a son) and her hobbies include fishing and

mushroom hunting Mushroom hunting, mushrooming, mushroom picking, mushroom foraging, and similar terms describe the activity of gathering mushrooms in the wild, typically for culinary use. This practice is popular throughout most of Europe, Australia, Japan, K ...

.Female Elites 2011
Baltimore Marathon. Retrieved on 2013-02-02.

Personal bests

* Half marathon – 1:11:58 (2012) *25 kilometres – 1:25:16 (2012) *30 kilometres – 1:42:18 (2012) *

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

– 2:23:32 (2012) *

– 10:19.19 (2004)

References

External links

* __NOTOC__ {{DEFAULTSORT:Shurkhno, Olena Living people 1978 births Ukrainian female long-distance runners Ukrainian female marathon runners Ukrainian female steeplechase runners