Ursula Noctor (21 January 1965 – 4 April 1993) was an Irish

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 was Irish national champion in the half marathon in 1992. She finished fourth at the

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

and

1992 Chicago Marathon The 1992 Chicago Marathon was the 15th running of the annual marathon race in Chicago, United States and was held on October 25. The elite men's race was won by Brazil's José Cesar de Souza in a time of 2:16:14 hours and the women's race was won ...

Career

Noctor was the course record holder for the Waterside Marathon. In 1982, she won the inaugural

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

Mini-Marathon. In 1987, Noctor came third at the 3,000 metres event at the Northern Irish Championships, competing as an athlete from the Republic of Ireland. In 1988, she won the 10,000 metres event at the Orlando Classic invitational meet. Noctor came third at the 1990

Columbus Marathon The Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon is a marathon held in Columbus, Ohio, United States. First run in 1978 and held annually since 1980, it features a flat, fast course which saw nearly 20 percent of finishers qualify for the B ...

in a time of 2:39:26, winning $7,500. Noctor finished fourth at the

1991 Chicago Marathon The 1991 Chicago Marathon was the 14th running of the annual marathon race in Chicago, United States and was held on October 27. The elite men's race was won by Brazil's Joseildo da Silva in a time of 2:14:33 hours and the women's race was won ...

. In 1992, Noctor won the Republic of Ireland's National Half Marathon Championship. Later in the year, she finished fourth at the

in a time of 2:41:52. It was her first marathon event since having surgery the year before.

Illness and death

In 1991, Noctor was diagnosed with

melanoma Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...

, and she had to have some lymph glands removed. At the time, she was given a 10 per cent chance of survival. Noctor died on 4 April 1993 of complications caused by the melanoma. She was aged 28.

References

External links

* * 1965 births 1993 deaths Athletes from Dublin (city) Irish female marathon runners Irish female long-distance runners Irish female middle-distance runners Deaths from melanoma Deaths from cancer in the Republic of Ireland {{Marathon-stub