Valeria Straneo (born 5 April 1976) is an Italian long-distance runner, winner of the silver medal at the

2013 World Championships in Athletics The 14th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (Moscow 2013) () was an international athletics competition held in Moscow, Russia, from 10–18 August 2013. Initially, Russia won the most gold medals to top the table for the first time since 200 ...

and Italian record holder in the marathon. She won the Stramilano in 2011 and bettered the

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcut ...

Italian record at the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon in 2012, although it was not ratified as the course doesn't meet Fidal criteria.

Biography

Born in Alessandria, it was only after the removal of her

spleen The spleen is an organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The word spleen comes .

, in 2010, that she began to reach a national standard of running. At 35 years old, she ranked eighth in the 2011 Berlin Marathon with a time of 2:26:33 hours. This met the qualifying standard for the 2012 Olympic Games, but three other athletes had run faster than her (

Anna Incerti Anna Carmela Incerti (born 19 January 1980 in Palermo) is an Italian long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon. She has represented Italy in the marathon at European, World and Olympic-level. She won the bronze in the event at the 201 ...

Rosaria Console Rosaria Console, better known as Rosalba (born 17 December 1979 in Martina Franca, Taranto) is an Italian long-distance runner who specializes in the half marathon and marathon. Biography She won four medals, one of these at junior level, at the ...

and Nadia Ejjafini). However, she broke the 12-year-old Italian record at the

Rotterdam Marathon The Rotterdam Marathon, currently branded NN Rotterdam Marathon, is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April every year since the third edition in 1984 and attracts many top athletes ...

in April, finishing as runner-up with a time of 2:23:44 hours. The

Turin Marathon The Turin Marathon ( it, Maratona di Torino Gran Premio La Stampa) is an annual marathon race which takes place in Turin, Italy in November. History The first edition of the modern race was held in 1987, although other marathon competitions have ...

saw her finish third with a time of 2:27:04 hours. Straneo has represented the

Italy national athletics team The Italy national athletics team represents Italy at the international athletics competitions such as Olympic Games or world athletics championships. Medal count When there is updated to 31 January 2022. Caps Updated at the 2013 Mediterra ...

once (at the

2011 European Cross Country Championships The 2011 European Cross Country Championships was the 18th edition of the cross country running competition for European athletes which was held in Velenje, Slovenia on 11 December. Atelaw Yeshetela of Belgium won the men's title to become the ...

) and has won twice at the

national championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

. She has two children, Leonardo (born 2006) and Arianna (born 2007).

National records

*Half marathon: 1:07:46 ( Ostia, 26 February 2012) - Current holder. *Marathon: 2:23:44 (

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

, 15 April 2012) - Current holder.

Achievements

Road races

*1st - 2011 Stramilano *2nd - 2012

National titles

Straneo won eight national championships at individual senior level, she has won, at 36 years old for her first time, the individual

national championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

. *

Italian Athletics Championships The Italian Athletics Championships ( it, Campionati italiani assoluti di atletica leggera) are the national championships in athletics, organised every year by the Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera. The first edition, four races only, w ...

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 ra ...

: 2013, 2020 (2) **

Half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcut ...

: 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020 (4) *

Italian 10 km road Championship The Italian 10 km road Championship (''Campionato italiano 10 km corsa su strada'' in italian language) is the Italy national championship of the 10 km road held for the first time in 2010. Editions Winners Men *2010: Stefano Baldini *2011: ...

** 10 km road race: 2011, 2012 (2)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Straneo, Valeria 1976 births Living people Italian female long-distance runners Italian female marathon runners Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes of Italy World Athletics Championships athletes for Italy European Athletics Championships medalists Mediterranean Games gold medalists for Italy Athletes (track and field) at the 2013 Mediterranean Games Mediterranean Games medalists in athletics Italian Athletics Championships winners 20th-century Italian women 21st-century Italian women