Loken Three-Peats as Champion of More Magazine Marathon
Denisova, Painter join forces to win accompanying team half-marathon
From New York Road Runners
NEW YORK - (March 25, 2007) - At age 43, Susan Loken of Phoenix, AZ, became the three-time winner of the More Magazine Marathon, held here Sunday in Central Park. Loken won the world's only marathon exclusively for women age 40 and over in a time of 2 hours, 47 minutes, 52 seconds.
Loken ran unchallenged on a course that has become familiar to her since her first win here, back in 2005. Leading from the gun, she broke the finish-line tape more than 23 minutes in front of runner-up Gordon Bakoulis, 46, of New York City (3:11:24). Peggy Nelson-Panzer, 45, of Aurora, CO, rounded out the top three with her 3:16:55 finish. Temperatures were in the low 40s with partly cloudy skies and light winds.
The event also featured a half-marathon in which teams of two women, one of whom must be over 40, competed together with their times combined for scoring purposes. Forty-year-old Trina Painter of Flagstaff, AZ (1:19:10), teamed up with Lyubov Denisova (1:16:49), 35, a Russian citizen who resides in Gainesville, FL, to claim the title. Denisova, who has also spent time living and training in New York City, was the individual half-marathon winner, followed by runner-up Claudia Camargo (1:17:27), 35, a native of Argentina living in Danbury, CT. Painter claimed third place.
More than 6,000 women took part in the races, which are put on by New York Road Runners and More Magazine, a lifestyle publication for women age 40 and older. The More Magazine Marathon and Half-Marathon has become a destination event for women of all ages and fitness levels, who make it the centerpiece of a weekend with friends and family in New York City.
Both courses cover multiple loops of Central Park, allowing for plenty of interaction among all participants. The race-day camaraderie wasn't lost on Loken, who has returned to this race three years running in large part because of the supportive nature of the event. "It was inspiring out there with so many people cheering me along," she said, adding that she regretted she would probably not return to defend her title in 2008 due to the timing of the race just weeks before the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon on April 20, 2008, in Boston.
Loken set the event record at her first outing, in 2005, when she won in 2:45:35, the fastest women's marathon time on a course entirely within Central Park. Her 2006 winning time was 2:50:01. Loken has done all of her best running since turning 40. She ran a personal best time of 2:41:31 last year in Phoenix.
Loken won $2000 in prize money for her win, plus a $1000 time bonus. Denisova and Painter will collect a combined $2000 first-place prize and $500 time bonus. The total guaranteed event prize purse is $14,000.
"Being over 40 is now a reason for women to celebrate, and what better way than being part of the exclusive More Magazine Marathon - the only marathon in the world limited to women over 40," said Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners and race director of ING New York City Marathon. "It's a work-hard party for women who are strong and want to feel good about life."
