Fionnuala McCormack finished fifth in the Valencia Marathon on Sunday. The 37-year-old also smashed her personal best by just under three minutes.
McCormack ran 2:23.58, breaking her previous best marathon mark of 2:26.47 which she recorded two years ago in Chicago.
The run makes her the second fastest Irish-born woman ever for the marathon. She moves ahead of Mayo's Sinead Diver who runs for Australia. Only Catherina McKiernan's 2:22:23, which she ran 23 years ago in Amsterdam, is faster.
Apologies to Irish running fans! Got so excited out there I forgot one of your greats Catherina McKiernan ? Commmenting solo for 3 hours means this can happen! But what a run by Fionnuala ? 2.23 is brilliant ? @Cathal_Dennehy
— James Thie (@TeamThie) December 5, 2021
The Valenica Marathon won in 2:19.31 by Kenya's Nancy Jelagat. Ethiopia's Etagegne Woldu finished second in 2:20.16 with her compatriot Beyenu Degefa running 2:23.05 in third.
McCormack will have just a week to recover before she competes again. She is scheduled to run at the European Cross Country Championships, which are being held in Dublin, next weekend.
Fionnuala McCormack ?? finishes an excellent fifth in the Valencia Marathon in a lifetime best of 2:23:58. ?
And next weekend she is due to make her 17th appearance at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships! ?#FingalDublin2021 pic.twitter.com/IsDLnO0wY3— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) December 5, 2021
Picture credit: FCG / Shutterstock.com and Sportsfile
