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Despite
being the #2 seed and holding the Russian marathon record of 2:21:31...
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...Svetlana
Zakharova got very little pre-Boston publicity.
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Zakharova
won her first major marathon title here (2:25:20) in slow conditions.
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Lyubov
Denisova completed a 1-2 finish for Russia in 2:26:51.
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Denisova
also finished second at the 2002 New York City Marathon.
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2002
New York City Marathon Champion Joyce Chepchumba...
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...finished
third here in 2:27:20.
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Defending
champion Margaret Okayo stayed with Zakharova for much of the race...
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...but
dropped back in the Newton hills, eventually finishing fourth in
2:27:39.
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Marla
Runyan was close to the leaders at the halfway point but struggled
in the warm conditions.
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Though
we were cold standing in the shade in Boston, the temperature in
Hopkinton at the start was 70 degrees.
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Runyan
hung tough to finish fifth in 2:30:28 -- the highest finish by a
U.S. woman since Kim Jones' 2nd in 1993.
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Zakharova's
training partner Albina Ivanova finished sixth in 2:30:57.
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This
was Ivanova's first time racing in Boston.
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Firaya
Sultanova-Zhdanova, 41, won the masters race (2:31:30) and finished
7th overall.
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Sultanova-Zhdanova
was the fourth Russian finisher.
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Milena
Glusac, running her third marathon and first Boston, was the second
American to finish.
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Glusac
finished eighth in 2:37:32.
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Jill
Gaitenby, the top American finisher in Boston for the past two years,
was the third American finisher this year...
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...but
had her highest overall finish (9th) with a 2:38:19 in tough conditions.
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