Asmae Leghzaoui
Encyclopedia
Asmae Leghzaoui is a Moroccan
athletics middle distance runner
. She is a two-time Olympian for Morocco
.
In 1999, Leghzaoui made a running breakthrough by improving her 3000 metres
personal best by a minute and breaking the World record for the 10K road race. She was seventh in the women's short race at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, leading the Moroccans to the bronze medal in the team competition. On the track, she ran in the 10,000 metres at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics
, but failed to finish the race. In 2000 she won the Cinque Mulini
cross country meet and took the 5000 m track title at the 2000 African Championships in Athletics
later that year.
She won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres and a silver in the 5000 m at the 2001 Mediterranean Games
. She represented Morocco at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
and came seventh in the 10,000 m final. She won the New York Mini 10K
in 2002, setting a course record time. She failed a drug test
for EPO
in 2003, but after a two year ban she has returned to the international road race circuit.
Leghzaoui had a string of road race wins in the United States in May 2005, taking titles at the Lilac Bloomsday Run
, Bay to Breakers
and Freihofer's Run for Women
competitions. She secured both 5000 m and 10,000 m silver medals for Morocco at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
. In 2007, she finished sixteenth at the 2007 World Championships
. She ran at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but failed to finish in the 10,000 m race. She had back-to-back wins at the National Capital Marathon
in Ottawa
from 2008 to 2009.
She won the half marathon
competition at the 2011 Marrakesh Marathon, completing the race in a competition record time of 1:10:47.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
athletics middle distance runner
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
. She is a two-time Olympian for Morocco
Morocco at the Olympics
Morocco first participated at the Olympic Games in 1960, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except when they participated in the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. Morocco also boycotted the 1976 Games, withdrawing after having initially sent a...
.
In 1999, Leghzaoui made a running breakthrough by improving her 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
personal best by a minute and breaking the World record for the 10K road race. She was seventh in the women's short race at the 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 27th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 27-28 March 1999 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
, leading the Moroccans to the bronze medal in the team competition. On the track, she ran in the 10,000 metres at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics
1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
, but failed to finish the race. In 2000 she won the Cinque Mulini
Cinque Mulini
The Cinque Mulini is an annual cross country running race in San Vittore Olona, Italy. First held in 1933, the course is unusual in that it revolves around a number of water mills, which lend the competition its name – meaning Five Mills in Italian. It is one of the IAAF cross country permit...
cross country meet and took the 5000 m track title at the 2000 African Championships in Athletics
2000 African Championships in Athletics
The 12th African Championships in Athletics were held in Algiers, Algeria in July, 2000.- Men's Results :-Field:-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics...
later that year.
She won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres and a silver in the 5000 m at the 2001 Mediterranean Games
Athletics at the 2001 Mediterranean Games
At the 2001 Mediterranean Games, the athletics events were held in Tunis and Radès in Tunisia from 11 to 14 September 2001. Italy topped the medal table with 9 gold medals and 30 medals in total, shortly followed by France which also had 9 golds but 23 medals overall. Greece had the next greatest...
. She represented Morocco at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
and came seventh in the 10,000 m final. She won the New York Mini 10K
New York Mini 10K
The New York Mini 10K is an annual 10-kilometer road running competition for women that takes place in Central Park, New York City, in the United States. The race has been organised by New York Road Runners since 1972...
in 2002, setting a course record time. She failed a drug test
Drug test
A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen – for example urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid / saliva – to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites...
for EPO
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
in 2003, but after a two year ban she has returned to the international road race circuit.
Leghzaoui had a string of road race wins in the United States in May 2005, taking titles at the Lilac Bloomsday Run
Lilac Bloomsday Run
The Lilac Bloomsday Run, also known as Bloomsday, is an annual timed road race in Spokane, Washington, held on the first Sunday of every May since 1977. The course is 12 km long. The course starts in Downtown Spokane and heads northwest along the far west end of town, passes by Mukogowa Ft...
, Bay to Breakers
Bay to Breakers
The Bay to Breakers is an annual footrace which takes place in San Francisco, California on the third Sunday of May. The name reflects the fact that the race starts at the northeast end of the downtown area a few blocks from The Embarcadero and runs west through the city to finish at the Great...
and Freihofer's Run for Women
Freihofer's Run for Women
Freihofer's Run for Women is an annual five-kilometer road running competition for women that is usually held in late May or early June in Albany, New York, United States. First held in 1979, the race has grown into a sizable event that holds IAAF Silver Label Road Race status and had 3,927...
competitions. She secured both 5000 m and 10,000 m silver medals for Morocco at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
Athletics at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
The Athletics competition at the 2005 Mediterranean Games was held in the Mediterraneo Stadium in Almería, Spain from 29 June to 2 July 2005.-Men's:-Women's:-Medal table:-References:**...
. In 2007, she finished sixteenth at the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
. She ran at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but failed to finish in the 10,000 m race. She had back-to-back wins at the National Capital Marathon
National Capital Marathon
National Capital Marathon, or Ottawa Race Weekend, is one of Canada's largest marathons. It is held in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. The 42.195 kilometres event features many races, including: the MDS Nordion 5K Run/Walk, the MDS Nordion 10K Run/Walk, the ING Ottawa Marathon Walk, the ING Marathon...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
from 2008 to 2009.
She won the half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
competition at the 2011 Marrakesh Marathon, completing the race in a competition record time of 1:10:47.
