Beatrice Omwanza
Encyclopedia
Beatrice Omwanza is a Kenya
n long-distance runner who competes in marathon
and half marathon
races. She represented Kenya in the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics in 2003 and 2005. Her personal best for the event is 2:27:19 hours.
The biggest achievement of her career is a win at the Paris Marathon
in 2003. She has also won the Turin Marathon
and Reims Marathon
. Over the half marathon distance, she has competed extensively in France and has won at the Paderborner Osterlauf, Great Scottish Run, and Bredase Singelloop.
runner and was the Kenyan champion in the event in 1998. That same year, she ran in the short race at the 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and finished sixth, helping Kenya to fourth in the rankings. However, it was on the roads
in France
that she established herself as a top class runne. She won the 1995 edition of the Saint Pol-Morlaix Half Marathon, ran the fastest ever half marathon in Macau
in 1997, and was the 1998 winner of the Foulée Suresnoise 10K. In 2001 she won the Boulogne-Billancourt Half Marathon
and also had her second victory at the Saint Pol-Morlaix. Back-to-back wins came at the Alençon-Médavy in 2001 and 2002.
Omwanza made a number of podium finishes in major races in 2002: she had runner-up placings at the Paris Half Marathon
, Humarathon and Lille Half Marathon
, and managed third at the Nice Half Marathon and Semi-Marathon Marvejols-Mende. She made her debut over the full marathon distance that year and came second to Lucy Karimi at the Reims Marathon
, finishing the 42.195 km distance in a time of 2:35:36 hours. A year later, in only her second outing in the event, she improved her best by nearly eight minutes to win the Paris Marathon
in 2:27:44 hours, defeating Rosaria Console
in a sprint finish. She was selected to represent Kenya in the women's marathon at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
, but she did not manage to finish the race as she dropped out after 25 km. Omwanza went on to win the Reims Marathon
in October that year, although her winning time of 2:32:02 was somewhat slower than her Paris run.
The Kenyan made four appearances in the marathon in 2004. Her first race at the Los Angeles Marathon
saw her off form, as she finished eighth, but she improved to take third place at the Ruhrmarathon in April. Omwanza achieved a career best time for the distance at the Berlin Marathon
in September: she crossed the line in 2:27:19 hours for fourth place, although the winner Yoko Shibui
was far ahead of her as she became the fifth woman under 2:20:00 hours. She ended the year with a win at the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow and a fifth place at the Nairobi Marathon
.
Omwanza began her 2005 season with a win at the Paderborner Osterlauf, then a half marathon personal best of 1:11:18 hours for third at the Berlin Half Marathon
. She won the third marathon of her career later that April, beating Alevtina Biktimirova
and Rita Jeptoo
to the women's title at the Turin Marathon
. She was again selected to compete for Kenya in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
and ended the race in 29th place. A sixth place finish at the Tokyo Marathon
brought her year to a close.
She ran two marathons in 2006, taking third place on the podium at both the Nairobi and Madrid Marathon
. A season's best in the half marathon came at the Berlin race, where her time of 1:11.35 was enough for fourth. She was third at the Marrakech Marathon and second at the Paderborner competition that year. In 2007 she claimed third place at the Hamburg Marathon
with a run of 2:30:46 hours and also won the Paderborner Half Marathon and Nacht von Borgholzhausen 5-mile races. Her last season of competition was 2008: she had podium finishes at the Vienna City Marathon and Marathon De La Rochelle
in France. She also ran at the Berlin Half Marathon, coming sixth, and was third at the 20 van Alphen. In October, she won the Bredase Singelloop.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n long-distance runner who competes in marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
and 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...
races. She represented Kenya in the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics in 2003 and 2005. Her personal best for the event is 2:27:19 hours.
The biggest achievement of her career is a win at the Paris Marathon
Paris Marathon
The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
in 2003. She has also won the Turin Marathon
Turin Marathon
The Turin Marathon is an annual marathon race which takes place in Turin, Italy in November. The first edition of the modern race was held in 1987, although other marathon competitions have been held in the city prior to this, including sporadic races in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the earliest...
and Reims Marathon
Reims Marathon
Reims à Toutes Jambes is an annual road running event held in Reims, France in the month of October. First held in 1984, the competition comprises three main parts: a 42.195 km marathon, a 21.0975 km half marathon race, and a 10 km race. In addition to these, there are smaller...
. Over the half marathon distance, she has competed extensively in France and has won at the Paderborner Osterlauf, Great Scottish Run, and Bredase Singelloop.
Career
In her earlier career, she was a steeplechaseSteeplechase (athletics)
The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
runner and was the Kenyan champion in the event in 1998. That same year, she ran in the short race at the 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 26th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 21-22 March 1998 in Marrakech, Morocco.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
and finished sixth, helping Kenya to fourth in the rankings. However, it was on the roads
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
that she established herself as a top class runne. She won the 1995 edition of the Saint Pol-Morlaix Half Marathon, ran the fastest ever half marathon in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
in 1997, and was the 1998 winner of the Foulée Suresnoise 10K. In 2001 she won the Boulogne-Billancourt Half Marathon
Boulogne-Billancourt Half Marathon
The Boulogne-Billancourt Half Marathon is an annual road running event over the half marathon distance which takes place in November in Boulogne-Billancourt, France....
and also had her second victory at the Saint Pol-Morlaix. Back-to-back wins came at the Alençon-Médavy in 2001 and 2002.
Omwanza made a number of podium finishes in major races in 2002: she had runner-up placings at the Paris Half Marathon
Paris Half Marathon
Paris Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held every March in Paris, France. It currently holds IAAF Bronze Label status....
, Humarathon and Lille Half Marathon
Lille Half Marathon
The Lille Métropole Half Marathon is an annual half marathon foot race which takes place in Lille, France in early September. First organised by the Association de Promotion des Événements Lillois in 1986, the race began as a marathon event before switching to the shorter distance in 1996...
, and managed third at the Nice Half Marathon and Semi-Marathon Marvejols-Mende. She made her debut over the full marathon distance that year and came second to Lucy Karimi at the Reims Marathon
Reims Marathon
Reims à Toutes Jambes is an annual road running event held in Reims, France in the month of October. First held in 1984, the competition comprises three main parts: a 42.195 km marathon, a 21.0975 km half marathon race, and a 10 km race. In addition to these, there are smaller...
, finishing the 42.195 km distance in a time of 2:35:36 hours. A year later, in only her second outing in the event, she improved her best by nearly eight minutes to win the Paris Marathon
Paris Marathon
The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
in 2:27:44 hours, defeating Rosaria Console
Rosaria Console
Rosaria Console is an Italian long-distance runner who specializes in the half marathon and marathon.She suffered a tibia problem in early 2011 but still managed to take fifth place at the Rome City Marathon in March....
in a sprint finish. She was selected to represent Kenya in the women's marathon at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics
2003 World Championships in Athletics
The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
, but she did not manage to finish the race as she dropped out after 25 km. Omwanza went on to win the Reims Marathon
Reims Marathon
Reims à Toutes Jambes is an annual road running event held in Reims, France in the month of October. First held in 1984, the competition comprises three main parts: a 42.195 km marathon, a 21.0975 km half marathon race, and a 10 km race. In addition to these, there are smaller...
in October that year, although her winning time of 2:32:02 was somewhat slower than her Paris run.
The Kenyan made four appearances in the marathon in 2004. Her first race at the Los Angeles Marathon
Los Angeles Marathon
The Honda LA Marathon is an annual running event held each spring in Los Angeles, California. The 26.219 mile footrace, inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, has been contested every year since 1986...
saw her off form, as she finished eighth, but she improved to take third place at the Ruhrmarathon in April. Omwanza achieved a career best time for the distance at the Berlin Marathon
Berlin Marathon
The Berlin Marathon is a major running and sporting event held annually in Berlin, Germany. The official marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers is set up as a city-wide road race where professional athletes and amateur runners jointly participate...
in September: she crossed the line in 2:27:19 hours for fourth place, although the winner Yoko Shibui
Yoko Shibui
is a long-distance runner from Japan, who is competing in the 5000 and 10,000 metres as well as the marathon race. She holds the Japanese record over 10,000 m with her best time of 30:48.89 minutes...
was far ahead of her as she became the fifth woman under 2:20:00 hours. She ended the year with a win at the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow and a fifth place at the Nairobi Marathon
Nairobi Marathon
Nairobi Marathon is an annual road running competition over the marathon distance which held in October in Nairobi, Kenya. First held in 2003, the competition expanded and now includes a half marathon race along with the main race....
.
Omwanza began her 2005 season with a win at the Paderborner Osterlauf, then a half marathon personal best of 1:11:18 hours for third at the Berlin Half Marathon
Berlin Half Marathon
Berlin Half Marathon is an annual half marathon race held in early Spring in Berlin, Germany. The race was first held in 1984. A total of 23,799 runners took part in the half marathon in 2010...
. She won the third marathon of her career later that April, beating Alevtina Biktimirova
Alevtina Biktimirova
Alevtina Biktimirova is a Russian long-distance runner, who specialises in the marathon.Alevtina placed first in the women's division in the Eurocity Frankfurt Marathon in October 2005. She finished sixth in the 2006 Boston Marathon and was the youngest person in the elite field...
and Rita Jeptoo
Rita Jeptoo
Rita Jeptoo Sitienei is a Kenyan marathon runner. She won the 2006 Boston Marathon, setting her personal best of 2:23:38 hours. She has also won marathons in Stockholm and Milan, as well as having represented Kenya in the event at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics...
to the women's title at the Turin Marathon
Turin Marathon
The Turin Marathon is an annual marathon race which takes place in Turin, Italy in November. The first edition of the modern race was held in 1987, although other marathon competitions have been held in the city prior to this, including sporadic races in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the earliest...
. She was again selected to compete for Kenya in the marathon at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
and ended the race in 29th place. A sixth place finish at the Tokyo Marathon
Tokyo Marathon
The Tokyo International Marathon was a marathon for male elite runners held in Tokyo, Japan, from 1980 until 2006.It actually consisted of two marathons - the Tokyo International Marathon which took place on even years, and Tokyo-New York Friendship International Marathon which took place on odd...
brought her year to a close.
She ran two marathons in 2006, taking third place on the podium at both the Nairobi and Madrid Marathon
Madrid Marathon
Maratón de Rock 'n' Roll Madrid is an annual marathon race which takes place in Madrid, Spain, in late April. The event was first held in 1978 and has since gained IAAF Silver Label Road Race status and had over 10,000 runners participate in the 2010 edition...
. A season's best in the half marathon came at the Berlin race, where her time of 1:11.35 was enough for fourth. She was third at the Marrakech Marathon and second at the Paderborner competition that year. In 2007 she claimed third place at the Hamburg Marathon
Hamburg Marathon
The Hamburg Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of held in Hamburg, Germany. In 2009, 13,938 participants were counted.- History :The first edition took place in 1986 with about 8,000 participants...
with a run of 2:30:46 hours and also won the Paderborner Half Marathon and Nacht von Borgholzhausen 5-mile races. Her last season of competition was 2008: she had podium finishes at the Vienna City Marathon and Marathon De La Rochelle
Marathon de La Rochelle
The Marathon de La Rochelle is an annual road running event which takes place in late November in La Rochelle, France. It features a full 42.195 km marathon race as well a 10 km race for amateur runners, a half marathon for wheelchair athletes, and a recreational 4 km jog around the...
in France. She also ran at the Berlin Half Marathon, coming sixth, and was third at the 20 van Alphen. In October, she won the Bredase Singelloop.