Colleen De Reuck
Encyclopedia
Colleen S. De Reuck is a long-distance runner from South Africa
, who became an American citizen on December 11, 2000. She has had a long-lasting career, running in her forties, and made a total of four appearances at the Summer Olympics.
She was a late bloomer and her first major success came in 1995 and 1996, when she won the Honolulu Marathon
and the Berlin Marathon
. Despite numerous appearances in the Summer Olympics
and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics
, medals never came on the track.
After her transfer to compete for the United States
in 2000 she won her first major world medals, taking the individual bronze and team silver at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. Another team bronze came at the following year's championships and she won at the 2004 and 2005 USA Cross Country Championships
.
She continues to run and finished third at the Houston Half Marathon in 2009, finishing in 1:12:14.
race. She tried her hand at the half marathon
, resulting in a win at the City-Pier-City Loop
in 1993 and a fourth place finish at the 1995 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
. She also won the Honolulu Marathon
that year with a time of 2:37:29. In 1996 she won the Lilac Bloomsday Run
, the Berlin Marathon
, and the Eurocross
cross country meeting in Luxembourg
. She made her second Olympic appearance in the 10,000 m, taking 13th place at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Her first appearance on the world championships stage came at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics
and she finished in eighth in the final of the 10,000 meters. At the 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
she finished in 15th overall in the women's long race. Following a missed opportunity at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics
, she represented South Africa at the Olympics
for the third and final time, but managed on 31st place in the women's marathon with a time of 2:36:58.
, helping the U.S. team to the bronze medal. She made her fourth and final Olympics the 2004 Athens Olympics. She finished in 39th place in the marathon, while U.S. team-mate Deena Kastor
won the bronze medal.
She won the USA Cross Country Championships
twice consecutively in 2004 and 2005. De Reuck represented the United States twice more at the World Cross Country Championships, finishing in 13th place in 2005, and 33rd place at her final competition in 2006 at age 41.
A resident of Boulder, Colorado
De Reuck is a former world record holder at 10 miles (51:16, set at the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run) and 20 km (1:05:11 New Haven). She was fourth at the 2005 Chicago Marathon
in 2:28:40, a masters record for United States.
At the 2009 Boston Marathon
at age 45, she finished 8th overall, beating the W40 winner by over a minute and the next competitor in her own division by 14 minutes. Just nine days earlier she had run 2:32:37 at the Twin Cities Marathon
in St. Paul, Minnesota beating the listed American W45 record by over 6 minutes.
She ran at the Falmouth Road Race
in Massachusetts
in August 2010 and took fifth place as the first American past the line. Shortly after she ran in the Copenhagen Marathon in Denmark and placed 1st in 2:30:51, 8 minutes ahead of her nearest opponent.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, who became an American citizen on December 11, 2000. She has had a long-lasting career, running in her forties, and made a total of four appearances at the Summer Olympics.
She was a late bloomer and her first major success came in 1995 and 1996, when she won the Honolulu Marathon
Honolulu Marathon
The Honolulu Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons. It takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the second Sunday in December. - History :...
and 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...
. Despite numerous appearances in the Summer Olympics
Athletics at the Summer Olympics
Athletics has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The athletics program traces its earliest roots to events used in the ancient Greek Olympics. The modern program now comprises track and field events, road running...
and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
, medals never came on the track.
After her transfer to compete for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2000 she won her first major world medals, taking the individual bronze and team silver at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 30th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 23-24 March 2002 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
. Another team bronze came at the following year's championships and she won at the 2004 and 2005 USA Cross Country Championships
USA Cross Country Championships
The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, as well as acting as the selection race for the IAAF...
.
She continues to run and finished third at the Houston Half Marathon in 2009, finishing in 1:12:14.
South Africa
De Reuck began competing for South Africa and made her first Olympic appearance at the 1992 Barcelona Games, where she finished ninth in the marathonMarathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
race. She tried her hand at 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...
, resulting in a win at the City-Pier-City Loop
City-Pier-City Loop
The CPC Loop Den Haag is an annual half marathon competition held in the Hague, Netherlands, every mid-March....
in 1993 and a fourth place finish at the 1995 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
1995 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 4th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on October 1, 1995 in Montbéliard–Belfort, France. A total of 243 athletes, 147 men and 96 women, from 54 countries took part.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:-External links:...
. She also won the Honolulu Marathon
Honolulu Marathon
The Honolulu Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons. It takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the second Sunday in December. - History :...
that year with a time of 2:37:29. In 1996 she won 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...
, 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...
, and the Eurocross
Eurocross
Eurocross is an annual international cross country running competition which takes place in Diekirch, Luxembourg in February. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships....
cross country meeting in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. She made her second Olympic appearance in the 10,000 m, taking 13th place at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Her first appearance on the world championships stage came at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics
1997 World Championships in Athletics
The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
and she finished in eighth in the final of the 10,000 meters. 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 :...
she finished in 15th overall in the women's long race. Following a missed opportunity 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....
, she represented South Africa at the Olympics
South Africa at the Olympics
South Africa first participated at the Olympic Games in 1904, and sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games until 1960. After the passage of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1761 in 1962 in response to South Africa's policy of apartheid, the nation was barred from the Games....
for the third and final time, but managed on 31st place in the women's marathon with a time of 2:36:58.
Switch to United States
After making a nationality transfer, De Reuck made her first appearance for "Team USA" at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships in Dublin, Ireland, where she finished third overall (27:17) and helped the United States team to a silver medal. The following year she finished in seventh place at the 2003 World Cross Country Championships2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 29-30 March 2003 in Lausanne and Avenches , Switzerland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
, helping the U.S. team to the bronze medal. She made her fourth and final Olympics the 2004 Athens Olympics. She finished in 39th place in the marathon, while U.S. team-mate Deena Kastor
Deena Kastor
Deena Michelle Kastor is an American long-distance runner. She holds American records in the marathon, half-marathon, and numerous road distances. She won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece...
won the bronze medal.
She won the USA Cross Country Championships
USA Cross Country Championships
The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, as well as acting as the selection race for the IAAF...
twice consecutively in 2004 and 2005. De Reuck represented the United States twice more at the World Cross Country Championships, finishing in 13th place in 2005, and 33rd place at her final competition in 2006 at age 41.
A resident of Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
De Reuck is a former world record holder at 10 miles (51:16, set at the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run) and 20 km (1:05:11 New Haven). She was fourth at the 2005 Chicago Marathon
Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a major marathon held yearly in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alongside the Boston, New York, London and Berlin Marathons, it is one of the five World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also an IAAF Gold Label race...
in 2:28:40, a masters record for United States.
At the 2009 Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
at age 45, she finished 8th overall, beating the W40 winner by over a minute and the next competitor in her own division by 14 minutes. Just nine days earlier she had run 2:32:37 at the Twin Cities Marathon
Twin Cities Marathon
The Twin Cities Marathon is an annual marathon in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The race is often dubbed "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America." The TCM was first run in 1982, and typically takes place during the first weekend in October. In 2006 the Marathon agreed to its first...
in St. Paul, Minnesota beating the listed American W45 record by over 6 minutes.
She ran at the Falmouth Road Race
Falmouth Road Race
The Falmouth Road Race is an annual 7-mile road race on Cape Cod from Woods Hole, a village in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Falmouth Heights.-History:...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in August 2010 and took fifth place as the first American past the line. Shortly after she ran in the Copenhagen Marathon in Denmark and placed 1st in 2:30:51, 8 minutes ahead of her nearest opponent.
Achievements
| Representing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Olympic Games Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, 43 events in athletics were contested, 24 events by men and 19 by women. The competition ran from July 31, 1992 to August 9, 1992. Fourteen world record-holders were among the contenders... |
Barcelona, Spain | 9th | Marathon | 2:39:03 |
| 1993 | City-Pier-City Loop City-Pier-City Loop The CPC Loop Den Haag is an annual half marathon competition held in the Hague, Netherlands, every mid-March.... |
The Hague, Netherlands | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:10:50 |
| 1995 | Honolulu Marathon Honolulu Marathon The Honolulu Marathon is one of the world's largest marathons. It takes place annually in Honolulu, Hawaii on the second Sunday in December. - History :... |
Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and... |
1st | Marathon | 2:37:29 |
| 1996 | 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... |
Berlin, Germany | 1st | Marathon | 2:26:35 |
| 2000 | Olympic Games Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, 46 events in athletics were contested, 24 for men and 22 for women. There were a total number of 2134 participating athletes from 193 countries.-Men's events:... |
Sydney, Australia | 31st | Marathon | 2:36:48 Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Women's marathon The Women's Marathon event at the 2000 Summer Olympics took place on September 24, 2000 in the streets of Sydney, Australia.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds-Records:-Startlist:-Intermediates:... |
| Representing the | |||||
| 2002 | World Cross Country Championships 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 30th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 23-24 March 2002 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :... |
Dublin, Ireland | 3rd | Cross | Individual |
| 2nd | Cross | Team | |||
| 2003 | World Cross Country Championships 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 29-30 March 2003 in Lausanne and Avenches , Switzerland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :... |
Lausanne, Switzerland | 3rd | Cross | Team |
| 2004 | Olympic Games Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the athletics events were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 18 to August 29, except for the marathons , the race walks , and the shot put... |
Athens, Greece | 39th | Marathon | 2:46:30 Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Women's Marathon The Women's Marathon event at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place on August 22, 2004 in the streets of Athens, Greece. World record holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain started as favourite for the race, and led from the start. However, she was overtaken by Mizuki Noguchi, from Japan and... |
External links
- USATF Athlete bios for Colleen De Reuck
- marathoninfo
- Evergreen De Reuck still going strong from SPIKES MagazineSPIKES magazineSPIKES is an athletics website and magazine published by Haymarket Network in conjunction with the IAAF and UK Athletics.The magazine and website were launched in July 2008 at an event attended by IAAF vice president Lord Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, Jonathan Edwards, Colin Jackson and Wilson...