Inês Monteiro
Encyclopedia
Inês Alexandra das Neves Monteiro (born 18 May 1980) is a Portuguese
athlete who competes in middle and long distance track running, as well as road running
and cross country
. She started out as a cross country runner, winning a silver and a gold medal at the 1998 and 1999 European junior race. She has represented Portugal at the 2004
and 2008 Summer Olympics
, and has competed twice at the World Championships in Athletics. She is a regular performer at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, generally finishing around 30th place.
Monteiro made her marathon
debut in 2008 and finished fifth at the Rotterdam Marathon
. She is the most successful athlete at the Cidade de Ovar Half Marathon, having won the competition six times. She represents Maratona Clube de Portugal in club competitions.
, Inês Monteiro first experienced success in professional athletics at cross country competitions: she won the silver medal in the junior race at the 1998 European Cross Country Championships
and took the gold the following year
. On the world stage, she reached the 5000 metres
final at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics
and competed in the junior race at the 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. She improved her position for the 1999 edition in Ireland
, finishing in thirteenth.
at the World Cross Country Championships and winning the Cidade de Ovar Half Marathon in 1:12:24. She finished seventh at the 2001 European Cross Country Championships
but she won a gold medal as part of the best performing team. Track running became her focus in 2002, but she failed to make the 3000 metres
final at the 2002 European Athletics Indoor Championships
and finishing in 12th in the 5000 m final at the 2002 European Athletics Championships. However, she guided her team at the 2002 European Cross Country Championships
to a silver team medal. At the World Student Games that year she managed to win bronze in the cross country. A second win at the Ovar Half Marathon in October was soon followed by a win in Azambuja
which made her the 15 km national champion.
She did not break into the top thirty at either the 2002 or 2003 World Cross Country Championships. She represented Portugal at the Olympics
for the first time at the 2004 Athens Games
. Running in the 5000 metres, she performed poorly and finished 18th with 16:03.75 – fifty seconds slower than her best that season. After finishing just outside of the top 25 runners at the 2005 World Cross Country Championships
, she experimented with a switch to the steeplechase
. She finished in 13th place in the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
. The next two years saw her career stall: after a poor 64th place finish in the World Cross Country Championships she ran infrequently and only returned to competition in mid-2007.
– her first competitive outing over the distance. She qualified to represent Portugal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but she did not manage to finish the Olympic marathon race. She closed the year on a positive note, however, winning the Ovar Half Marathon for a fourth time, and taking individual bronze and team gold at the 2008 European Cross Country Championships
. She closed the season by beating Olympic silver medallist Eunice Jepkorir
to win the Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños
.
She became the national cross country champion in March 2009, but failed to finish at the World Championships in Amman
. She performed strongly at the European track events, winning the 10,000 m cup with a personal best and taking the 3000 m bronze medal in the European Team Championships
. Prior to the World Athletics Championships she improved her 5000 m best at the Bislett Games
in Oslo
. She finished in tenth place in the 10,000 metres final
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
. Her new personal best time of 31:25.67 was the best performance by a European in the race. Following the World Championships, she took to road competitions: she won the Great South Run
in a Portuguese 10-mile record time, and she took the Ovar Half Marathon title for a sixth time with a personal best of 1:10:06. At the start of the 2009–10 cross country season, she beat national champion Jessica Augusto
to win the Oeiras International Cross Country
for the first time, and took second behind Linet Masai
, the reigning 10,000 m World Champion, at the Cross Internacional de Soria
the following week.
In May 2010, Monteiro set a new personal best of 32:02 in the 10K road distance, coming third at the Great Manchester Run
, and then set another best of 31:13.58 in June to retain her title at the European Cup 10000m
, leading Portugal to a team victory.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
athlete who competes in middle and long distance track running, as well as road running
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...
and cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
. She started out as a cross country runner, winning a silver and a gold medal at the 1998 and 1999 European junior race. She has represented Portugal at the 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, and has competed twice at the World Championships in Athletics. She is a regular performer at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
, generally finishing around 30th place.
Monteiro made her 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...
debut in 2008 and finished fifth at the Rotterdam Marathon
Rotterdam Marathon
The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...
. She is the most successful athlete at the Cidade de Ovar Half Marathon, having won the competition six times. She represents Maratona Clube de Portugal in club competitions.
Early Career
Born in Ramela, Guarda, PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Inês Monteiro first experienced success in professional athletics at cross country competitions: she won the silver medal in the junior race at the 1998 European Cross Country Championships
1998 European Cross Country Championships
The 5th European Cross Country Championships were held at Ferrara in Italy on 13 December 1998. Serhiy Lebid took the title in the men's competition and Paula Radcliffe won the women's race.-Men individual 9.7km:79 runners finished-Men teams:...
and took the gold the following year
1999 European Cross Country Championships
The 6th European Cross Country Championships were held at Velenje in Slovenia on 12 December 1999. Paulo Guerra took his third title in the men's competition and Anita Weyermann won the women's race.-Men individual:79 runners finished-Men teams:...
. On the world stage, she reached the 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
final at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics
1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 1998 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Annecy, France from July 28 to August 2, 1998.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
and competed in the junior 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 :...
. She improved her position for the 1999 edition in Ireland
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 :...
, finishing in thirteenth.
Senior competitions
She progressed to senior races in 2000, competing in the short race2000 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 28th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 18-19 March 2000 in Vilamoura, Portugal.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
at the World Cross Country Championships and winning the Cidade de Ovar Half Marathon in 1:12:24. She finished seventh at the 2001 European Cross Country Championships
2001 European Cross Country Championships
The 8th European Cross Country Championships were held at Thun in Switzerland on 9 December 2001. Serhiy Lebid took his second title in the men's competition and Yamna Belkacem won the women's race.-Men individual 9.15km:Total 77 competitors-Men teams:...
but she won a gold medal as part of the best performing team. Track running became her focus in 2002, but she failed to make the 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...
final at the 2002 European Athletics Indoor Championships
2002 European Athletics Indoor Championships
The 27th European Athletics Indoor Championships were held from Friday, 1 March to Sunday, 3 March 2002 in Vienna, the capital city of Austria.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Key:-Participating nations:...
and finishing in 12th in the 5000 m final at the 2002 European Athletics Championships. However, she guided her team at the 2002 European Cross Country Championships
2002 European Cross Country Championships
The 9th European Cross Country Championships were held at Medulin in Croatia on 8 December 2002. Serhiy Lebid took his third title in the men's competition and Helena Javornik won the women's race.-Men individual 9.83 km:Total 86 competitors-Men teams:...
to a silver team medal. At the World Student Games that year she managed to win bronze in the cross country. A second win at the Ovar Half Marathon in October was soon followed by a win in Azambuja
Azambuja
Azambuja is a Portuguese municipality in Lisbon District, in the historical region of Ribatejo with a total area of 262.7 km² and a total population of 20,838 inhabitants...
which made her the 15 km national champion.
She did not break into the top thirty at either the 2002 or 2003 World Cross Country Championships. She represented Portugal at the Olympics
Portugal at the Olympics
The participation of Portugal at the Olympics began on Scandinavian soil, for both the Summer and Winter editions of the Olympic Games. With the creation of the Olympic Committee of Portugal in 1909, and recognition by the International Olympic Committee in the same year, Portugal was the...
for the first time at the 2004 Athens Games
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. Running in the 5000 metres, she performed poorly and finished 18th with 16:03.75 – fifty seconds slower than her best that season. After finishing just outside of the top 25 runners at the 2005 World Cross Country Championships
2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2005 in Saint-Étienne and Saint-Galmier , France.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
, she experimented with a switch to the steeplechase
Steeplechase (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...
. She finished in 13th place in the 3000 m steeplechase 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...
. The next two years saw her career stall: after a poor 64th place finish in the World Cross Country Championships she ran infrequently and only returned to competition in mid-2007.
Beijing Olympics and improving times
Monteiro showed much improvement in the 2008 season. She ran her fastest ever time at the World Cross Country Championships (27:12) and took fifth place at the Rotterdam MarathonRotterdam Marathon
The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...
– her first competitive outing over the distance. She qualified to represent Portugal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but she did not manage to finish the Olympic marathon race. She closed the year on a positive note, however, winning the Ovar Half Marathon for a fourth time, and taking individual bronze and team gold at the 2008 European Cross Country Championships
2008 European Cross Country Championships
The 15th European Cross Country Championships were held at Brussels in Belgium on 14 December 2008. Serhiy Lebid took his eighth title in the men's competition and Hilda Kibet won the women's race.-Men individual 10.0km:Total 77 competitors-Men teams:...
. She closed the season by beating Olympic silver medallist Eunice Jepkorir
Eunice Jepkorir
Eunice Jepkorir is a Kenyan long-distance runner and a 2008 Olympic silver-medalist.She is from Eldama Ravine. Her parents are farmers and she has eight siblings . She started serious running at the age of 15 while at high school...
to win the Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños
Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños
The Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños is a cross country running competition that takes place in Venta de Baños, Castile and León, Spain. The competition was first held in 1980 and since then it has been held every year in mid-December...
.
She became the national cross country champion in March 2009, but failed to finish at the World Championships in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
. She performed strongly at the European track events, winning the 10,000 m cup with a personal best and taking the 3000 m bronze medal in the European Team Championships
European Team Championships
The European Team Championships is an athletics competition, between different countries of Europe, over 4 leagues. It is the successor of the former Europa Cup.-History:...
. Prior to the World Athletics Championships she improved her 5000 m best at the Bislett Games
Bislett Games
The Bislett Games is an annual track and field event at the Bislett Stadion in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League. It is sponsored by ExxonMobil and officially known as the ExxonMobil Bislett Games.-History:The first...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. She finished in tenth place in the 10,000 metres final
2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 10,000 metres
The women's 10,000 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 15 August. The Ethiopian team was particularly strong in the event, with two-time World Champion Tirunesh Dibaba, 5000 metres World Champion Meseret Defar, and African record holder Meselech...
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
. Her new personal best time of 31:25.67 was the best performance by a European in the race. Following the World Championships, she took to road competitions: she won the Great South Run
Great South Run
The Bupa Great South Run is an annual 10 miles road running race which takes place in Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Launched in 1990, it is part of the Great Run series created by former British athlete Brendan Foster...
in a Portuguese 10-mile record time, and she took the Ovar Half Marathon title for a sixth time with a personal best of 1:10:06. At the start of the 2009–10 cross country season, she beat national champion Jessica Augusto
Jessica Augusto
Jéssica Augusto is a Portuguese runner who competes in cross country, road running and in middle-distance and long-distance track events....
to win the Oeiras International Cross Country
Oeiras International Cross Country
The Oeiras International Cross Country is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in Oeiras, Portugal...
for the first time, and took second behind Linet Masai
Linet Masai
Linet Chepkwemoi Masai is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in track and cross country running events...
, the reigning 10,000 m World Champion, at the Cross Internacional de Soria
Cross Internacional de Soria
The Cross Internacional de Soria, also known as the Campo a Través Internacional de Soria, is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in Soria, Spain. First held in 1994, it usually takes place in late November and gained IAAF cross country permit meeting status in 2007...
the following week.
In May 2010, Monteiro set a new personal best of 32:02 in the 10K road distance, coming third at the Great Manchester Run
Great Manchester Run
The Bupa Great Manchester Run is an annual 10 kilometre run through the streets in Manchester city centre, which was established in 2003. Usually held in mid-May, it is among the largest and most prestigious mass participation runs in the United Kingdom...
, and then set another best of 31:13.58 in June to retain her title at the European Cup 10000m
European Cup 10000m
The European Cup 10000m is an annual 10,000 metres race for European athletes which was first held in 1997. The competition is organised by the European Athletics Association and first began as the European 10000 Metres Challenge after the event was removed from the European Cup programme...
, leading Portugal to a team victory.
Personal bests
| Surface | Event | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Track | 1500 m | 4:13.76 | Seixal, Portugal | 25 July 2009 |
| One mile | 4:41.39 | Leiria Leiria Leiria is a city in Leiria Municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal. It is the capital of Leiria District. The city proper has 50,200 inhabitants and the entire municipality has nearly 120,000... , Portugal |
24 April 1999 | |
| 3000 m | 8:52.47 | Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the... |
19 July 2002 | |
| 3000 m steeplechase | 9:39.20 | Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece |
14 June 2005 | |
| 5000 m | 15:01.06 | Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... , Norway |
3 July 2009 | |
| 10,000 m | 31:25.67 | Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany |
15 August 2009 | |
| Road | 10 km | 32:04+ | Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... . England |
25 October 2009 |
| 15 km | 48:40+ | Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... . England |
25 October 2009 | |
| 10 miles | 52:32 NR Portuguese records in athletics The following are the national records in athletics in Portugal maintained by its national athletics federation: Federação Portuguesa de Atletismo .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:# = not officially ratified by federationx = mark was made in a mixed race... |
Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... . England |
25 October 2009 | |
| 20 km | 1:09:14 | Almeirim Almeirim Almeirim is a city and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 222.0 km² and a total population of 22,434 inhabitants. The city proper has a population of 10,520.The municipality is composed of 4 parishes, and is located in Santarém District.... , Portugal |
20 October 2005 | |
| 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... |
1:10:06 | Ovar Ovar Ovar Municipality is a municipality in Aveiro District, Baixo Vouga Subregion in Portugal. It has a total area of 147.4 km² and a total population of 56,296 inhabitants, and 42,582 electors . The city of Ovar itself has a population of 16,849.... , Portugal |
5 October 2009 | |
| 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... |
2:30:36 | Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands |
13 April 2008 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
External links
- Sports-reference profile for Inês Monteiro
- marathoninfo