Women's Results: 2007 New York City Marathon

[Ryan]

Well, she proved a number of us wrong. Paula Radcliffe is back, beating a pretty strong field in New York. I think it's safe to say that this will re-establish her as one of the favorites in any race she enters.

1   F2   PAULA RADCLIFFE   2:23:09      Great Britain   GBR
2   F4   GETE WAMI   2:23:32      Ethiopia   ETH
3   F1   JELENA PROKOPCUKA   2:26:13      Latvia   LAT
4   F5   LIDIYA GRIGORYEVA   2:28:37      Russia   RUS
5   F3   CATHERINE NDEREBA   2:29:08      Kenya   KEN
6   F10   ELVA DRYER   2:35:15   CO      USA
7   F20   ROBYN FRIEDMAN   2:39:19   IA      USA
8   F11   TEGLA LOROUPE   2:41:58      Kenya   KEN
9   F37   MELISA CHRISTIAN   2:42:07   TX      USA
10   F27   ALVINA BEGAY   2:42:46   AZ      USA
11   F17   CHRISTINE LUNDY   2:43:21   CA      USA
12   F19   VEENA REDDY   2:43:26   PA      USA
13   F33   CAITLIN TORMEY   2:43:30   NY      USA
14   F16   ERIN MOELLER   2:43:57   IA      USA
15   F42   NATHALIE VASSEUR   2:44:00      France   FRA
16   F29   SOPAGNA EAP   2:44:37   OR      USA
17   F24   ATALELECH KETEMA   2:45:04   NY      USA
18   F23   VICTORIA GANUSHINA   2:45:15   NY      USA
19   F22   HEATHER KILLEEN-FRISONE   2:45:56   CA      USA
20   F36   KRISTINE SPENCE   2:47:00   UT      USA
21   F18   JENNIFER DEREGO   2:47:08   CA      USA
22   F40   LUCY SMITH   2:48:35      Canada   CAN
23   F32   MALIN EWERLÖF   2:48:50      Sweden   SWE
24   F31   MICHELLE RORKE   2:49:52   NY      USA
25   F50   MELANIE BURKE   2:50:27      New Zealand   NZL

[GTF]

That field does not look so strong.  Wami won a major marathon about a month ago and Ndereba won a hot, humid major marathon about two months ago.  If each could double back like that and make the top 5 (especially with Wami beating everyone except Radcliffe) then that cannot be a really strong field.  Radcliffe did not disprove the doubts that she would chase a fall marathon payday after skipping Osaka.  Also, what does 2:23 on that course on this day really indicate?

[r-at-work]

...  Also, what does 2:23 on that course on this day really indicate?

it just might indicate that she was the best woman out there on that day... she can only beat the runners that show up... I doubt that on her first race back from having a baby she would plan a WR attempt on the NYC course, probably save that for London...

[GTF]

Well, of course.  There is also obviously a fairly wide margin between yesterday's race and a "WR attempt", she clearly did not need to be in "WR attempt" shape to beat a so-so field (for a Marathon Major).

[Ryan]

Well, it was by no means the best field ever assembled but Prokopcuka was the defending champion and was looking like the favorite for the WMM title until Wami decided to double this fall. While Wami and Ndereba were doubling back, Wami especially ran pretty well. A 2:23 on that course and day indicates that she's within 8 minutes of her WR on a course that is slower than the one she ran her WR on. All together, also given her short time back so far, it indicates to me that she's on the right path and may in the near future be again running with the best the running world can throw at her.

[GTF]

Perhaps so -- but perhaps not.  It depends on how much one is willing to put into the reports of running around for months with a stress fracture in the lower back - and what it might imply - and so on.  Yesterday's result is what it is, 8 minutes slower than her PR (yes, on a more difficult course) and a win over perhaps the 2nd weakest field of the Marathon Majors this year.  Prokopcuka's win a full year before is not exactly indicative of her level of fitness yesterday.  If Wami could win (over perhaps a weaker field) just a month prior and was still able to put away everyone, including Prokopcuka, except Radcliffe then it is likely safe to say that Radcliffe was not given the level of test in competition in NYC yesterday that she might face in London, Boston, or Beijing or might have faced a couple of months ago in Osaka -- not by far.