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Irina Mikitenko to run AVON RUNNING Berlin Women’s race and marathon debut in autumn
2006-05-11
Irina Mikitenko will be running the AVON RUNNING Berlin Women’s race on Saturday. The 33 year-old German runner will be participating in the 10k. It is the first time that Irina Mikitenko will start in an event of SCC-RUNNING. The AVON RUNNING Berlin Women’s race is the biggest fitness event for women only in Germany. More than 11,000 women and girls will be expected to run in several competitions held in the Tiergarten on Saturday.
„Running is a really nice sport. In general I recommend women to take a break for themselves and to go out for jogging,“ said Irina Mikitenko at the press conference of the AVON RUNNING Berlin Women’s race. For several years she has been the best German distance runner at big international competitions. At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens Irina Mikitenko finished seventh in the 5,000m race. Four years earlier she finished even fifth at the same distance. The multiple German long distance record holder placed fourth at the World Championships in 1999 and fifth in 2001 at 5,000m. Irina Mikitenko started her comeback this season after giving birth to her second child in July 2005. She is now focusing on road races and had immediate success: In March she won the half marathon in Frankfurt in 1:13:07 hours.
„My big goal this year are the 10,000m European Championships and my debut in the marathon in fall,“ said Irina Mikitenko. Her biggest rival on Saturday will be Claudia Dreher who already qualified for the European Championships at last year’s Cologne Marathon. Compared to Irina Mikitenko she is no new face at the AVON RUNNING Berlin Women’s race. She already participated three times, finishing second once and third twice. Besides the 10 k race there will be a 5 k race. At both distances power walkers and nordic walkers are welcome.
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