Global Times

Mazuronak wins Euro marathon

Belarusian overcomes nosebleeds and navigation­al error

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Belarusian Volha Mazuronak overcame severe nosebleeds and a late navigation­al error before sprinting to victory in a dramatic women’s marathon at the European Championsh­ips on Sunday.

Little-known Belgian Koen Naert then provided a very different triumph, enjoying the race of his life to run away from the men’s field after the 19-mile (30-kilometer) mark and win by over a minute and a half in a new championsh­ip record of 2 hours, 9 minutes and 51 seconds.

Mazuronak produced the steeliest of displays to take the title after twice suffering nosebleeds which left her face covered in blood in the early stages of the race around the streets and tourist attraction­s of Berlin city’s center.

After dousing herself in water so she could see properly in a warm morning, the 29-year-old race favorite, who was fifth in the Olympics, retained her poise, kept pacesettin­g and broke everyone except for French marathon debutant Clemence Calvin. Yet just as she seemed to have opened a potentiall­y decisive gap over former track 10,000 meters silver medalist Calvin with a kilometer left, Mazuronak took the wrong direction at a sharp turn and had to belatedly readjust, allowing the Frenchwoma­n to get back on terms.

Even that could not derail Mazuronak, though, as she regrouped and sprinted to the finish next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in 2:26:22, eventually outpacing Calvin by 6 seconds to become the first Belarusian to win the event.

Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova, who had stayed with the top two until the final run-in, set a Czech record of 2:26:31 for the bronze.

Naert, whose previous best performanc­e in a largely journeyman career had also come in the city when he finished fifth as the top European in the 2015 Berlin Marathon, was a revelation as he broke the field with a well-timed accelerati­on between the 25- and 30-kilometer marks.

The 28-year-old demonstrat­ed superb form to stretch away from his pursuers and had enough time to grab a Belgian flag from the crowds lining the finish and lift it aloft as he became the first man from his country since Karel Lismont in Helsinki 1971 to win the title.

Switzerlan­d’s Eritrean-born Tadesse Abraham was able to celebrate a silver on his 36th birthday as he came home as distant runner-up in 2:11:24 while Italian Yassin Rachik took bronze in a lifetime best 2:12:09.

 ?? Photo: VCG ?? Volha Mazuronak of Belarus crosses the line to win the women’s marathon event at the European Athletics Championsh­ips on Sunday in Berlin, Germany.
Photo: VCG Volha Mazuronak of Belarus crosses the line to win the women’s marathon event at the European Athletics Championsh­ips on Sunday in Berlin, Germany.

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