Ana Dulce Félix
Encyclopedia
Ana Dulce Félix (born 23 October 1982) is a long distance runner who competes in track, cross country
, and road running
events.
Born in Azurém, Guimarães Municipality, Portugal, Félix began her career as a junior at the 2000 and 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, although she did not break the top 60 runners on either occasion. She finished 31st at the 2001 European Cross Country Championships
. She was disheartened by her performances at international level and doubted whether she could be a runner of a professional standard. She began working in a low-paid job at a clothes factory but still trained despite the long hours and tiring nature of the work. Another Portuguese runner, Jessica Augusto
, urged her quit the job and to focus full time on her running. She followed the advice and had some success on the national stage in 2007, winning the 10,000 metres Portuguese title. Félix began to establish herself on the international athletics scene the following year: she finished 72nd at the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, but had a much better outing at the 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
where she finished 13th (the second fastest European-born runner after Luminiţa Talpoş
).
The 2009 season proved to be a significant progression in her career. At the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
she finished in 15th place to lead the Portuguese women to a team bronze medal. Félix won the Great Ireland Run
in April, setting a personal best of 32:18 over the 10 km distance. She won the Göteborgsvarvet
half marathon
that May and won a bronze medal at the European Cup 10,000m the following month. After a fifth place finish in the 5000 metres
at the 2009 European Team Championships
, she was entered into the 10,000 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
. In the event final
she ran a personal best of 31:30.90 for 13th place. After this she enjoyed a successful run of road and cross country competitions: she was third at the Great North Run
and second at both the Portugal Half Marathon
(setting a half marathon best of 1:10:44) and the Great South Run
.
After wins at the Warandeloop and Lotto Cross Cup
meeting in West-Vlaanderen, she ran at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships
and although she finished sixth, she helped the Portuguese women top the team rankings. She closed the year with wins at the São Silvestre de Lisboa and São Silvestre da Amadora 10 km road races. In 2010, she was third at the Cinque Mulini
and became the Portuguese cross country champion at the Almond Blossom Cross Country
. She also won the national short course competition as well as the 1500 metres
and 3000 metres
national club titles. She did not manage to help the women's team for a second time at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
as she pulled out of the competition.
She represented Portugal over 10,000 m at the 2010 European Athletics Championships, but she faded in the second half of the race and finished in ninth place. She ran at the Great North Run in September, but again missed out on the top spot, finishing as runner-up behind Berhane Adere
. The 2010 European Cross Country Championships
were held in Portugal in December and she reached the podium, taking the bronze medal
. She also won a team gold alongside the event winner Jessica Augusto.
She led her club, Maratona Clube de Portugal, to second in the team rankings at the 2011 European Cross Country Club Championships, hosted at the Cinque Mulini. She was the runner-up in the individual race, just ahead of her club mate Sara Moreira. At the Lisbon Half Marathon
in March, she broke the Portuguese record
in the half marathon with at time of 1:08:33 hours. She also stated her intention to go one further and focus on bettering Rosa Mota
's marathon
record. She ran a time of 2:26:30 hours for her debut at the Vienna City Marathon, finishing a few seconds behind the winner Fate Tola
. A meet record came at the Austrian Women's Run 5K, where she was almost half a minute ahead of runner-up Augusto.
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...
, and 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...
events.
Born in Azurém, Guimarães Municipality, Portugal, Félix began her career as a junior at the 2000 and 2001 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...
, although she did not break the top 60 runners on either occasion. She finished 31st 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:...
. She was disheartened by her performances at international level and doubted whether she could be a runner of a professional standard. She began working in a low-paid job at a clothes factory but still trained despite the long hours and tiring nature of the work. Another Portuguese runner, 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....
, urged her quit the job and to focus full time on her running. She followed the advice and had some success on the national stage in 2007, winning the 10,000 metres Portuguese title. Félix began to establish herself on the international athletics scene the following year: she finished 72nd at the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Holyrood Park at Edinburgh, Scotland on 30 March 2008. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
, but had a much better outing at the 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 12 October 2008.This event was first announced as the 2008 IAAF World Road Running Championships, but in November 2007, the IAAF announced that the name of the IAAF World Road Running Championships would revert...
where she finished 13th (the second fastest European-born runner after Luminiţa Talpoş
Luminiţa Talpoş
Luminiţa Talpoş is a female long-distance runner from Romania, who specialized in the marathon race during her career. She set her personal best in the women's marathon at the Vienna City Marathon on April 27, 2008.-Achievements:-References:*...
).
The 2009 season proved to be a significant progression in her career. At the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Al Bisharat Golf Course at Amman, Jordan on 28 March 2009. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
she finished in 15th place to lead the Portuguese women to a team bronze medal. Félix won the Great Ireland Run
Great Ireland Run
The Great Ireland Run is an annual 10-kilometre road running competition which is held in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland in mid-April. It is part of the Great Run series of athletics competitions and it also holds IAAF Bronze Label Road Race status...
in April, setting a personal best of 32:18 over the 10 km distance. She won the Göteborgsvarvet
Göteborgsvarvet
Göteborgsvarvet is an annual half marathon running competition in Gothenburg, Sweden . It is the largest annual running competition in Sweden, with about 40,000 participants each year. It is also the largest half-marathon running competition in the world, with its 2011 figure of 43 026...
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...
that May and won a bronze medal at the European Cup 10,000m the following month. After a fifth place finish in 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...
at the 2009 European Team Championships
2009 European Team Championships
The first SPAR European Team Championships took place on 20 and 21 June 2009. The track and field athletics tournament run by European Athletics was the successor of the old European Cup competition which was held annually until 2008...
, she was entered into the 10,000 metres 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....
. In the event 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...
she ran a personal best of 31:30.90 for 13th place. After this she enjoyed a successful run of road and cross country competitions: she was third at the Great North Run
Great North Run
The Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon, taking place annually each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields in England. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.The first Great...
and second at both the Portugal Half Marathon
Portugal Half Marathon
Portugal Half Marathon is an annual half marathon contested every September in Lisbon, Portugal.A new, faster course was established for the race in 2010 and 25 km record holder Mary Keitany duly responded by setting a women's course record of 1:08:46...
(setting a half marathon best of 1:10:44) and 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...
.
After wins at the Warandeloop and Lotto Cross Cup
Lotto Cross Cup
The Lotto Cross Cup is an annual series of international cross country running competitions in Belgium. The inaugural season was in 1982–1983. The series comprises Belgium's foremost cross country competitions, including the IAAF permit meeting in Brussels and the European Athletics sanctioned...
meeting in West-Vlaanderen, she ran at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships
2009 European Cross Country Championships
The 2009 European Cross Country Championships was a continental cross country running competition that was held on 13 December 2009 in Dublin, Ireland. Dublin was selected as the host city in 2007 and the event was the first time that a major European athletics championships took place in Ireland...
and although she finished sixth, she helped the Portuguese women top the team rankings. She closed the year with wins at the São Silvestre de Lisboa and São Silvestre da Amadora 10 km road races. In 2010, she was third at the Cinque Mulini
Cinque Mulini
The Cinque Mulini is an annual cross country running race in San Vittore Olona, Italy. First held in 1933, the course is unusual in that it revolves around a number of water mills, which lend the competition its name – meaning Five Mills in Italian. It is one of the IAAF cross country permit...
and became the Portuguese cross country champion at the Almond Blossom Cross Country
Almond Blossom Cross Country
The Almond Blossom Cross Country is an annual international cross country running competition which takes place in Albufeira, Portugal in early March. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. It is held in co-operation...
. She also won the national short course competition as well as the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
and 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...
national club titles. She did not manage to help the women's team for a second time at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking...
as she pulled out of the competition.
She represented Portugal over 10,000 m at the 2010 European Athletics Championships, but she faded in the second half of the race and finished in ninth place. She ran at the Great North Run in September, but again missed out on the top spot, finishing as runner-up behind Berhane Adere
Berhane Adere
Berhane Adere is an athlete from Ethiopia.Adere held the African record for 10,000 metres in a time of 30:04.18, set at the 2003 World Championships, where she won gold...
. The 2010 European Cross Country Championships
2010 European Cross Country Championships
The 2010 European Cross Country Championships was a continental cross country running competition that took place on 12 December in Albufeira, Portugal. It was the second time that the country hosted the event, building upon the 1997 edition held in Oeiras....
were held in Portugal in December and she reached the podium, taking the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. She also won a team gold alongside the event winner Jessica Augusto.
She led her club, Maratona Clube de Portugal, to second in the team rankings at the 2011 European Cross Country Club Championships, hosted at the Cinque Mulini. She was the runner-up in the individual race, just ahead of her club mate Sara Moreira. At the Lisbon Half Marathon
Lisbon Half Marathon
First held in 1991, the race has consistently delivered fast winning times. However, many of these times have been unratifiable for record purposes due to factors including: the course being too short , excessive tailwinds, as well as there being an excessive drop in altitude, which boosted...
in March, she broke the Portuguese record
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...
in the half marathon with at time of 1:08:33 hours. She also stated her intention to go one further and focus on bettering Rosa Mota
Rosa Mota
Rosa Maria Correia dos Santos Mota, GCIH, GCM is a Portuguese former marathon runner, one of her country's foremost athletes. She is also considered to have been one of the best marathon runners of the 20th century....
's 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...
record. She ran a time of 2:26:30 hours for her debut at the Vienna City Marathon, finishing a few seconds behind the winner Fate Tola
Fate Tola
Fate Tola Geleto is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. She represented Ethiopia at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and has won marathons in Thessaloniki and Vienna....
. A meet record came at the Austrian Women's Run 5K, where she was almost half a minute ahead of runner-up Augusto.
Personal bests
| Surface | Event | Time (h:min:s) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Track | 1500 m (indoor) | 4:14.96 | Pombal Pombal, Portugal Pombal is a town in Pombal Municipality, Portugal. The population of the city is about 16.000 inhabitants.... , Portugal |
13 February 2010 |
| 3000 m (indoor) | 8:56.84 | Pombal Pombal, Portugal Pombal is a town in Pombal Municipality, Portugal. The population of the city is about 16.000 inhabitants.... , Portugal |
14 February 2010 | |
| 5000 m | 15:08.02 | Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... , Sweden |
31 July 2009 | |
| 10,000 m | 31:37.03 | Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... , South Korea |
27 August 2011 | |
| Road | 10 km | 32:18 | Dublin, Ireland | 5 April 2009 |
| 15 km | 49:36 | Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... , Portugal |
19 April 2009 | |
| 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... |
1:08:33 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... |
Lisbon Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... , Portugal |
20 March 2011 | |
| 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... |
2:25:40 | New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... , New York |
6 November 2011 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.