Blake Russell
Encyclopedia
Blake Russell is an American
long-distance runner who represented her country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After finishing third in the marathon
at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, she went on to finish in 27th in the Olympic marathon in Beijing. She has also competed in cross country running
and became the national champion at the 2006 USA Cross Country Championships
.
Russell attended University of North Carolina
, where she met her husband Jon, an All-American runner at Wake Forest University
. Russell qualified for the Marathon Trials, not in the marathon, but in the 10,000m by having met the 10,000m standard of 33:00. She ran 32:31.90 at the Stanford Invitational. She participated at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
, running in the 10,000 meters and finished in 22nd place.
After the Olympics she had a child and made a successful return to the road running
circuit with a win at the San Jose Half Marathon, crossing the line in 1:11:55 – over a minute ahead of her closest competitor Linda Somers
.
She is originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina
and currently residing in Pacific Grove, California
. She holds a Masters degree in Physical Therapy
from Elon University
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
long-distance runner who represented her country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After finishing third in the 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...
at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, she went on to finish in 27th in the Olympic marathon in Beijing. She has also competed in cross country running
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 became the national champion at the 2006 USA Cross Country Championships
USA Cross Country Championships
The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, as well as acting as the selection race for the IAAF...
.
Russell attended University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
, where she met her husband Jon, an All-American runner at Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
. Russell qualified for the Marathon Trials, not in the marathon, but in the 10,000m by having met the 10,000m standard of 33:00. She ran 32:31.90 at the Stanford Invitational. She participated 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...
, running in the 10,000 meters and finished in 22nd place.
After the Olympics she had a child and made a successful return to the 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...
circuit with a win at the San Jose Half Marathon, crossing the line in 1:11:55 – over a minute ahead of her closest competitor Linda Somers
Linda Somers
Linda Somers-Smith is an American long-distance runner who is a two-time United States national champion in the marathon. Somers competed in the marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics. She also won the 1992 Chicago Marathon and the 1993 California International Marathon...
.
She is originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
and currently residing in Pacific Grove, California
Pacific Grove, California
Pacific Grove is a coastal city in Monterey County, California, USA, with a population of 15,041 as of the 2010 census, down from 15,522 as of the 2000 census...
. She holds a Masters degree in Physical Therapy
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
from Elon University
Elon University
Elon University is a private liberal arts university in Elon, North Carolina, United States. Formerly known as Elon College, it became Elon University on June 1, 2001. The campus is a botanical garden and features oak trees, brick sidewalks, fountains, and lakes...
.
Achievements
| Representing the | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Twin Cities Marathon Twin Cities Marathon The Twin Cities Marathon is an annual marathon in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The race is often dubbed "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America." The TCM was first run in 1982, and typically takes place during the first weekend in October. In 2006 the Marathon agreed to its first... |
Minneapolis, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:30:41 |
| 2008 | Olympic Games Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held during the last 10 days of the games, from August 15 to August 24, 2008, at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympic sport of athletics is split into four distinct sets of events: track and field events, road running events, and racewalking... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , PR China |
27th | Marathon | 2:33:13 Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's marathon The Women's Marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 17 around an urban circuit specifically designed for the competition at Beijing, and finished in the Beijing National Stadium. The qualifying standards were 2:37.00 and 2:42.00... |