Gitte Karlshøj
Encyclopedia
Gitte KarlshøjGitte Karlshøj (born May 14, 1959 in Lyderslev, Stevns
, Sjælland, Denmark
is a Danish Track and Field
athlete, specializing in long distance running. She ran the 3000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics
, finishing in a non-qualifying 6th place in the qualifying round and the Marathon
at the 1996 Summer Olympics
, failing to finish. She also made the final at the 1992 IAAF World Championships.
She studied in the United States
running for Seattle Pacific University
. She has continued running into the Masters athletics age groups. She is the current World Record
holder in the W50 division at 1500 metres
, 3000 metres, 5000 metres
and 10000 metres
. She also has a pending W50 world record for the mile.
Gitte Karlshøj starred as a personal trainer for DR2 runners who ran the New York Marathon in Tema Saturday in November 2006; She is a physiotherapist by Team Denmark in Aarhus
and lecturer in business / sports clubs etc.
in 2004. She won the masters division of the Boston Marathon
two years in a row. She won all distances from 800m to marathon at the European Veterans Championships in 2004, all within a week. She was the 2009 world champion at 5.000 mi class-W50. She won the Danish championship marathon in 2009, which was hosted by the Hans Christian Andersen Marathon in Odense
and thus became the oldest Danish champion ever. Her finishing time was 2:51,30.
She is the only Dane to claim to be Danish champion at all distances from 800 meters to the marathon, including cross and road race (11 different distances).
Gitte chosen for European Best Female Master of the Year 2009 that is the best female athlete over 35 years in Europe.
Stevns
Stevns is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the southeast coast of the island of Zealand in south Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 247 km², and has a total population of 21,892 . Its mayor is Paul Arne Sørensen, a member of the Venstre political party...
, Sjælland, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
is a Danish Track and Field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete, specializing in long distance running. She ran the 3000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, finishing in a non-qualifying 6th place in the qualifying round and 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 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, failing to finish. She also made the final at the 1992 IAAF World Championships.
She studied in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
running for Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University is a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary...
. She has continued running into the Masters athletics age groups. She is the current World Record
Masters Athletics World Records
These are the current world records in the various age groups of Masters athletics. Starting at age 35, each age group starts on the athlete's birthday in years that are evenly divisible by 5 and extends until the next such occurrence. For record purposes, older athletes are not included in...
holder in the W50 division at 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...
, 3000 metres, 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...
and 10000 metres
10000 metres
The 10,000 metres or 10K is a common long distance running event. As "10,000 metres" it is a track event, and appears in athletics events such as the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics; as "10K" it is a roadrace or cross country running event...
. She also has a pending W50 world record for the mile.
Gitte Karlshøj starred as a personal trainer for DR2 runners who ran the New York Marathon in Tema Saturday in November 2006; She is a physiotherapist by Team Denmark in Aarhus
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
and lecturer in business / sports clubs etc.
Achievements
Gitte Karlshøj has won 37 Danish championships at various distances. She has set 3 Danish records at 1000m, 1.500m and 2000 meters, and set the 2002 world record for Masters (W40) at the half marathon distance. Her personal record for the marathon is 2:31:31, just 1.53min from Dorthe Rasmussen's Danish record of 2:29:34. At almost 45 years of age, Gitte Karlshøj won the open division of the Hong Kong MarathonHong Kong Marathon
The Hong Kong Marathon, sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank, is an annual marathon race held in February or March in Hong Kong. In addition to the full marathon, a 10 km run and a half marathon are also held.-1997:...
in 2004. She won the masters division of the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
two years in a row. She won all distances from 800m to marathon at the European Veterans Championships in 2004, all within a week. She was the 2009 world champion at 5.000 mi class-W50. She won the Danish championship marathon in 2009, which was hosted by the Hans Christian Andersen Marathon in Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
and thus became the oldest Danish champion ever. Her finishing time was 2:51,30.
She is the only Dane to claim to be Danish champion at all distances from 800 meters to the marathon, including cross and road race (11 different distances).
Gitte chosen for European Best Female Master of the Year 2009 that is the best female athlete over 35 years in Europe.
Personal Records
- 800 meters : 2.02.9 (1992)
- 1500 meters : 4.08.61 (1991) Danish record in 1991
- 3000 meters : 8:44:35 (1991)
- 5000 meters : 15.22.95 (1993)
- 10000 meters : 32.26.25 (1994)
- Half MarathonHalf marathonA 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...
: 1:10:50 (1996) - MarathonMarathonThe marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
: 2:31:31 (1997)
Masters World Records
- Half-marathon: 1:11:09 (2002), W40 (since improved)
- 1.500m: 4:40:7 (2009), W50
- Mile: 5:00:59 (2010), W50
- 3.000m: 9:47:20 (2009), W50
- 5.000m: 16:51:17 (2009), W50
- 10,000: 35:41:8 (2009), W50