Vincenza Sicari
Encyclopedia
Vincenza Sicari is an Italian
long-distance runner. She represented Italy internationally in cross country running
early in her career, but later moved on to road
events. She has appeared at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
on three occasions and ran in the marathon
for Italy at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
She has competed extensively on the Italian road circuit and has won marathons in Carpi, Padua
, and Turin
. Her personal best of 2:29:51 hours, set in 2008, came at the latter race.
, made her senior debut at the European Cross Country Championships
in 2001, and ran in the short race at the 2003 World Cross Championships. She began competing for the Italian Army
team in 2004 and this coincided with her first national title, becoming champion over 10,000 metres. She recorded a half marathon
best of 1:13:42 hours at the Napoli Half Marathon and represented Italy in that event at the 2004 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
, coming 34th. She was 45th at the European Cross Country Championships
that December.
Sicari had her best placing at the World Cross Country Championships in 2005
, placing 40th in the long race. She was runner-up at the Stramilano
half marathon in April, setting a personal best of 1:12:39 minutes behind Anikó Kálovics
. She was selected to compete on the track at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
and she was sixth over 10,000 m. She also represented Italy at the World Half Marathon and the European Cross Country Championships that year.
Her debut marathon
run came in October 2006 at the Italian Marathon in Carpi. She used the event to test her fitness over the distance and she came third. A run at the Florence Marathon
followed and she fought off a challenge from Gloria Marconi
to take a clear victory in 2:34:52 hours, although she slowed in the latter stages due to liver problems.
In January 2007 she won the 6 km race at the Montefortiana Turà in Monteforte d'Alpone
. She knocked more than four minutes off her best at the 2007 Maratona di Sant'Antonio
in Padua and won the women's race. She eased to victory at the Scalata al Castello 5 km and stated that she was keen to form part of the national marathon team for the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
. However, she missed out on the squad and instead had to make do with an appearance at the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships
in Udine
(where she was 24th). The Florence Marathon offered her a chance gain a place for the 2008 Italian Olympic team
and she won the race for a second year running.
Sicari began 2008 with a win at the Maratonina dei Tre Comuni, followed by a second place finish at the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon in a personal best of 1:10:21 hours. An attempt to gain an Olympic place at the Rome City Marathon
failed after she dropped out of the race. She rebounded with a win at the La Lagarina half marathon later that month and just dipped under FIDAL
's time standard of two hours thirty minutes at the Turin Marathon
, gaining selection and the women's title in a personal best of 2:29:51 hours. She won the women's race at the Trofeo San Vittore in June. On her debut Olympic appearance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Marathon she came 29th with a time of 2:33:31 hours. She brought her year to a close with a third place finish at the Turin Half Marathon and a win at the Straconi Golden Run in Cuneo
.
She competed in a number of half marathons in 2009, winning the Valli e Pinete Half Marathon and the Maratonina di Cremona, as well as having a top five finish at the Stramilano. She won a second title at the Maratonina dei Tre Comuni at the start of 2010, but did not run competitively for the rest of the year.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
long-distance runner. She represented Italy internationally 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...
early in her career, but later moved on to road
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. She has appeared at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships is an annual half marathon competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was contested from 1992 to 2005, and replaced by the IAAF World Road Running Championships, a 20 kilometres race which had its inaugural...
on three occasions and ran 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...
for Italy at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
She has competed extensively on the Italian road circuit and has won marathons in Carpi, Padua
Maratona di Sant'Antonio
The Maratona di Sant'Antonio is an annual road running competition which takes place in April in Padua, Italy. The event features a full marathon race , a half marathon, and a range of shorter fun run events for amateurs...
, and Turin
Turin Marathon
The Turin Marathon is an annual marathon race which takes place in Turin, Italy in November. The first edition of the modern race was held in 1987, although other marathon competitions have been held in the city prior to this, including sporadic races in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the earliest...
. Her personal best of 2:29:51 hours, set in 2008, came at the latter race.
Career
She started her international career as a cross country runner: she ran as a junior at the 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 26th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 21-22 March 1998 in Marrakech, Morocco.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :...
, made her senior debut at the European Cross Country Championships
European Cross Country Championships
The European Cross Country Championships is an annual international cross country running competition. Organised by the European Athletic Association, it is the area championships for the region and is held in December each year...
in 2001, and ran in the short race at the 2003 World Cross Championships. She began competing for the Italian Army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
team in 2004 and this coincided with her first national title, becoming champion over 10,000 metres. She recorded a 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...
best of 1:13:42 hours at the Napoli Half Marathon and represented Italy in that event at the 2004 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2004 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 13th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on October 3, 2004 in New Delhi, India. A total of 152 athletes, 91 men and 61 women, from 55 countries took part.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:-External links:*...
, coming 34th. She was 45th at the European Cross Country Championships
European Cross Country Championships
The European Cross Country Championships is an annual international cross country running competition. Organised by the European Athletic Association, it is the area championships for the region and is held in December each year...
that December.
Sicari had her best placing at the World Cross Country Championships in 2005
2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2005 in Saint-Étienne and Saint-Galmier , France.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
, placing 40th in the long race. She was runner-up at the Stramilano
Stramilano
The Stramilano is an annual athletics event which takes place in Milan, Italy in spring. The event comprises three parts: the Stramilano International Half Marathon , the La Stramilano dei 50.000 and the Stramilanina – a 5 km event for younger people.The event was conceived in 1972 by the...
half marathon in April, setting a personal best of 1:12:39 minutes behind Anikó Kálovics
Anikó Kálovics
Anikó Kálovics is a Hungarian runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres and the marathon. She is a three-time Olympian and has won both the Venice Marathon and Italian Marathon.-Career:...
. She was selected to compete on the track at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
Athletics at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
The Athletics competition at the 2005 Mediterranean Games was held in the Mediterraneo Stadium in Almería, Spain from 29 June to 2 July 2005.-Men's:-Women's:-Medal table:-References:**...
and she was sixth over 10,000 m. She also represented Italy at the World Half Marathon and the European Cross Country Championships that year.
Her debut 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...
run came in October 2006 at the Italian Marathon in Carpi. She used the event to test her fitness over the distance and she came third. A run at the Florence Marathon
Florence Marathon
The Florence Marathon is an annual full-length marathon race which takes place in late November in Florence, Italy. Established in 1984, the international competition has significantly grown in size since its inaugural edition of 462 runners – a total of 10,211 runners started the 2010 edition,...
followed and she fought off a challenge from Gloria Marconi
Gloria Marconi
Gloria Marconi is an Italian long-distance runner.She was born in Florence. On the track she finished fifth in the 5000 metres and 24th in the 10,000 metres at the 2002 European Championships. She became Italian 5000 metres champion in 2002 and 2004, and 10,000 metres champion in 2003 and 2006...
to take a clear victory in 2:34:52 hours, although she slowed in the latter stages due to liver problems.
In January 2007 she won the 6 km race at the Montefortiana Turà in Monteforte d'Alpone
Monteforte d'Alpone
Monteforte d'Alpone is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 80 km west of Venice and about 25 km east of Verona....
. She knocked more than four minutes off her best at the 2007 Maratona di Sant'Antonio
Maratona di Sant'Antonio
The Maratona di Sant'Antonio is an annual road running competition which takes place in April in Padua, Italy. The event features a full marathon race , a half marathon, and a range of shorter fun run events for amateurs...
in Padua and won the women's race. She eased to victory at the Scalata al Castello 5 km and stated that she was keen to form part of the national marathon team for the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
. However, she missed out on the squad and instead had to make do with an appearance at the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships
2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships
The 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships were held in Udine, Italy on 14 October 2007.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:...
in Udine
Udine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
(where she was 24th). The Florence Marathon offered her a chance gain a place for the 2008 Italian Olympic team
Italy at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Italy competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, China.The country sent a delegation of 344 athletes to compete.-Medalists:- Archery:...
and she won the race for a second year running.
Sicari began 2008 with a win at the Maratonina dei Tre Comuni, followed by a second place finish at the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon in a personal best of 1:10:21 hours. An attempt to gain an Olympic place at the Rome City Marathon
Rome City Marathon
The Rome Marathon is an annual marathon competition hosted by the city of Rome, Italy on a Sunday of March.The competition has also doubled as the Italian Marathon championships on two occasions; in 1983 and 1986. The race date was shifted from the traditional March schedule to 1 January in 2000...
failed after she dropped out of the race. She rebounded with a win at the La Lagarina half marathon later that month and just dipped under FIDAL
Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera
FIDAL is the governing body for athletics in Italy since 1906....
's time standard of two hours thirty minutes at the Turin Marathon
Turin Marathon
The Turin Marathon is an annual marathon race which takes place in Turin, Italy in November. The first edition of the modern race was held in 1987, although other marathon competitions have been held in the city prior to this, including sporadic races in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the earliest...
, gaining selection and the women's title in a personal best of 2:29:51 hours. She won the women's race at the Trofeo San Vittore in June. On her debut Olympic appearance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Marathon she came 29th with a time of 2:33:31 hours. She brought her year to a close with a third place finish at the Turin Half Marathon and a win at the Straconi Golden Run in Cuneo
Cuneo
Cuneo is a city and comune in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area...
.
She competed in a number of half marathons in 2009, winning the Valli e Pinete Half Marathon and the Maratonina di Cremona, as well as having a top five finish at the Stramilano. She won a second title at the Maratonina dei Tre Comuni at the start of 2010, but did not run competitively for the rest of the year.
International competition record
| 1998 | World Cross Country Championships 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 26th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 21-22 March 1998 in Marrakech, Morocco.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :... |
Marrakech Marrakech Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history... , Morocco |
70th | Junior race |
| 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:... |
Thun Thun Thun is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland with about 42,136 inhabitants , as of 1 January 2006.... , Switzerland |
55th | Long race |
| 2003 | World Cross Country Championships 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 29-30 March 2003 in Lausanne and Avenches , Switzerland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :... |
Lausanne Lausanne Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west... , Switzerland |
51st | Short race |
| 2004 | World Half Marathon Championships 2004 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 13th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on October 3, 2004 in New Delhi, India. A total of 152 athletes, 91 men and 61 women, from 55 countries took part.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:-External links:*... |
New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is... , India |
34th | Half marathon |
| 2005 | World Cross Country Championships 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2005 in Saint-Étienne and Saint-Galmier , France.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :... |
St Etienne - St Galmier, France | 40th | Long race |
| Mediterranean Games Athletics at the 2005 Mediterranean Games The Athletics competition at the 2005 Mediterranean Games was held in the Mediterraneo Stadium in Almería, Spain from 29 June to 2 July 2005.-Men's:-Women's:-Medal table:-References:**... |
Almería, Spain | 6th | 10,000 m | |
| World Half Marathon Championships 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 14th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships were held in Edmonton, Canada on 1 October 2005. This was the final World Half Marathon Championships to be staged, the competition being replaced by the World Road Running Championships in 2006. A total of 156 athletes, 87 men and 69 women, from 43... |
Edmonton Edmonton Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census... , Canada |
31st | Half marathon | |
| 2007 | World Road Running Championships 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships The 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships were held in Udine, Italy on 14 October 2007.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:... |
Udine Udine Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical... , Italy |
24th | Half marathon |
| 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... , China |
29th | Marathon |