LILIYA SHOBUKHOVA BECOMES FIRST RUSSIAN TO WIN AIMS/ASICS WORLD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD

The world running organisation the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and award sponsor ASICS are proud to announce Russian athlete Liliya Shobukhova as the AIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year. 

Remarkably, Liliya becomes the first Russian athlete to win the coveted award, which was last year won by Kenyan runner Mary Keitany.

ASICS Russia's Marketing Manager, Natalia Lapochkina, presented Shobukhova with the much acclaimed Golden Shoe Trophy on Wednesday 16th November during a short handover ceremony in the Russian capital city of Moscow.

Shobukhova, who turned 34 on Sunday (13^th November), has a long career in athletics spanning all surfaces and distances from 800m indoors to world cross country however her true talents lie as a confirmed endurance runner, particularly in the biggest of big city Marathons.

In 2010 Liliya made a big breakthrough at Marathon distance by winning the London Marathon in 2:22:00, only to further improve that time six months later in Chicago to win the race and set an outstanding time of 2:20:25. In a year without any global championships, she finished the season having recorded the top two fastest times in the Marathon rankings.

Liliya continued to improve in 2011, running a personal best 2:20:15 in the London Marathon. In October she started the Chicago Marathon as heavy favourite and won for a third straight time in 2:18:20, claiming the 2010/11 World Marathon Major series in the process. Liliya's astonishing time in Chicago set a new Russian record and has made her the second fastest female marathon runner in history behind world record holder, and former AIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year, Paula Radcliffe.

The AIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year Awards were founded in 1992 and are decided each year from nominations made by the 310 member races of AIMS. Previous winners include Liz McColgan (GBR), Uta Pippig (GER), Tegla Loroupe (KEN), Naoko Takahashi (JPN), Catherine Ndereba (KEN) Paula Radcliffe (GBR), Mizuki Noguchi (JPN), Lornah Kiplagat (NED) Constantina Dita (ROM) and Mary Keitany (KEN).

AIMS President Paco Borao comments: "It is a great honour for AIMS to recognise the fantastic achievements of Liliya Shobukhova who becomes the first Russian to win the AIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year Award. Liliya had an exceptional season last year and I am delighted to acknowledge her dominance on behalf of the 310 members of AIMS in over 95 countries throughout the world."

Liliya Shobukhova comments: "To be named as the first Russian athlete to win this prestigious award is a great honour and I am especially delighted to receive this great trophy in my capital city of Moscow. I wish to extend my sincere thanks to AIMS for their great support and this fine award."

 

AIMS Athlete : Liliya Bulatovna Shobukhova

Born 13^th November 1977 in Beloretsk, Russia

Shobukhova, 34, is an athlete with a long career in athletics spanning all surfaces and distances from 800m indoors through world cross country to the biggest of big city Marathons.

In 2008 she began on an upward trajectory that is still in progress as she climbs the distances and the rankings. She finished 6th in the Beijing Olympic 5000m in 15:47, but ran significantly faster than that over 10,000m the following year, to set her personal best of 30:30. With this track background she soon made an impression on the road. She had finished an unimpressive 25th at the 2007 World Half Marathon Championships in Udine, with 1:11:35, but improved by 2008 to 1:10:21.

Where her true talents lie, as a confirmed endurance runner, started to become obvious in 2009 when she recorded 2:24:24 in the London Marathon, and the following year made a big breakthrough by winning the race in 2:22:00 and then improving that time six months later in Chicago to 2:20:25. In a year without any global championships, she finished with the top two times in the Marathon rankings.

Liliya continued to improve in 2011, running a personal best 2:20:15 in the London Marathon. In October she started the Chicago Marathon as heavy favourite and won for a third straight time in 2:18:20, claiming the 2010/11 World Marathon Major series title in the process. Liliya's astonishing time in Chicago set a new Russian record and has made her the second fastest female marathon runner in history behind world record holder, and former AIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year, Paula Radcliffe.

 

Racing History Personal Bests

Marathon         2:18:20     Chicago           2011

30km              1:38:23     Chicago           2011

25km              1:22:34     Chicago           2011

Half Marathon 1:09:25     Chicago           2011

20km              1:05:48     Chicago           2011

15km              49:19       Chicago           2011

10km              32:19       Jersey City       2009

Information supplied by AIMS General Secretary Hugh Jones

 

Winners To Date

Year of Award	Male Winner	Female Winner	Comments
1992	Benson Masya (Kenya)	Liz McColgan (Scotland)
1993	Dionicio Ceron (Mexico)	No Award
1994	Vincent Rousseau (Belgium)	Uta Pippig (Germany)
1995	No Award	Tegla Loroupe (Kenya)
1996	Paul Tergat (Kenya)	Uta Pippig (Germany)
1997	Josia Thugwane (South Africa)	Tegla Loroupe (Kenya)
1998	Ronaldo da Costa (Brazil)	Tegla Loroupe (Kenya)
1999	Abel Anton (Spain)	Tegla Loroupe (Kenya)
2000	Gezahenge Abera (Ethiopia)	Naoko Takahashi (Japan)
2001	Josephat Kiprono (Kenya)	Catherine Ndereba (Kenya)
2002	Khalid Kannouchi (USA)	Paula Radcliffe (England)
2003	Paul Tergat (Kenya)	Paula Radcliffe (England)
2004	Stefano Baldini (Italy)	Mizuki Noguchi (Japan)
2005	Jaouad Gharib (Morocco)	Paula Radcliffe (England)
2006	Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia)	Lornah Kiplagat (Netherlands)
2007	Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia)	Lornah Kiplagat (Netherlands)
2008	Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia)	Constantina Dita (Romania)
2009	Sammy Wanjiru (Kenya)	Mary Keitany (Kenya)
2010	Patrick Makau (Kenya)	Liliya Shobukhova (Russia)

 

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