Svetlana Ponomarenko

Making her fourth appearance at the competition, she finished almost eight minutes ahead of the next best woman to set a race record of 2:33:19.

[13] Ponomarenko's race at the 2008 Country Music Marathon in Nashville saw the Russian again cross the tape some distance ahead of her rivals, with runner-up Olena Shurkhno some three minutes adrift.

[14] Severe winds affected her performance at the Dallas Marathon at the end of the year but she managed to take her second career win in the city.

[15] Her streak of six wins, going undefeated for three years, came to an end at the 2009 San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, where she was second to her younger compatriot Tatyana Pushkareva.

[17] She was again beaten by Deba at the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon, but her eighth place finish made the 41-year-old the top masters athlete at the event.