Marna: 5th at the Nordic Championships and silver at the Danish Championships in the 10,000 m

Machine-translated from Faroese and not yet reviewed. Read the original.

Yesterday the fastest 10,000 m runners in the Nordic countries were to be decided. Dansk Atletikforbund hosted the event and had chosen the home ground of the well-known Danish running club Blovstrødløverne as the venue. The Nordic Championships are the only international competition the Faroe Islands can take part in. Naturally the level is very high compared with our best, but in Marna Egholm we have a woman who can genuinely take on the best in the Nordic countries.

Ready for the start. The favourite, Simone Glad of Denmark, on the inside, Marna fourth from the inside. (photo: DAF – Michael Hyllested)

Before the race it looked as though Marna was stronger than three of the four on the Danish national team. Two of the Swedes were possibly within reach, and the Norwegian should also have been within reach, while the Finn and one Swede were somewhat stronger. Unfortunately the Norwegian woman had to withdraw just before the start. She had fallen ill.

To make the race more interesting for both the runners and the spectators, the Danish Championship title over 10,000 metres was contested at the same time. This meant that, in addition to the four on the Danish national team, four more of the very best Danish women also took part. On top of that there was a Kenyan pacemaker, who was to help the Danish favourite, Simone Glad, achieve the Olympic qualification standard of 32:15. In connection with the Danish Championships, several other heats were also run during the day, as Danish titles are contested in all age groups.

Marna therefore had a lot to run for. The best possible placing at the Nordic Championships, Danish Championship silver and Danish Championship gold in the 35+ age group were all within reach, and a Faroese record was also on the cards. Simone Glad and the pacemaker pulled away from the rest straight away. The Finn Markovaara and the three also went at a higher pace than it was wise for Marna to follow, and the result was that Marna ended up running entirely alone, with all the other Danish women chasing.

Marna tried for a while to follow the Swedish women, but they were too strong. Frida, at the front of the photo, ran into trouble early on, however, and dropped out. (photo: DAF – Michael Hyllested)

But Marna did get a race! Because coming up behind was the strong Danish runner Rikke Due-Andersen. She was the one who won Danish Championship gold in the marathon when Valborg Heinesen won bronze in 2014. One of the Swedish women had dropped out, so at the same time as Marna was fighting for fifth place at the Nordic Championships, she now also found herself in an intense battle for Danish Championship silver. For a long time Rikke was some 20 metres behind, but then she closed right up and also moved past Marna, who nevertheless hung on. That is how it stayed until the final lap, when Marna finally pulled away and secured Danish Championship silver.

Marna’s time was 36:00.37. An improvement of the Faroese record by a full 48 seconds. The old record was her own; she set it at the Island Games in Jersey, where she won silver. Even so, this was not a time Marna was particularly impressed by. Because as recently as March she ran 35:17 when she won bronze at the Danish 10 km Road Championships. In a championship race like this, however, the time is not what matters most. It was also too windy to run the very fastest times. Marna has every reason to be delighted with the best placing ever by a Faroese athlete at the Nordic Championships, silver at the Danish Championships, gold at the Danish Championships in the 35+ category and a big chunk off the Faroese record.

The Danish Championship medals being presented. From left: Marna and Conrad, Simone Glad, and Rikke Due-Andersen with children. (photo: FÍF)

The result of the Nordic Championship race was as follows:

1. Laura Markovaara, Finland 34:00.14
2. Cecilia Norrbom, Sweden 34:16.21
3. Sara Holmgren, Sweden 34:57.13
4. Simone Glad, Denmark 35:14.48
5. Marna Egholm, FAROE ISLANDS 36:00.37
6. Sissel Møller, Denmark 36:45.98
7. Helene Svane, Denmark 37:02.74
8. Pernille Bak Larsen, Denmark 37:09.46
– Frida Lunden, Sweden DNF
– Eli Anne Dvergsdal, Norway DNS

The result of the Danish Championship race was as follows:

1. Simone Glad 35:14.48
2. Marna Egholm, 36:00.37
3. Rikke Due-Andersen 36:03.25
4. Sissel Møller, 36:45.98
5. Helene Svane 37:02.74
6. Pernille Bak Larsen 37:09.46
7. Camilla Lundtoft 37:57.84
8. Lise Kandborg Sørensen 38:04.81
9. Mia Sørensen 38:16.78