Fira Sultanova returns to the 34th Grandma's Marathon today with nothing to prove other than a love of distance running. The 49-year-old Russian native, who resides in Gainesville, Fla., already holds the women's course record, and has won twice along the North Shore.
But she's determined to make a comeback after knee surgery, which has kept her out of marathons since Boston of 2008, and she's competing after losing her husband and coach, Viktor Zhdanov, to a heart attack last November.
"I'm hoping this race brings back good memories for me," Sultanova said Friday in Duluth. "I'm not concerned about how old I am, or anything else, I'm here to run the best I can. I'm happy to see my record is still standing."
On a sunny day in 2003, she ran the best time in race history at 2 hours, 27 minutes, 5 seconds as a masters entrant. She was a repeat winner in 2004 in 2:35:08.
The course record for women age 45-49 is 2:38:55 by Ramilia Burangulova of Russia in 2007 at age 46. The marathon with 7,387 entrants starts at 7:30 a.m. The 20th Garry Bjorklund Half-Marathon with 6,876 entrants starts at 6:30 a.m.
