News & Releases >> September 25 2007
Toronto. September 25th, 2007
Interview with Malgorzata Sobanska, course record holder (2:34:32) and returning women's champion to Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2007
by Aneta Osmola and Jolanta Sedzik, Polish Runners Club, Toronto Chapter
From the historic city of Poznan, Poland, 38 year old Malgorzata Sobanska has had a prolific career. It has included a victory at London in 1995 [2:27:43], a 2nd place finish at Boston in 2001 [2:26:42], and a 4th at the 1995 World Championships. She recalls her 2001 Boston as one of the highlights of her fine career, where she led the pack for 14 miles before eventually finishing second to Catherine "The Great" Ndereba. She also finished 11th at the 2000 Olympics, and has placed in the top four of the Berlin Marathon three times, and the top eight at the Tokyo Women's Marathon four times. This Spring, she was second at the Prague Marathon, in 2:35:02.
How did your love affair with running begin?
In grade school, which was geared towards athletics, I became interested in running the 800 metres on the track, but the school placed more emphasis on shorter, sprint distances. In my case, from the very beginning, it was evident that I had an ability to run longer distances; that is why I began to compete in cross country races. It was there that I became noticed and later I transitioned to longer track distances.
When did you begin to run marathons?
I competed in my first marathon in 1991 in Carpi, Italy and I was very satisfied with my time of 2:35, which encouraged me to continue competing at this distance. The following year I ran in Tokyo and improved my time by one minute and finished in sixth place, which further motivated me to start in more marathons.
Do you have a favourite marathon course?
There are both easy and challenging courses. For example, in Berlin the course is very fast, which makes it easier to achieve good results. Personally I don't like to run the same course more than once; I prefer to vary the location of where I will compete. My preference is to not know the course and I have found that I run my best when I run at a given marathon for the first time.
That being said you return to marathons in Toronto and Canada quite often. Last year you won both the marathons in Toronto and Vancouver.
I like Canada very much, and because I won in Vancouver in May, it was with great pleasure that I came to Toronto in September. My stay in Toronto began quite unfortunately, as during a training run I fell and bruised myself to the point where I thought I would not be able to run in the marathon. Luckily everything turned out okay. As for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon itself, it wasn't one of the easier ones I have run, due to the strong winds last year, but the course itself has the makings of a fast course and if the weather permits, it's possible to run a sub-2:30. Personally I was not convinced of my win last year until the last few metres. After the first 7 km I believed that the pace was too quick and I decided to pull back. For several kilometres after that I trailed the lead pack by about 150 metres, but I kept them in sight and they did not pull away. In the last few kilometres I decided to attack and chase the lead runner, who, at the same time, began to fade and my strong finish allowed me to win.
You have had a very successful career at various distances; with all honesty can you say that the marathon is your favourite distance?
Without a doubt the 42 km marathon distance is the best fit for me. I like the pace of this distance, especially because I am not the fastest runner, but I am very resilient mentally during this long distance. I have had numerous doubts and thoughts of stopping on the track, but never during a marathon.
How do you train and prepare for a marathon and how do you balance your sports career with your family life, having a husband and two daughters?
For any given marathon I begin a regime of intense training about two months before the race, during which time I regularly run 30 km two times a day. During this intense training period having a family provides much needed support and stability. My family allows me to concentrate on more important things than unsuccessful races or training sessions. Of course I try to plan my training and racing schedule around my daughters' school schedule, because they always accompany me to my training camps.
What do you consider to be your greatest athletic success?
Every win is a reason for happiness, but my win at the London Marathon in 1995, along with my fourth place finish at the World Championships that same year, have the greatest meaning for me. At first I was very disappointed that I missed a medal by one place at the World Championships, but in retrospect I see that even fourth place was a huge accomplishment, an accomplishment as comparable to my second place finish in the Boston Marathon in 2001.
Are you considering another Olympic start next year in China and what are your future running plans?
I would very much like to compete in the Olympics next year and if my health and conditioning allow it I will try to qualify for the Polish national team by running the required time of 2:29. In terms of my future as a runner, I plan on running as long as possible. I am not the youngest of runners at 38 years of age, but I would like to compete at the highest levels of the sport as long as possible.
On behalf of the Polish Runners Club we wish you all the best as you continue your illustrious career and we wish you luck at this year's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Thank you for coming back to Toronto. Members of the Polish Runners Club look forward to running with you on the 30th!
"Live" coverage of this year's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon can be seen at www.cbcsports.ca and on CBC Country Canada, digital channel, starting at 7am this Sunday, September 30th.