Lidiya Grigoryeva

LIDIYA GRIGORYEVA
RUSSIAN FEDERATION

BIRTHDATE:
21 January 1974

PERSONAL BEST:
2:25:10 (Los Angeles, 2006)

WORLD MARATHON MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS:

10Oct10 Bank of America Chicago Marathon DNF
19Apr10 Boston Marathon 6th 2:30:31
11Oct09 Bank of America Chicago Marathon 3rd 2:26:47
20Apr09 Boston Marathon 6th 2:34:20
12Oct08 Bank of America Chicago Marathon 1st 2:27:17
21Apr08 Boston Marathon 9th 2:35:47
04Nov07 ING New York City Marathon 4th 2:28:37
16Apr07 Boston Marathon 1st 2:29:18
05Nov06 ING New York City Marathon 5th 2:27:21
06Nov05 ING New York City Marathon 8th 2:27:48
07Nov04 ING New York City Marathon 12th 2:34:39

ADDITIONAL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

19Mar06 City of Los Angeles Marathon 1st 2:25:10
10Apr05 Paris Marathon 1st 2:27:01
10Dec00 Honolulu Marathon 4th 2:32:40
10Jan00 Houston Marathon 6th 2:38:11
14Feb99 Austin Marathon 1st 2:35:38
08Nov98 Columbus Marathon 3rd 2:41:04
04Oct97 Tyumen Marathon 3rd 2:42:25
18May97 Moscow Marathon 14th 2:51:21

CAREER NOTES:

Lidiya Grigoryeva has made a name for herself at the marathon distance the past few years lowering her PR by nine minutes and posting commanding wins at the 2005 Paris and 2006 City of Los Angeles marathons preceding her dramatic victory at the 2007 Boston Marathon. In the latter race she blistered the 25th mile in five minutes ten seconds to break away from Jelena Prokopcuka and Madai Perez and become just the second Russian to win at Boston.

In winning at Los Angeles she set a course record and earned the $100,000 Banco Popular Challenge for the first person to cross the finish, just holding off first man, Benson Cherono, with her 16 minutes and 46 seconds head-start.

Grigoryeva won her second Major at the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. On a warm day she ran negative splits of 1:16:04/1:11:13 and finished two minutes, 15 seconds ahead of her compatriot Alevtina Biktimirova.

Returning to Boston to seek another title there in 2009, Grigoryeva stayed with the leaders until late in the race before fading to a sixth place 2:34:20. She did better at Chicago in October placing third.

Possessing some top-rank track credentials, such as a 30:32.72 personal best for 10,000 meters, Grigoryeva, a two-time Olympian, raced to the bronze medal at that distance in the European Championships this past summer. She was also ninth at the 2003 World Championships Half-Marathon in a PR 1:09:32. At the 2006 Cherry Blossom Classic she set a women's race world best time of 52:11 for 10 miles on a loop course.

PERSONAL NOTES:

Grigoryeva is from Cheboksary in Russia and she began running at age 12. Her sister, Irina Timofeyeva, is also a marathoner with a 2:25 PR. Grigoryeva is married and has a daughter. Her coach since 2003 is her husband Valeriy Grigoryev, who also coaches several other professional and young Russian runners.