British athlete Jess Piasecki stormed to a stunning victory in the Florence Marathon at the weekend, winning the women’s race in 2:25:29. In what was her first 26.2-miler, Piasecki (née Coulson) became the third fastest female in British marathon history, ranking only behind Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi.
It was a commanding performance from the 29-year-old – she recorded a huge negative split, running the first half of the race in 74:31 and the second in 70:58, to win the women’s race by 78 seconds, and finish 11thoverall.
The victory is a noteworthy achievement for the 2012 European Cross-Country under-23 champion, who has struggled with persistent injuries linked to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) throughout her career. Piasecki started the 2015 Frankfurt Marathon and was well on course for a qualifying time for the 2016 Rio Olympics, but was forced to drop out of the race after she tore her plantar fascia at the 32km mark.
But the Nottingham Trent University exercise physiology lecturer and researcher has come into fitness and form in 2019. She ran 15:51 at the Long Eaton parkrun in March (putting her second on the all-time female rankings), and won the Mattoni Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon in Czechia in September in a PB of 71:34.
Piasecki is coached by Robert Hawkins, the father and coach of World Championship marathon fourth-place finisher Callum. Her Florence Marathon time pips Charlotte Purdue’s 2:25:38 in this year’s London Marathon and Steph Twell’s 2:26:40 in the Frankfurt Marathon last month.
‘Isn’t it great when a long term plan comes together,’ she said on social media. ‘Thanks to all who have helped along the way.’
Finishing runner-up to the Briton in Florence was Dinknesh Mekash Tefera of Ethiopia in 2:26:47, with Kenya’s Salina Jebet third in 2:30:28.
The men’s race was won by Ethiopia’s Nigussie Sahlesilassie Bekele with 2:10:14. Kenya’s Asbel Kipsang of Kenya was second in 2:11:55, and Morocco’s Hicham Bofars was third in 2:13:29. Britain’s Paul Molyneux was eighth in 2:22:56.
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