Rijen, March 2, 2008 - Women 6300 m

Just 23 senior women start for the race over 6300 metres. Adriënne Herzog, the ruling champion since 2005, is expected to be on her own. Lornah Kiplagat and Hilda Kibet are not interested in these cross country nationals. Selma Borst had to withdraw with an injury in a late stage. Susan Kuijken ran later on March 2 an indoor mile in Chapel Hill, North carolina, in 4.36.91, and also a 1200 metres leg in a distance medley with the team of Florida State University.

After 1000 metres we have five leaders: Miranda Boonstra (215), Jolanda Verstraten (204), Andrea Deelstra (202), Adriënne Herzog (200), and Daphne Panhuysen (223). Boonstra (oo=oa), Verstraten, and Deelstra happen to have shared the national medals for 3000 metres steeple chase between them over the last five years or so.

Some 1200 metres later, after two-thirds of the first red lap of 1800 metres, the five are still together, though ...

Mirian van Reijen (224), Laura Huijbregts (214), Corelien Kloek (221), Esther Schipper (220), and Pauline Claessen (222) are trailing by 20 seconds, and a lot more to come.

The leaders have rounded another red lap of 1800 metres. Herzog is trying to get rid of Boonstra, but this is about the maximum gap between the two. Verstraten is running in the background, at 50-60 metres from Boonstra.

Verstraten has left Deelstra and Panhuysen behind. Can she hold on to rank 3, and take her first medal in the nationals cross country?

Claessen, Huijbregts, and Kloek have left Schipper behind. Inge de Jong (210) has passed Shipper, and is trying to join the trio.

Herzog had found some unexpected difficulty with the strong western wind on het way to the home straight. Later it turned out that she was not 100% fit. That's why Boonstra could come back this close. Quite a performance for Boonstra, who was injured for about nine months in 2007, and could not start training until November. Three years ago, in 2005 in Roggel, when Winter really started by the end of Winter 2004-2005, Herzog also beat Boonstra by one second.

Verstraten has held on to place three, and will take a well-earned bronze medal, her first as a senior in the cross country nationals. Six years ago, in Amersfoort 2002, she took silver behind Herzog in the junior race.

Number five Deelstra is asking herself why it did not work out the way she wanted.

Lindy Burgman (226) has come from nowhere to take place 7. She has defeated her teammate Claessen, but still looks not very happy.

Huijbregts, unother relatively unknown athlete, from the true city of light, is glad with her ninth rank. She has finished three seconds ahead of #10, Inge de Jong.

		Women 6300 m
1	200	Adriënne Herzog	1985	Groningen Atletiek	23.59
2	215	Miranda Boonstra	1972	Nijmegen Atletiek	24.00
3	204	Jolanda Verstraten	1983	Scopias	24.28
4	223	Daphne Panhuysen	1977	Cifla	24.41
5	202	Andrea Deelstra	1985	AV Heerenveen	25.06
6	224	Miriam van Reijen	1983	Phanos	25.57
7	226	Lindy Burgman	1983	Nijmegen Atletiek	26.07
8	222	Pauline Claessen	1980	Nijmegen Atletiek	26.17
9	214	Laura Huijbregts	1980	Asterix	26.21
10	210	Inge de Jong	1976	Trias	26.24
11	236	Ingrid Versteegh	1978	Sprint	26.29
12	221	Corelien Kloek	1987	NOP	26.39
13	208	Mechtild Panhuysen	1979	Atletiek Maastricht	26.44
14	220	Esther Schipper	1987	AV Castricum	26.46
15	225	Marlot Maas	1985	No-Limits	26.58
16	218	Karin Gorter	1983	Kronos	27.01
17	206	Marisa Hopmans	1979	Spado	27.42
18	217	Renske Weeda	1978	Nijmegen Atletiek	28.09
19	228	Corine Spaans	1976	Olympia Eindhoven	28.16
20	235	Karien Coppens	1980	Attila	28.43
21	232	Marloes van Loon	1988	ACW'66	28.46
22	229	Judith van Leeuwen	1979	Caesar	28.52