Bloomington runner is top American woman at Boston

By DENNIS BRACKIN, Star Tribune

Last update: April 22, 2008 - 12:16 AM

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Bloomington's Ashley Anklam, a recent college graduate running in her third marathon, was the top American finisher in Monday's Boston Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 48:43 minutes. Anklam, 22, finished 15th overall in the women's division, more than 20 minutes behind women's winner Dire Tune (2:25:25).

The American field at Boston this year was a bit diluted, because most of the top USA runners competed Sunday in the Olympic trials in Boston. Anklam's time was the slowest for the top American at Boston since 1975. But the lack of elite competitors did not dampen her spirits.

"If anything, it made me more motivated,'' she said of the lack of top American runners. "It was an opportunity for me to place higher than I would have any other year.''

Anklam bettered her best previous marathon time -- January in Phoenix -- by almost a minute (2:49:30 in Phoenix). In her first marathon she finished 13th at last October's Twin Cities Marathon with a time of 2:58.34.

Anklam was raised in Bloomington and graduated in 2007 from Drake University, where she won the Missouri Valley Conference cross-country championship as a senior. She's a Holy Angels High School alum who said her best finish at the state cross-country meet "was in the 30's.. ...the longer the distance, the better, I guess.''

Anklam is attending the University of Minnesota medical school. Hectic schedule, yes, but she said she'll find time to run more marathons over the coming months.

''It still hasn't sunk in,'' she said. "It just feels good.''