As usual at the European championships, perhaps the final highlight was the marathon run. The only Lithuanian representative in this event performed excellently – track and field athlete Vaida Žūsinaitė-Nekriošienė. Experienced track and field athlete emphasized She said the course was extremely tough, but love for what you do helps you overcome all difficulties.
The athlete completed the distance in 2 hours, 37 minutes, and 47 seconds. and took 29th place out of 52 female runners who started. After the finish, a smile never left her face, even when talking about the difficulties encountered. “First of all, I’m glad I finished. I am satisfied with both the result and the placement because the course was definitely not easy. Of course, it’s the same for everyone, but today I gave everything. The weather was perfect, superb. There was no wind and the temperature was good (about 18 degrees). But the track…. I was also a bit annoyed – a hill, a slope. Before the lap finish, my legs were cut off so badly that it felt like I couldn’t go on anymore. But then I would get up to speed again. You could also feel the turns, my ankles started hurting, and I was cautiously twisting… From those mountains, just two wheels remaining, my calves and feet started to ache a little. “I just ran, that’s all,” the runner shared her impressions.
Today’s result is the seventh in V. Žūsinaitė-Nekriošienė’s career. When asked how she manages to maintain such a long-lasting successful career, the track and field athlete did not hesitate for long.
“I like what I do, which is why I manage to run for so long. Of course, everyone goes through tough moments, but you learn, come back, and most importantly – do what you enjoy. Nowadays, age is definitely not a limit. I will run as long as I want and as much as my health allows. Of course, sometimes I want to rest from a marathon because it’s definitely a tiring event, but overall, I will train my whole life and will try to show high results as much as my health allows,” the runner summarized.
Let us remind you that her career best was set a decade ago – in 2016. In Hanover (2 hours 32 minutes 50 seconds). After that time, the athlete became a mother twice.
Photo by Alfredas Pliadis
