PA's Suzanna Bon takes 5th in the IAU World Championship 24-Hour Race

As 2nd Team USA Woman Finisher, Suzanna helps bring home the Gold!

The International Association of Ultrarunners organized the 9th 24 Hour World and 18th European Championships on Sepetmber 8-9th 2012 in Katowice, Poland.

A record number of athletes and federations participated in the event. The championships saw 254 athletes from 34 nations vying for the top spot in the race.

The race was organized on a 1544.87 m course around Park Slozi in Chozin. Individual countries had set up their refreshments to support their athletes. The cooler temperatures during the day and night combined with a relatively flat course allowed the athletes to set several national records and personal bests.

Above info reprinted from the IAU report. Complete report...

Bon, age 48, is from Sonoma, CA, is a mother of five, and a former elementary school teacher. She has been an ultra running standut since 2003 and her first 24 hour race was an amazing 134.7-miles to win the San Francisco 24 Hour Race in 2009. She competed with Team USA in the 2010 World 24-Hour event held in France, where she finished 3rd American woman and 17th overall. Her distance at the 2012 championships (143.583 miles) is a personal best by five miles.

Results 24hr World Championship 2012, Katowice, Poland

Men:
Gold --- Mike Morton USA277.543 km Silver --- Florian Reus GER 261.718 km (1st European Championship)
Bronze --- Ludovic Dilmi FRA 257.819 km (2nd European Championship)
4th Place --- Ryo Abiko JPN 255.487 km
5th Place --- Piotr Sawicki POL 254.093 km (3rd European Championship)

Women:
Gold --- Michaela Dimitriadu CZE 244.232 km (1st European Championship)
Silver --- Connie Gardner USA 240.385 km
Bronze --- Emily Gelder GBR 238.875 km (2nd European Championship)
4th Place --- Cecile Nissen FRA 234.534 km
5th Place --- Suzanna Bon USA 231.074 km

Team Competition Men:
Gold --- Germany 759.457 km (1st European Championship)
Silver --- France 756.710 km (2nd European Championship)
Bronze --- USA 754.786 km
4th Place --- Poland 741.267 km (3rd European Championship)
5th Place --- Japan 738.566 km

Team Competition Women:
Gold --- United States of America 694.620 km Silver --- France 666.503 km (1st European Championship) Bronze --- Great Britain 666.461 km (2nd European Championship) 4th Place --- Germany 651.221 km (3rd European Championship) 5th Place --- Sweden 649.297 km