At 9:22 a.m. on a cool, damp morning on Staten Island over 30 elite women began the run up the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to the highest point on the course before running down into Brooklyn on their way through all five boroughs of this great city. When asked how she felt about New York immediately after the finish she replied “Amazing, absolutely amazing, I am so happy”.

After passing through the Half Marathon in 1:16:18 Eva stayed with the lead pack of women, including all the favorites like the World Record Holder, Mary Keitany and the two time World Champion, Edna Kiplagat, past the 30K when Keitany, Mamita Daska of Ethiopia, and the eventual winner, American Shalane Flanagan, surged and the group broke up.

Vrabcova remained in sixth place for most of the final 10K until just before the finish line when she was outkicked by the Italian, Sara Dossena, but Eva finished only eight seconds behind the fourth place finisher, Edna Kiplagat. With her second half of the race over three minutes faster than the first half she finished in a personal best of 2:29:41 and her future as a distance runner now seems assured.

When asked if she now considers herself a marathoner she replied, “Now I can see that I am”.