Athletics: Hunter-Galvan wins Christchurch marathon

Liza Hunter-Galvan. Photo / Getty Images

Disgraced marathon runner Liza Hunter-Galvan has returned from her two-year ban for drug-taking with a win at the Christchurch marathon today.

She won the women's 42.195km race in a provisional finish time of two hours, 45 minutes and 31 seconds. Second place went to North Canterbury's Tracey Crossley in 2hr 59min 46sec.

Hunter-Galvan finished 10th overall, with the fastest men's time going to Singapore runner Ying Ren Mok in 2hr 26min 34sec.

Hunter-Galvan paced herself well, running a conservative first half in 1hr 23min 27sec before upping the tempo to cover the closing 21km in 1hr 22min 02sec.

The race was Hunter-Galvan's first after serving a two-year ban when she tested positive for the blood-booster erythropoietin (EPO) in 2009.

The 41-year-old has a career-best of 2hr 29min 37sec, and competed at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

She finished 51st at the 2004 Athens Games, and 35th at Beijing four years later after appealing her earlier non-selection to the Sports Tribunal.

Texas-based Hunter-Galvan is ineligible for next year's London Olympics under New Zealand Olympic Committee policy.

- NZPA