Brian Drewry, Times Colonist
Published: Thursday, March 06, 2008

Beginners luck had nothing to do with it.

Cheryl Murphy is just that good of a marathon runner. So good, the Victoria native posted the fasted time this year by a Canadian woman, finishing second at the Snickers Marathon Energy Bar Marathon in Albany, Georgia, last weekend. Murphy’s time of two hours 40 minutes 12 seconds also qualified her for the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics next summer in Berlin.

All of this, and it was the 38-year-old’s first marathon. The former member of Canada’s national duathlon team also earned $2,000 for her runner-up finish. Janet Cheroban of Kenya won the women’s race with a time 2:37:27.

Also competing in Albany was Victoria’s Phil Nicholls. The 48-year-old won the masters (over-40) division with a time of 2:38:29. Nicholls’ finishing time also placed him sixth in the overall standings.

Kenyan Simon Sawe, who resides in New Mexico, won the marathon with a time of 2:27:43.