BERBICE-born long-distance runner Euleen Josiah-Tanner is the fastest female over 3 000m and one mile in the 40-44-year-old category of the USA Track and Field (USATF) Masters Indoor Championships, which is currently underway at the JDL Fast Track in Winston, Salem, North Carolina.

The 44-year-old defended her 3 000m title with an 11:08.43 run on Friday for the Southern California Track Club (So Cal). She got past Teresa Inman (who finished in a time of 11:12.92) and Amy Begley (11:35.13) in her age division. Her time was only slower that the top finisher in the 35-39 age division (Emily Boles: 10:47.68), but better than all the 30-34 year-old runners.

Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon, she clocked 5:36.47 to win the one-mile race in her age category. Although she was not the fastest in the first lap, she paced her run well and finished with a blistering last lap of 38.39s (the only runner under 40 seconds). Janeth Alder (unattached) finished second in a time of 5:41.90.

Josiah-Tanner, who is set to represent the USA at the World’s Masters Championships in Poland later this month, erased almost 10 seconds from her 3 000m time at the South East Indoor Championship in July, but was slower than her 10:48 personal-best time.

The mother of three, who has become a household name in the 3 000m (indoors) and 5 000m (outdoors), told the Guyana Chronicle that she has done a lot of work over the last two month.

“I have been focussing more on effective pacing and speed work, I could have gone faster, but I still have more events.”

Over the three-day meet, the US-based Guyanese was scheduled to run five events: the two completed up to press time, and the 800m, the 4x800m relay and the 4x400m relay.