Denna Kastor

Deena Kastor won both our hearts and the bronze medal in today's Olympic women's marathon. Kastor ran a smart and gutsy race, surging from 11th place in the last 10 miles to run down Ethiopia's Elfenesh Alemu for third.

Today's marathon, held on the original marathon course, was the most competitive women's marathon ever with a margin of just twelve seconds separating gold medalist Mizuki Noguchi of Japan from silver medalist Catherine "The Great" Ndereba of Ethiopia.

Kastor chose to start conservatively in the brutal heat, which was in the 90's most of the race. Kastor reasoned that those who started quickly would crack later in the race. As it turned out, Kastor was right.

Kastor was 28th after 3 miles and moved up to 12th at the halfway point of the 26.2-mile race but still couldn't see the leaders. The lead pack had disintegrated by 19 miles. Kastor was in eighth and catching the stragglers.

The most notable of the casualties: world record-holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain. Radcliffe melted down near the 19-mile mark. She sat down on the curb and began sobbing.

"The smartest way to race is to pick off runners," said Kastor. "I started to get an adrenaline rush every time I saw a girl in front of me."

With less that a mile to go, Kastor was on the heels of Elfenesh Alemu of Ethiopia, this year's runner-up in the Boston Marathon. As she passed Alemu, however, Kastor had a problem: She didn't know what place she was in.

"Two different people told me that if I caught the girl in front of me I'd be in third, and then someone else told me I'd be in fourth," said Kastor. "I didn't know until the announcer said, 'Deena Kastor is going to get the bronze,' " she said. "I just cried my way around the track after that. ... When I heard that, I just lost all my emotions. I couldn't contain myself.

"My whole last lap I was just bawling hysterically," said Kastor. "I could barely push forward because I got so emotional. We may look like we are so alone out there, but I began to think of all the people who supported me in this."

As sport is scarred by doping and the hype machine spins out of control, we thank Deena Kastor and her fellow competitors for centering us on the Olympic ideal: friendly competition which brings out the best in us.