She was born in Karakly and represents the club Novocheboksary Profsoyuzy.^[1] On the track the finished tenth in the 3000 metres at the 1996 European Indoor Championships,^[2] fourteenth in the 10,000 metres at the 1996 Olympic Games and sixth at the 2001 World Championships.^[3] She became Russian 10,000 metres champion in 1996,^[4] and indoor 3000 metres champion in the same year.^[5]

Her personal best times were 8.59.15 minutes in the 3000 metres (indoor), achieved at the 1996 European Indoor Championships in Stockholm;^[6] 15.20.44 minutes in the 5000 metres, achieved in July 1996 in Saint Petersburg;^[7] and 31:36.76 minutes in the 10,000 metres, achieved in May 2003 in Palo Alto.^[3]

She has specialized in road running. In the international championships she finished ninth at the 1998 European Championships,^[8] and eighth at the 2004 Olympic Games.^[3] She also finished seventh at the 1999 World Half Marathon Championships,^[9] eighteenth at the 1999 World Half Marathon Championships and thirteenth at the 2002 World Half Marathon Championships.^[3]

In the great city marathons she has had success at the New York and London Marathons. She won the 2000 New York City Marathon with the time of 2:25:45 hours. In 2001, she finished sixth in 2:26:18 hours. She finished third at the 2002 London Marathon in 2:22:33 hours, fourth at the 2003 New York City Marathon in 2:25:00 hours and second at the 2006 London Marathon in 2:21:29 hours. In 2008, she finished second at the New York City Marathon in 2:25:43 hours and fifth in the London Marathon in 2:26:45 hours. She then finished second again, at the 2009 New York City Marathon in the time of 2:29:00 hours.