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[News release written and provided by the B.A.A.]
BOSTON, MA -- The B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund, will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 8, starting and finishing at Roberto Clemente Field in Boston's Fenway neighborhood. The sixth annual event will once again boast a deep international field of elite athletes.
Headlining the men's field is defending champion Celedonio Rodriguez (25; Alamosa, CO). A 14-time All-American at Adams State, Rodriguez is a relative newcomer to the road-racing scene. Inexperience didn't stop Rodriguez from seizing the lead early and holding on for an impressive victory in 2005, however. His 1:04:09 time put him 12 seconds ahead Samuel Ndereba, the runner-up.
Ndereba (29; Kenya), the younger brother of four-time Boston Marathon champion Catherine Ndereba and the owner of a 1:01:50 personal best, is also returning this year. Another returnee from last year's top-10 is Nate Jenkins (26; Lowell, MA), who placed ninth with a time of 1:07:32.
Adding further depth to the men's field are Peter Gilmore (29; San Mateo, CA) and Richard Kiplagat (25; Kenya). Gilmore has become a familiar face in Boston, placing 10th in the 2005 Boston Marathon and seventh this past April. Gilmore, who boasts a 1:04:32 half marathon personal best, will be making his first appearance at the B.A.A. Half Marathon as he prepares for the ING New York City Marathon on November 5.
Kiplagat, who graduated from Iona College with a degree in Finance this past spring, recently won his professional road racing debut at the CVS/pharmacy Downtown 5k. The B.A.A. Half Marathon will be his debut at the half marathon distance.
The top seed in the women's field is Marie (McMahon) Davenport (31; Ireland). In her only appearance at the B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2003, the 1996 Irish Olympian and 1997 graduate of Providence College set the still-standing course record of 1:10:57.
With Boston set to host the U.S. Olympic Team Trials -- Women's Marathon on April 20, 2008, the race is on to qualify for that event. Fifty women have already qualified, including two in the B.A.A. Half Marathon field. Kasie Enman (27; Huntington, VT) posted her qualifying time at Grandma's Marathon in June, running 2:44:06. Carly Graytock (28; Cambridge, MA) -- runner-up in the inaugural B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2001 -- ran 2:43:19 in the 2006 Boston Marathon to qualify. Kimberly Nolan (24; Watertown, MA) and Kara Ryczek (31; Waltham, MA), ninth and 10th in 2005 B.A.A. Half Marathon, will also be back.
Two other entries of note are Wayne Levy (41; Newton, MA) and Sarah Nixon (42; Medfield, MA), champions of the inaugural B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2001. Levy, a member of the Boston Athletic Association running club, has an overall, masters and team title at the B.A.A. Half Marathon on his resume. Nixon won the race in back-to-back years in 2001 and 2002.
The 4,500-runner field for the B.A.A. Half Marathon filled in record time this year, and the 2006 race could be the largest in the event's six-year history. That distinction currently belongs to the 2004 edition, which had 3,158 finishers. Additional information about the B.A.A. Half Marathon, as well as race-day results and recaps, can be found at www.baa.org.
Posted by Alison Wade at 5:17 p.m. | Tags: Press Releases, Event Previews