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CHICAGO (September 9, 2008) - Bank of America today announced the elite field of male and female athletes scheduled to compete for the 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon® championship titles on Sunday, Oct. 12. Topping the list is newly crowned Olympic women's marathon gold medalist Constantina Tomescu-Dita of Romania and up-and-comer William Kipsang of Kenya who currently holds the 11th all-time fastest marathon finish time, fifth-fastest this year (2:05:49).
At age 38, Tomescu-Dita became the oldest woman to ever win the gold medal in the 26.2-mile Olympic contest. Familiar to Chicagoans, Tomescu-Dita won the 2004 Chicago Marathon and her 2008 appearance will mark her fifth on the notoriously fast and flat course. In her last two Chicago appearances, Tomescu-Dita finished second to American Deena Kastor (2005) and led the 2006 women's field at course record pace (sub-2:17) through mile 16 before being surpassed by eventual champion Berhane Adere (ETH) in the 22nd mile.
"I am delighted to be returning to Chicago. I have always felt great running there and have been fortunate to have some of the best races of my life there," said Tomescu-Dita from Romania shortly following her Olympic victory in Beijing. "It will also be nice to return because I understand Chicago is bidding for the 2016 Olympic Games and I think it would be a wonderful place to have them."
Tomescu-Dita will be challenged by 2007 Chicago Marathon runner-up and fellow Romanian Adriana Pirtea, 28, and up-and-comer Bezunesh Bekele, 25, of Ethiopia. Chicago fans will recognize Pirtea who came into the final stretch last year with a sizeable lead. As she pumped her arm in victory a few hundred meters from the finish, returning 2006 Chicago champ Adere streaked up behind her unnoticed until she was uncatchable in the final strides to repeat her championship finish. Bekele will follow-up her impressive debut at the Dubai Marathon entering the Chicago race with a 2:23:09 personal record, second in the field only to Tomescu-Dita.
On the men's side, William Kipsang, 31, is the man to beat arriving off a 2:05:49 first-place finish at the Rotterdam Marathon in April. Kenya's Emmanuel Mutai, 30, will put some pressure on Kipsang considering his fourth-place finish at the Flora London Marathon in April where he set a personal record (2:06:15). Also expected to be in the mix is fellow countryman Richard Limo who finished second to Mutai at last year's Amsterdam Marathon, crossing the line only 16 seconds behind the champion.
"The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has a reputation for producing historic efforts and breathtaking finishes and the quality of this year's elite field is an extension of that tradition," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski of Chicago Event Management, now in his 19th year overseeing the event. "This year's men's field features four men who have run under 2:07:00, one who has run under 2:06:00 and champions from some of the great marathons of the world which should produce another great day of marathon running on Oct. 12."
Representing the United States in Chicago are Kate O'Neill and Colleen De Reuck. O'Neill, 28, will return to the site of her 2007 debut at the marathon distance, looking to best her time of 2:36:15 on the Chicago course. Masters runner Colleen De Reuck, 44, will return for her sixth Chicago Marathon.
The elite racers will start the 26.2-mile Bank of America Chicago Marathon course at 7:55 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12, five minutes in advance of the massive field of 45,000 registered runners. Following is the current list of elite athletes who will compete for the $125,000 first-place prize distributed to the top male and female overall winners.
2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Elite Field
Women
Bezunesh Bekele ETH 2:23:09
Alevtina Biktimirova RUS 2:25:12
Colleen De Reuck USA 2:26:35
Zoila Gomez USA 2:33:53
Lidiya Grigoryeva RUS 2:25:10
Kate O'Neill USA 2:36:15
Adriana Pirtea ROM 2:28:52
Kiyoko Shimahara JPN 2:26:14
Worknesh Tola ETH 2:25:37
Constantina Tomescu-Dita ROM 2:21:30
Men
Moses Arusei KEN 2:06:50
Christopher Cheboiboch KEN 2:08:17
Timothy Cherigat KEN 2:09:34
James Getanda KEN 2:11:50
Salim Kipsang KEN 2:07:29
William Kipsang KEN 2:05:49
Richard Limo KEN 2:06:45
Emmanuel Mutai KEN 2:06:15
(Content submitted.)
Posted by Alison Wade at 11:31 a.m. | Tags: Press Releases, Event Previews | Comments (0)
Jen Rhines, Shalane Flanagan, Deena Kastor, and Michelle Sikes are all scheduled to compete in the 3,000 meter race at today's Herculis meeting in Monaco. The field also includes Mariem Alaoui Selsouli, who blew away the 5,000 meter field at the Rome Golden Gala on July 13th, running a huge PR of 14:36.52.
Treniere Clement (1,500), Khadevis Robinson (800), and Matt Tegenkamp (3,000) will also represent the U.S. in their respective events.
As far as we can tell, there is no audio or video stream available from this meet, but the results and entry lists are available here.
Meet schedule (Monaco is six hours ahead of the USA's eastern time) | Meet preview
Posted by Alison Wade at 1:19 p.m. | Tags: Event Previews | Comments (0)
Organizers of the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10k have announced some of the elite runners who will take part in the 2007 edition of the race on August 4 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. They include returning champion Tom Nyariki, three-time champion Gilbert Okari, and Meb Keflezighi, who will be making his Beach to Beacon debut.
On the women's side, 2004 champion Susan Chepkemei, Wude Ayalew Yimer, and Edna Kiplagat are scheduled to compete.
[Update: The following additional elite runners were announced on July 19th - Duncan Kibet, Evans Cheruiyot, Simon Ndirangu, Alice Timbilil, Luminita Talpos, Kathy Butler, Elva Dryer, and Genet Getaneh.]
Posted by Alison Wade at 1:15 p.m. | Tags: Event Previews | Comments (0)
For those who plan to watch Monday's Boston Marathon and want to know who/what to look for when identifying the top runners, the race organizers have issued a printable guide (links to PDF) which indicates what some of the top runners will be wearing.
Posted by Alison Wade at 2:15 p.m. | Tags: Event Previews | Comments (2)
The heat sheets for this weekend's Mt. SAC Relays are now available. The invitational 5,000s should be particularly competitive, with names like Shalane Flanagan, Jen Rhines, Kim Smith, Shayne Culpepper, Alan Culpepper, Anthony Famiglietti, Robert Cheseret and many others in there.
Posted by Alison Wade at 7:07 p.m. | Tags: Web Sites, Event Previews | Comments (0)
The third annual Midwest Distance Gala (MDG) will be held on Friday, June 8, 2007 at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. For the past two years organizers have assembled high-quality high school fields to compete in a variety of distance running events. This year they will begin adding elite races to the meet, starting with an elite men's steeplechase.
Men's 3,000m steeplechase details:
Qualifying time: 9:15
Prize Purse: 1st - $750, 2nd - $500, 3rd - $250, 4th - $100
Bonuses: Any athletes that hit the "A" and/or "B" standard for the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will also receive compensation (yet to be determined)
Travel Assistance: Travel funds are limited, but organizers can help most with the cost of lodging, and possibly other transportation costs
Meet web site: www.midwestdistancegala.org
For more information contact elite athlete coordinator and co-meet director Scott Bush at sbush1002 -at- gmail.com.
Posted by Alison Wade at 12:13 p.m. | Tags: Event Previews, Racing & Training Opportunitie | Comments (0)
BOSTON, MA (March 14, 2007) — In its 22nd year as principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, John Hancock announced its elite team of 25 marathon runners from eight countries today, including American Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor, defending champions Rita Jeptoo and Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya and past champion Hailu Negussie of Ethiopia. Also in the field are the leaders of the World Marathon Majors Series. The race is set for Monday, April 16, 2007.
Defending champion Cheruiyot broke the course record last year and is ready for a rematch with 2006 runner-up Benjamin Maiyo and 2005 champion Negussie. Cheruiyot is also the points leader in the World Marathon Majors Series and won the Chicago Marathon this past fall, earning the distinction as the only man to have ever won both marathons in the same year. Negussie returns as only the second Ethiopian man to win in Boston, and he is highly motivated to gain back the title. Maiyo has finished runner-up in three big races: Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles, and is ready to stand atop the podium.
Chasing the trio is a talented pack led by 2:06 marathoner Robert Cheboror, the 2004 Boston runner-up; Philip Manyim, the 2005 Berlin Marathon champion and Stephen Kiogora, the 2006 New York City runner-up. Also challenging for the title are four men with key marathon wins in 2006: James Kwambai, the Beijing and Brescia champion; Ruggero Pertile, the Padova winner; Teferi Wodajo, the Cologne champion and Hosea Rotich, the Nairobi winner and course record holder.
Added to the mix are 2005 Zurich winner Stanley Leleito, the 2005 Marathon of Italy champion Stephen Biwott, Moroccan stand-out Mohammed El Hattab, and rising talent Tekeste Kebede of Ethiopia. Making his debut is Samuel Ndereba, the 2006 B.A.A. Boston Half Marathon champion and brother of four-time women's winner Catherine Ndereba.
On the women's side, the top three ranked women in the world are part of the John Hancock Elite Team and will compete for the win. Olympian and American Record Holder Deena Kastor will face defending champion Rita Jeptoo and last year's runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka.
The talent of the women's field is undisputed as seven of the top ten women set their personal best times in 2006 and are in peak form. Kastor leads the charge and comes into the race having run the fastest marathon in the world last year. She earned the #1 ranking by Track & Field News for her unstoppable 2:19:36 win in London, where she also improved her existing American record. Best known for her inspirational bronze medal performance in the 2004 Athens Olympic Marathon, Kastor is also a multiple American record holder on the roads and track. With roots in the Boston area, Kastor should prove to be a crowd favorite.
The #2 ranked woman in the world, Olympian Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, brings strong credentials as the points leader in the World Marathon Majors Series and as the winner of the New York City Marathon the past two years. Rita Jeptoo, ranked #3, is the defending Boston Marathon champion and will not give up her title easily. After her win last year, Jeptoo ran the fourth fastest 20K of all time and then went on to finish a strong fourth in New York City.
The match-up between the three top women in the world should prove exciting, but close on their heels will be Mexican national record holder Madai Perez, 2006 Honolulu winner Lyubov Denisova, 2006 Los Angeles winner Lidiya Grigoryeva, Olympian and 2006 Rock 'n' Roll champion Alice Chelangat, and 2006 Hamburg Marathon winner Robe Tola Guta. Giovanna Volpato of Italy comes to the race from a solid performance at the 2006 European Championships and Adanech Zekiros is fresh from a win at the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon.
"For more than two decades, John Hancock has kept its promise to provide an elite athlete field for the Boston Marathon and secure the race's status as one of the most prestigious marathons in the world," said John D. DesPrez, John Hancock's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We have another outstanding field set for this year's race and are expecting another outstanding day for the runners, the Boston community and running fans around the world."
"For 22 years, John Hancock has been assembling the elite athlete field for the Boston Marathon, and each year these athletes provide us with a thrilling race," said Guy Morse, Executive Director of the Boston Marathon. "With our two defending champions returning, as well as the two World Marathon Majors Series leaders, and the American women's record-holder, we have no doubt that the 111th Boston Marathon will be as exciting as ever."
A complete field list follows.
111Th B.A.A. Boston Marathon - John Hancock's 2007 elite field
Men
Name, Personal Best
Robert Cheboror, Kenya 2:06:23 (Amsterdam, 2004)
Benjamin Maiyo, Kenya 2:07:09 (Chicago, 2005)
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya 2:07:14 (Boston, 2006) CR, 1st place WMM*
Philip Manyim, Kenya 2:07:41 (Berlin, 2005)
Teferi Wodajo, Ethiopia 2:08:11 (Seoul, 2004)
Hailu Negussie, Ethiopia 2:08:16 (Hofu, 2002)
Stephen Kiogora, Kenya 2:09:21 (Chicago, 2004)
Ruggero Pertile, Italy 2:10:12 (Rome, 2004)
Stanley Leleito, Kenya 2:10:17 (Zurich, 2005)
Hosea Rotich, Kenya 2:10:18 (Nairobi, 2006)
James Kipsang Kwambai, Kenya 2:10:20 (Brescia, 2006)
Stephen Biwott, Kenya 2:11:16 (Carpi, 2005)
Tekeste Kebede, Ethiopia 2:11:48 (San Diego, 2004)
Mohammed El Hattab, Morocco 2:11:50 (London, 2002)
Samuel Ndereba, Kenya Debut
Women
Name, Personal Best
Deena Kastor, United States 2:19:36 (London, 2006) NR
Jelena Prokopcuka, Latvia 2:22:56 (Osaka, 2005) NR, 1st place WMM*
Madai Perez, Mexico 2:22:59 (Chicago, 2006) NR
Rita Jeptoo, Kenya 2:23:38 (Boston, 2006)
Roba Tola Guta, Ethiopia 2:24:35 (Hamburg, 2006)
Lidiya Grigoryeva, Russia 2:25:10 (Los Angeles, 2006)
Lyubov Denisova, Russia 2:25:18 (New York, 2004)
Alice Chelangat, Kenya 2:26:36 (Milan, 2001)
Adanech Zekiros, Ethiopia 2:27:38 (Rome, 2006)
Giovanna Volpato, Italy 2:28:59 (Treviso, 2006)
*World Marathon Majors
NR - national record CR - course record
[Content provided by John Hancock Financial Services.]
Posted by Alison Wade at 10:52 a.m. | Tags: Press Releases, Event Previews | Comments (1)
With today's announcement of the Division I and Division III entrants for the 2007 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, the fields for all three divisions are now available.
Division I: Men | Women (Fayetteville, AR)
Division II: Men | Women (Boston, MA)
Division III: Men | Women (Terre Haute, IN)
All three meets will take place March 9-10.
Posted by Alison Wade at 11:06 p.m. | Tags: Event Previews | Comments (2)
USA Track & Field has announced the members of the team that will represent the U.S. at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya, on March 24.
| Senior Men | Senior Women |
| Junior Boys | Junior Girls |
Posted by Alison Wade at 9:04 a.m. | Tags: Event Previews, 2007 USA Cross Country Champs | Comments (0)
BOSTON, MA- Five U.S. men placed in the top 10 in the 2006 Boston Marathon, the strongest American showing in years. That momentum is carrying into the 2007 Boston Marathon on April 16. For the first time in Boston history the race has been designated as the USA Women's Marathon Championship, guaranteeing a deep field of American women. Peter Gilmore returns in the men's field, looking to improve again after placing 10th in 2005 and seventh in 2006.
Entrants in the USA Women's Marathon Championship will start in the Elite Women's Start at 9:35 a.m., 25 minutes before the elite men begin. The women will be competing for overall Boston Marathon prize money, as well as a separate U.S.-only prize purse of $70,000. USATF will also award $10,500 of championship funds to the top five qualified athletes in the race. At least two women from the field will be selected to represent the United States at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan, on September 2.
"Last year the men showed us that U.S. distance running is on the rise, with five top-10 finishes. This year, the U.S. women are poised to do the same," said Guy Morse, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association. "This year's race, which includes the 2007 USA Women's Marathon Championship, launches 12 months of focus on our country's top women, culminating with the selection of the 2008 Olympic Team at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Women's Marathon on April 20, 2008, the day before the 112th Boston Marathon."
Headlining the USA Women's Marathon Championship field will be Deena Kastor, who was announced as an entrant by the Boston Marathon's principal sponsor, John Hancock Financial Services, in January. Kastor was the world's number-one ranked marathoner in 2006, setting an American Record of 2:19:36 in winning the 2006 Flora London Marathon. Kastor has been dominant so far in 2007 as well, capturing the U.S. cross country title in dominant fashion on February 10. Yesterday, she led the U.S. to a second-place finish at the Yokohama International Ekiden in Japan, clocking the second-fastest 10k split (31:09) in the field. Kastor will continue to prepare for Boston by competing in the Gate River Run, the USA 15k Championship, on March 10. Kastor has captured 18 U.S. national titles in her career, including the 2001 marathon championship.
The Boston field will also include another past U.S. marathon champion: Sara Wells, who won that distinction in 2003. Additionally, five of the top seven finishers from the 2006 USA Championship will compete in Boston: Mary Akor (second place), Zoila Gomez (third), Turena Johnson Lane (fifth), Jenny Crain (sixth), and Emily LeVan (seventh). LeVan also holds the distinction of being the top American finisher in the past two Boston Marathons, having placed 12th in 2005 and 13th in 2006.
Of the top 31 entrants in the 2007 field, 22 have already qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Women's Marathon, while the remainder of the field will be chasing either the "A" (2:39:00) or "B" (2:47:00) qualifying standards.
The top entrant in the American men's field will be Peter Gilmore, returning for his third consecutive Boston Marathon. In 2005, Gilmore placed 10th in 2:17:32. In 2006, Gilmore improved to seventh with a personal best time of 2:12:45. Gilmore then placed 10th, in 2:13:13, at the 2006 ING New York City Marathon. He was ranked as the fourth best U.S. marathoner of 2006, according to Running Times. Also confirmed for 2007 are Jason Lehmkuhle and Chris Lundstrom, both members of Team USA Minnesota, a Twin Cities-based training group that also includes Sara Wells. Lehmkuhle placed ninth in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Men's Marathon in a personal best time of 2:16:27, while Lundstrom boasts a 2:17:34 personal best. All three men have already posted qualifying times for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Men's Marathon, to be run in New York City on November 3, 2007.
2007 USA Women's Marathon Championship Top Contenders:
Athlete - PR - OT Qualifier* - Affiliation
Deena Kastor (CA) 2:19:36 ('06) 2:19:26 Team Running USA; ASICS
Heather Hanscom (OR) 2:31:53 ('04) n/a Team Eugene
Sara Wells (MN) 2:33:15 ('04) n/a Team USA Minnesota; ASICS
Sylvia Mosqueda (CA) 2:33:47 ('02) n/a
Mary Akor (CA) 2:33:50 ('06) 2:33:50
Turena Johnson Lane (FL) 2:34:43 ('05) 2:36:15 Brooks
Zoila Gomez (CO) 2:35:26 ('06) 2:35:26
Emily LeVan (ME) 2:37:01 ('06) 2:37:01 Boston Athletic Association
Tamara Lave (CA) 2:37:32 ('02) n/a Mizuno
Jenny Crain (WI) 2:39:07 ('06) 2:39:07 Wisconsin Runner Racing Team
Melissa White (MI) 2:39:21 ('06) 2:39:21 Hansons-Brooks Distance Project
Michelle Simonaitis (UT) 2:40:35 ('01) n/a
Zika Rea (NC) 2:41:06 ('05) 2:41:06 ZAP Fitness
Veena Reddy (PA) 2:41:29 ('06) 2:41:29
Christine Lundy (CA) 2:41:55 ('04) 2:43:14 Impala Racing Team
Janelle Kraus (RI) 2:42:44 ('06) 2:42:44 Boston Athletic Association
Anne Kugler (NY) 2:43:16 ('05) n/a
Dot McMahan (MI) 2:43:27 ('06) 2:43:27 Hansons-Brooks Distance Project
Alvina Begay (AZ) 2:43:30 ('06) 2:43:30
Kasie Enman (VT) 2:44:06 ('06) 2:44:06 Boston Athletic Association
Kristin Price (NC) 2:44:09 ('06) 2:44:09 adidas Raleigh Track Club
Caryn Heffernan (WA) 2:44:18 ('06) 2:44:18 Club Northwest
Sopagna Eap (OR) 2:44:29 ('06) 2:44:29 Team Eugene
Melissa Rittenhouse (OH) 2:44:39 ('04) 2:45:14 Saucony
Yolanda Flamino (MI) 2:45:19 ('06) 2:45:19 Hansons-Brooks Distance Project
Brianna Torres (AZ) 2:45:57 ('06) 2:45:57
Brett Ely (MA) 2:46:12 ('06) 2:46:12 Boston Athletic Association
Lauren Knowles (GA) 2:46:31 ('06) 2:46:31 Atlanta Track Club
Ann Alyanak (OH) 2:48:04 ('05) n/a
Trisha Steidl (WA) 2:48:17 ('04) n/a
Desiree Davilla (MI) Debut n/a Hansons-Brooks Distance Project
*Qualifying times for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Women's Marathon must have been run on October 2, 2005, or on or after January 1, 2006.
[Content provided by race organizers.]
Posted by Alison Wade at 9:56 a.m. | Tags: Press Releases, Event Previews | Comments (4)