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Mar-17-2006
Boston Marathon Releases Elite Field
by David Monti
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
John Hancock Financial Services, the financial engine behind the BAA Boston Marathon, announced yesterday that reigning men's champion, Hailu Negussie of Ethiopia, and Olympic Marathon silver medalist, Meb Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., would lead a group of 31 elite athletes at the 110th edition of this storied road race on Monday, April 17.
Negussie, 26, who prevailed in a warm and tactical race in Boston last year in 2:11:45, will also face four of last year's top-10 finishers, including Kenyans Wilson Onsare (second), Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot (fifth) and Timohty Cherigat (sixth), plus American Alan Culpepper of Lafayette, Colo, (fourth). Both Cheruiyot (2003) and Cherigat (2004) are former champions.
Kenyans dominate the remainder of the men's field including two of the top-5 from last year's LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, Ben Maiyo (second) and Patrick Ivuti (fifth). William Kiplagat, the 2005 Joon Ang Seoul International Marathon champion, and Julius Ruto, the 1999 Paris Marathon champion, are also in the field.
African men have won 14 of the last 15 races at Boston.
Besides Keflezighi and Culpepper, Americans Brian Sell and Clint Verran of the Hansons team are expected to compete.
RACE WILL CROWN NEW WOMEN'S CHAMPION
Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, who won the Osaka International Women's Marathon on January 29, will not be returning to attempt to win her fifth Boston Marathon and defend her title. That leaves the door open for Elfenesh Alemu of Ethiopia, the runner-up in both 2004 and 2005 to try to get her first Boston victory. Leading her list of challengers will be 2005 Osaka and ING New York City Marathon champion, Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, and two-time Olympic 10,000m gold medalist Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia.
Japanese speedster Reiko Tosa, with a 2:22:46 personal best, is also entered along with compatriot Kiyoko Shimahara, who finished second at the 2005 Hokkaido Marathon. The Italians will be well represented by Bruna Genovese, fifth in New York last November and the 2001 Tokyo International Women's Marathon champion. Alevtina Biktimirova of Russia, Zivilie Balciunaite of Lithuania and Olivera Jevtic of Serbia and Montenegro could also be in the hunt for victory.
At Boston, like New York, the elite women run in a separate race which departs ahead of the men and the recreational runners, who this year will start in two waves.
The complete invited field is below. Other top athletes sometimes enter through the Boston Athletic Association and not through Hancock's recruiting program, so this may not be a complete elite athlete listing. Athletes are listed by personal best times:
MEN -
Wilson Onsare, Kenya, 2:06:47 (Paris, 2003) William Kiplagat, Kenya, 2:06:50 (Amsterdam, 1999) Tesfaye Tola, Ethiopi, 2:06:57 (Amsterdam, 1999) Benjamin Maiyo, Kenya, 2:07:09 (Chicago, 2005) Patrick Ivuti, Kenya, 2:07:46 (Chicago, 2005) Julius Ruto, Kenya, 2:08:10 (Paris, 1999) Hailu Negussie, Ethiopia, 2:08:16 (Hofu, 2002) Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya 2:08:59 (Milan, 2002) Timothy Cherigat, Kenya, 2:09:34 (San Sebastian, 2002) Alan Culpepper, United States, 2:09:41 (Chicago, 2002) Mebrahtom Keflezighi, United States, 2:09:53 (New York, 2004) John Yuda, Tanzania, 2:10:13 (London, 2004) Luc Krotwaar, Netherlands, 2:10:13 (Fukuoka, 2003) Alirio Carrasco, Colombia, 2:12:09 (Chicago, 2003) Brian Sell, United States
2:13:22 (Chicago, 2004) Clint Verran, United States, 2:14:17 (Chicago, 2002) John Korir, Kenya, Debut Deriba Merga, Ethiopia, Debut
WOMEN -
Reiko Tosa, Japan 2:22:46 (London, 2002) Jelena Prokopcuka, Latvia, 2:22:56 NR (Osaka, 2005) Derartu Tulu, Ethiopia, 2:23:30 (Helsinki, 2005) Rita Jeptoo, Kenya, 2:24:22 (Helsinki, 2005) Elfenesh Alemu, Ethiopia, 2:24:29 (London, 2001) Alevtina Biktimirova, Russia, 2:25:12 (Frankfurt, 2005) Zivile Balciunaite, Lithuania, 2:25:15 NR (Tokyo, 2005) Olivera Jevtic, Serbia and Montenegro, 2:25:23 NR (Rotterdam, 2003) Bruna Genovese, Italy,
2:25:35 (Tokyo, 2001) Kiyoko Shimahara, Japan, 2:26:14 (Hokkaido, 2005) Olesya Nurgalieva, Russia, 2:29:35 (New York, 2005) Kutre Dulecha, Ethiopia,
2:30:06 (Amsterdam, 2005)
Tina Connelly, Canada, 2:34:43 (Sacramento, 2003)
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