FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila and Kara Goucher to
Run the 117th Boston Marathon
John Hancock Financial, Principal Sponsor of the Boston Marathon, has
recruited elite American marathoners Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila and
Kara Goucher to run the 117th Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. All three
women will represent the U.S. in the Olympic Marathon this summer and the
2013 Boston Marathon will be their first post Olympic marathon.
Please click link to view video of "Three Women. One Goal. 2013 Boston
Marathon" - http://youtu.be/ohP0r9Gbmw4.
For Flanagan, who grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, this will mark her
Boston debut.
"I watched the Boston Marathon religiously growing up and always dreamed
about running from Hopkinton to Boston, racing down Boylston Street to the
finish," said Flanagan. "I finally get the chance to fulfill this dream
next April. I can't wait to give Boston everything I have. I know the love
and support will be overwhelming and-in typical Boston style-loud. I'm
thrilled to become part of this rich Patriots' Day tradition."
Flanagan won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials this past January in an event
record of 2:25:38. She holds American records in the indoor 3,000m and
5,000m and in the outdoor10,000m. The indoor records were set in Boston,
while the 10,000m record was earned during her bronze medal performance at
the 2008 Olympics.
Davila returns to Boston after finishing runner up in 2011 in an American
course record of 2:22:38.
"I'm honored and excited to be invited back to Boston as part of the John
Hancock elite team," said Davila. "After coming so close to the 'W' in
2011, I've been anxious and excited about returning to Boston and taking
another crack at it."
Davila is now the third fastest American marathoner of all time, following
Deena Kastor and Joan Benoit Samuelson. She recently placed second at the
U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, where she qualified for her first Olympic
team.
"I no longer consider myself a beginner at the marathon; I've competed in a
number of major races, and have slowly become more comfortable with a wide
variety of racing tactics," said Davila. "The experience from the 2011
Boston Marathon was a big turning point. I now believe I have the tools and
the ability to compete and contend for the title at a major marathon. To
have that confidence along with a team of coaches that really know how to
prepare athletes for the Boston Marathon should pay huge dividends come
spring 2013."
Goucher returns to Boston for the third time after making her second
Olympic Team with a third place finish at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
At Boston in 2009, she shared the lead until the final meters and finished
third.
"The city of Boston captured my heart when I ran my first Boston Marathon
in 2009," said Goucher. "The support for the Marathon in Boston is
incredible. I didn't meet my goal of winning in 2009, but the entire city
embraced me for trying."
In 2011, shortly after giving birth to her son, Colt, Goucher finished
fifth at Boston in a personal best 2:24:52, becoming the fourth fastest
American marathoner of all time.
"The Boston Marathon is an historical gem," said Goucher. "To be a part of
this history excites me and drives me to train harder. I absolutely love
the city of Boston and its Marathon. They have embraced me as one of their
own. This will be my third trip to Boston and I will use my past
experiences to help me get it right this time. I'm hoping that the third
time will be the charm."
Flanagan, Davila and Goucher are the first elite athletes announced as part
of the John Hancock international team for the 2013 Boston Marathon. The
Company has been principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon for 27 years.
"Shalane, Desiree, and Kara have competed against the most talented women
in the world with amazing results," said Rob Friedman, head of Sponsorship
and Event Marketing at John Hancock. "The Olympics and the 2013 Boston
Marathon should be no different. As individuals these women are fierce
competitors, and as a team they prove themselves relentless. With Desiree
and Kara previously making the podium in Boston and Shalane winning the
Trials, they are sure to provide the millions of Boston Marathon fans with
a race to remember."
"Thanks to John Hancock Financial, which assembles the elite athlete field
for us, next year's Boston Marathon will have a decidedly American feel to
it," said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. "All of us at the B.A.A.
and in Boston will be watching the Olympic Marathon this summer, and we're
anxious to see how the Americans fare in London. We wish them luck, and we
are already eagerly anticipating the heightened exposure and attention
these women will receive as members of Team USA, and the added interest
they will bring to the 2013 Boston Marathon next spring."
About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation
John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a
leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in
Asia, Canada and the United States. In 2012, John Hancock celebrates 150
years of serving clients across the United States, while Manulife
celebrates its 125th anniversary. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada
and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States,
Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial
protection products and wealth management services through its extensive
network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under
management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$512 billion
(US$512 billion) as at March 31, 2012. Manulife Financial Corporation
trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK.
Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.
The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of
the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad
range of financial products and services, including life insurance,
annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care
insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance.
Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com,
and on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube.
###
|
