Press Release - Quad Cities Marathon - 9/8/09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

QUAD CITIES MARATHON ELITE FIELD TAKES FORM, 2008 CHAMPS SET TO DEFEND

MOLINE, IL – Twenty-one elite runners have committed to this year's THE 
Quad Cities Marathon, presented by THE National Bank. The race is scheduled 
for a 7:30-am start, Sept. 27th, at John Deere Commons.
Defending champions Jynocel Basweti (Kenya) and Nadezhda Tuptova (Russia) 
highlight the list.

Basweti won his second QCM last year in 2:18:04; his first win set the 
course record with a 2:16:36 in 2006. Basweti's best time in 2009 is a 
2:18:14 that placed second at the ING Miami Marathon. His PR is 2:14:02 
from a 2007 win at Austin. Tuptova ran the fourth fastest women's race in 
QCM history, last fall, to notch a 2:43:13. Tuptova's 2009 best is a 
2:44:19 that placed fourth at the Donna Marathon.

The men's field has a number of other top contenders with five athletes 
that have run under 2:19 since 2007. Wilson Chepkwony (Kenya) placed second 
at the 2007 Memphis Marathon in 2:18:17 and was third at the 2007 Hartford 
Marathon in 2:18:18. Bruce Kilulai (Kenya) ran a 2:18:25 to place eighth at 
the 2008 Duluth-Grandma's Marathon. Geoffrey Kiprotich (Kenya) won this 
year's Green Bay Marathon (2:20:06) and placed second at last year's QCM 
(2:18:27); he won the 2008 Des Moines Marathon (2:23:56). Demesse Tefera 
(Ethiopia) clocked a 2:18:29 to place third in last year's Miami race. 
Mohammad Awol (Ethiopia) placed sixth at the 2008 Baltimore Marathon in 
2:18:39.

Kassahun Kabiso (Ethiopia) is also in the men's field. He won this year's 
Pittsburgh Marathon in 2:22:51 and was second in this year's Georgia 
Marathon (2:22:50).

Julius Rotich (Kenya) and Sammy Rotich (Kenya) are entered. Julius Rotich 
was 4th at the 2008 Lincoln Marathon (2:32:50) and was fourth back in the 
2003 QCM (2:22:53). Sammy Rotich placed fourth in the 2007 Buffalo Marathon 
(2:28:52).

Kipruto Rotich (Kenya) owns a 1:07:19 Half Marathon time from a race in St. 
Louis, while Geoffrey Birgen (Kenya) was 19th in this year's Grandma's 
Marathon (2:33:59).

The men's field is rounded out by Jerry Faulkner (Edmond, OK) who won last 
year's Route 66 Marathon (2:27:20), Russ Boore (Hampton, IL) a two-time 
winner of the master's division at the QCM (2007 and 2005), Silas Soy 
Kipchirchir (Kenya), and Henry Rotich (Kenya).

In the women's race the top time belongs to Solome Abate (Ethiopia). Abate 
ran an impressive 2:33:11 to place third at this year's Toral de Los Vados 
Marathon. The time is well below the QCM course record of 2:36:26.

Rael Murey (Kenya) returns to the QCM and will look to improve on last 
year's 6th-place effort (3:01:36). Murey won last year's Kansas City 
Marathon (2:53:04). Michelle Didion (LaPorte, IN) will return to defend her 
women's master's title. She placed seventh overall last year in 3:01:48 at 
the QCM. Didion won the overall title at the 2008 Cincinnati Marathon and 
ran a 2:59:10 to place 10th overall (3rd/master's) at the 2008 Detroit 
Marathon.

Buzunesh Deba (Ethiopia) will be making her marathon debut at Quad Cities. 
She placed fourth in a talented Carlsbad Half Marathon field last year in 
1:17:20. Elena Shemyakina (Geneva, IL) rounds out the women's field. She 
was the 2006 master's winner at the QCM.

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