FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Quad Cities Marathon 2014 Elite Women's Field Takes Shape
Moline, IL - Nine elite runners have committed to the 2014 Quad Cities
Marathon women's fireld, presented by Triumph Community Bank. Six elites
have committed to the full marathon, while three have committed to the Ruhl
& Ruhl Half Marathon. The race is set for 7:30 am, Sun. Sept. 28, with a
common start/finish at John Deere Commons.
The women's marathon has a number of fresh faces in the 2014 field. Meseret
Ali Basa (Ethiopia) has four solid finishes within the past year.
Consistency has been key for Basa with all four efforts within 44 seconds
of the others. She won the Donna Marathon in 2:41:25, placed third at the
Pittsburgh Marathon in 2:40:41, and was 13th at Grandma's Marathon in
2:41:05. Last fall Basa placed third at the Philadelphia Marathon in
2:40:50.
Aregash Gubae Abate (Ethiopia) has run well in 2014. She won this year's
Carlsbad Marathon (2:48:29), placed 6th at the Pittsburgh Marathon
(2:47:16), placed 5th at the Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon (2:51:30), and
placed 38th at Grandma's Marathon (2:51:36). In 2013, she had a pair of
fourth place finishes at Philadelphia (2:42:40) and at Hartford (2:44:49).
Ruth Kimutai (Kenya) ran three solid marathons in 2013. Her results
included: 1st at Tijuana Marathon (2:49:00), 2nd at Mazatlan Marathon
(2:44:00), and 2nd at Queretaro Marathon.
Rael Murey (Kenya) rounds out the top international runners. Murey returns
to the QCM, she placed 3rd in 2010 with a 2:56:54 finish.
Lauren Versweyveld (Fort Worth, TX) is making her marathon debut at the
2014 QCM, she won last year's Ruhl & Ruhl Half at the QCM in 1:20:45. She
has recently run four half marathons under 1:20, including a PR of 1:19:29
at the 2013 Madison Mini Half Marathon (2nd) and a 1:19:43 to win the 2013
Madison Marathon - Half.
Laurie Cass (Plymouth, MA) is the top seed in the Master's Division. Cass
ran 3:15:29 at the 2014 Boston Marathon. In 2013, she won the overall title
at the Myles Standish Marathon (3:12:41) and was fifth overall at the
Providence Marathon in 3:09:15.
Hirut Guangul (Ethiopia) won last year's QCM in 2:38:50, while Bonnie
Ritchotte (Littleton, NH) was the master's winner in 3:10:07. The women's
course records are: Guangul's 2012 open effort of 2:35:07 and Tatyana
Byelovol's (Ukraine) 2:42:00 master's finish in 2012.
Three Elites Highlight Ruhl & Ruhl Women's Field
Doreen Kitaka (Kenya) has a 1:15:01 PR from a 2013 race in Waterloo. She
was 2nd at the 2013 Grandma's Marathon in 2:30:21. Kitaka runs for the
Minnesota based Duma Team.
Caroline Kiptoo (Kenya) owns a 1:15:43 half from this year's race in
Louisville (1st) and a 1:18:32 from a win in Carmel, IN. Her all-time
half-marathon best is 1:10:01 from a 2006 race in Marrakech, Morocco.
Kristy Harken (Ankeny, IA) returns to the Ruhl & Ruhl Half. Harken was
fourth last year in 1:24:24. In 2012 she placed third at the QC half in
1:23:42. Her half marathon PR is 1:23:10.
Lauren Versweyveld's 1:20:45 won last year's women's Half. The course
record sits at 1:16:16 by Kenya's Pauline Mutwa from 2012.
Seed Times for 2014 Women's QCM:
Full Marathon -
2:40:41, Meseret Ali Basa, Ethiopia
2:42:40, Aregash Gubae Abate, Ethiopia
2:44:00, Ruth Kimutai, Kenya
2:56:54, Rael Murey, Kenya
3:09:15, Laurie Cass, Plymouth, MA (master's)
1:29:29 Half, Lauren Verswyeveld, Fort Worth, TX (marathon debut)
Half Marathon -
1:15:01, Doreen Kitaka, Kenya
1:15:43, Caroline Kiptoo, Kenya
1:23:10, Kristy Harken, Ankeny, IA
2014 Elite Runner List
MEN'S MARATHON (19)
Tesfaye Alemayehu, Ethiopia
Zakayo Biwot, Kenya
Abraham Chelanga, Kenya
Alemu Gemene, Ethiopia
Nathan Hopp, West Amana, IA
Tad Hulst, North Liberty, IA
Richard Kandie, Kenya
Fikadu Lemma, Bronx, NY
Sammy Malakwen, Two Harbors, MN
Phil McNeal, Romeoville, IL
Daniel McNeil, Glace Bay, NS, Canada
Benjamin Metto, Kenya
Hassen Mohammed, Ethiopia
John Piggott, Williamsburg, VA*
Andrew Sabin, Cedar Rapids, IA
Edward Tabut, Kenya
Philemon Terer, Kenya#
George Towett, Kenya
David Tuwei, Kenya
WOMEN'S MARATHON (6)
Meseret Ali Basa, Bronx, NY
Laurie Cass, Plymouth, MA*
Aregash Gubae Abate, Ethiopia
Ruth Kimutai, Kenya
Rael Murey, Kenya
Lauren Versweyveld, Fort Worth, TX
MEN'S HALF MARATHON (6)
Rachid Ezzounouniou, Hebron, KY
Matthew Lowe, Montgomery, TX
Ryan Meyer, Colorado Springs, CO
Julius Rotich, Des Moines, IA
Elly Sang, Kenya
Michael Straza, Bloomington, IL*
WOMEN'S HALF MARATHON (3)
Kristy Harken, Ankeny, IA
Caroline Kiptoo, Kenya
Doreen Kitaka, Kenya
*Master's
#Defending champ
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