FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WORLD MARATHON MAJORS 2006-07 LEADERBOARD ADVANCES AT BOSTON MARATHON
111th Annual Race Marks Launch of 2007-08 Series
Boston, Mass. (April 16, 2007) – The chase for the inaugural World Marathon
Majors Series championship heated up at the 111th Boston Marathon today as
champions Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN) and Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS) each earned
25 points in the race for the $1 million prize purse. The champions battled
the elements and strong fields to further their positions in the series and
simultaneously establish themselves as the early leaders on the 2007-08
circuit.
Cheruiyot's 2:14:13 victory marked his second consecutive Boston Marathon
championship and third consecutive World Marathon Major win as he took
firstplace at The 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon last October. The wins
placehim comfortably in first place for the championship with 75 total
World Marathon Majors points. James Kwambai (KEN) placed second today to
earn his first 15 points on the 2006-07 leaderboard with a time of 2:14:33.
Fellow Kenyan Stephen Kiogora finished in third, advancing his 06-07 point
total to 25 and tying him for second place among the leaders. James Koskei
(KEN) and Tefere Wodajo (ETH) placed fourth (5 points) and fifth (1 point),
respectively to score their first World Marathon Majors points.
Grigoryeva's win in 2:29:18 advanced her 06-07 World Marathon Majors total
to 26 points, placing her in a tie for fourth place with Deena Kastor (USA)
on the overall leaderboard. Jelena Procopcuka (LAT) maintains a commanding
lead in the 06-07 women's series with a total of 55 points, including the
25 she earned with a first-place finish at the ING New York City Marathon
last fall. Madai Perez (MEX) finished third to increase her point total to
15, tying her for eighth among the 06-07 leaders. Last year's Boston
champion Rita Jeptoo (KEN) now ranks second among the 06-07 women as she
finished fourth to push her point total to 35. Kastor crossed the finish
line in fifth, adding one World Marathon Majors point to her now 26-point
total.
Today's competition also marked the beginning of the 2007-08 series. Points
earned in 2007 races will count toward both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 series.
The top five male and female finishers in today's Boston Marathon are the
current leaders on the 2007-08 leaderboard.
The World Marathon Majors Series will now shift to the Flora London
Marathon which will take place on Sunday, April 21. Following today's
Boston Marathon, only five events remain in the 2006-07 series – Flora
London, IAAF World Championships in Osaka, real,- Berlin, The LaSalle Bank
Chicago and ING New York City. News, information and the current
leaderboard can be viewed at worldmarathonmajors.com.
The updated 2006-07 and 2007-08 leaderboards follow.
2006-2007 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS LEADERBOARD
MEN
1. Robert K. Cheruiyot, KEN, 75 points
2. Stephen Kiogora, KEN, 25 points
2. Felix Limo, KEN, 25 points
2. Haile Gebrselassie, ETH, 25 points
2. Marilson Gomes dos Santos, BRA, 25 points
6. Benjamin Maiyo, KEN, 15 points
6. James Kwambai, KEN, 15 points
6. Martin Lel, KEN, 15 points
6. Gudisa Shentema, ETH, 15 points
6. Daniel Njenga, KEN, 15 points
11. Meb Keflezighi, USA, 10 points
11. Hendrick Ramaala, RSA, 10 points
11. Kurao Umeki, JPN, 10 points
11. Jimmy Muindi, KEN, 10 points
11. Paul Tergat, KEN, 10 points
16. Brian Sell, USA, 5 points
16. Khalid Khannouchi, USA, 5 points
16. Terefe Yae, ETH, 5 points
16. Abdi Adirahman, USA, 5 points
16. Daniel Yego, KEN, 5 points
16. James Koskei, KEN, 5 points
22. Alan Culpepper, USA, 1 point
22. Teferi Wodajo (ETH), 1 point
22. Stefano Baldini, ITA, 1 point
22. Ahmed Ezzobayry, FRA, 1 point
22. Robert Cheboror, KEN, 1 point
22. Rodgers Rop, KEN, 1 point
WOMEN
1. Jelena Prokopcuka, LAT, 55 points
2. Rita Jeptoo, KEN, 35 points
3. Berhane Adere, ETH, 30 points
4. Deena Kastor, USA, 26 points
4. Lidiya Grigoryeva, RUS, 26 points
6. Gete Wami, ETH, 25 points
7. Galina Bogolomova, RUS, 16 points
8. Ludmila Petrova, RUS, 15 points
8. Salina Kosgei, KEN, 15 points
8. Madai Perez, MEX, 5 points
8. Tatiana Hladyr, UKR, 15 points
12. Reiko Tosa, JPN, 10 points
12. Susan Chepkemei, KEN, 10 points
12. Monica Drybulska, POL, 10 points
12. Benita Johnson, AUS, 10 points
12. Catherine Ndereba, KEN, 10 points
17. Bruna Genovese, ITA, 5 points
17. Asha Gigi, ETH, 5 points
19. Kiyoko Shimahara, JPN, 1 point
19. Marcia Narlock, BRA 1, point
19. Constantina Tomescu-Dita, ROM, 1 point
2007-08 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS LEADERBOARD
MEN
1. Robert K. Cheruiyot, KEN, 25 points
2. James Kwambai, KEN, 15 points
3. Stephen Kiogora, KEN, 10 points
4. James Koskei, KEN, 5 points
5. Teferi Wodajo, ETH, 1 point
WOMEN
1. Lidiya Grigoryeva, RUS, 25 points
2. Jelena Procopcuka, LAT, 15 points
3. Madai Perez, MEX, 10 points
4. Rita Jeptoo, KEN, 5 points
5. Deena Kastor, USA, 1 point
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