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.

###