2012 Boston Marathon - The Women

2012 Boston Marathon - The Women
By Sharon Ekstrom

Mamitu Daska | Caroline Kilel | Sharon Cherop | Ashu Kasim | Firehiwot Dado | Buzunesh Deba |

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - Daska at 2011 Frankfurt Marathon

Mamitu Daska (Withdrawn)
Country: Ethiopia
PB: 2:21:59, 2011 Frankfurt Marathon

Mamitu Daska is slated to run her first Boston Marathon; but she is no rookie of the distance. With the fastest marathon finishing times in the women's field (1st place, 2:21:59, Frankfurt 2011), Daska has run six marathons since her debut at the 2009 Berlin Marathon where she finished 3rd in 2:26:38. In early 2010 she won her second career marathon - 2010 Dubai Marathon in 2:24:18, dropping 2 minutes and 20 seconds off her debut finish.

While she has been a strong finisher on the roads in the United States for the past three years at Freihofer's 5K (current defending champion), Bolder Boulder 10K (two-time winner) and 2009 runner-up at the New York City Half Marathon, Daska struggled at her third marathon. At the 2010 Chicago Marathon Daska set off with the pacemakers at a blistering sub 2:20 pace. In the lead, she continued to charge forward; but faded after the halfway mark and was passed by four other runners eventually finishing in 6th place (2:28:29).

Daska would not repeat those same mistakes at her next marathon. She won the 2011 Houston Marathon (2:26:33) and rounded out the year with another win and personal best finish at the 2011 Frankfurt Marathon (2:21:59). Daska has only run one race in 2012 - running a 2:24:24 at the 2012 Dubai Marathon. While her finish was somewhat consistent with her precious times, she was ninth behind three 2:19 finishers which indicates the caliber of up and coming marathoners.

Why? Boston Marathon can be a challenging course for many who find most successes on flat fast courses. While Daska has primarily run flat courses, she has the experience to be able to strategize well in such a field where the victor could be anyone.

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - Kilel at 2011 Boston Marathon

Caroline Kilel
Country: Kenya
PB: 2:22:36, 2011 Boston Marathon

Defending champion Caroline Kilel will have quite a field to contend with to defend her title. This Kenyan half marathon and marathon specialist has the fourth fastest female finish of the Boston Marathon behind marathon legends Margaret Okayo (course record holder - 2:20:43), Catherine Ndereba and Uta Pippig. Also notably on her resume is her 4th place finish and personal best half marathon time of 68:16 at the 2009 Half Marathon World Championships.

Kilel's marathon history includes twelve career marathons with all but three races being top 3 finishes (six victories in total). She first broke the 2:25 marathon finish barrier with a victory of the 2010 Frankfurt Marathon (2:23:25). But improvements continued for her in 2011. The 2011 Boston Marathon saw Kim Smith in a solid lead, but it was Kilel who was crowned champion. Kilel battled against Desiree Davila to the line which earned her a personal best time of 2:22:36.

Kilel returned later in the summer to win the BAA 10K and took third at the Lisbon Half. While she ran a 2:25:57 at the 2011 New York City Marathon (6th place), she will rematch some of her New York City competitors who finished first, second and seventh - Firehiwott Dado, Bezunesh Deba and Caroline Rotich - at the 2012 Boston Marathon.

Why? So far in 2012 Kilel finished second at the 2012 Houston Half Marathon (68:28) and sixth at the Ras al Khaimah Half Marathon (71:21). If Kilel's 2012 Houston Half Marathon finish is a strong indicator of her fitness, she could easily win seeing that her 68:28 finish is her second fastest half marathon finish ever.

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - Cherop at 2011 Bosotn Marathon

Sharon Cherop
Country: Kenya
PB: 2:22:39, 2012 Dubai Marathon

Sharon Cherop returns to the 2012 Boston Marathon field after placing third behind Caroline Kilel and Desiree Davila in 2011. Cherop is no stranger to the marathon. While she debuted in the distance at the 2007 Twin Cities Marathon in 2:38:45 (3rd place), the Kenyan slowly saw improvements with the 2008 Country Music Marathon (2:39:52, 4th)and 2008 Nairobi Marathon (2:33:53, 3rd). Cherop's strength in the 26.2 began to improve, culminating in two marathon victories in 2010 - Hamburg Marahon (2:28:38) and Toronto Waterfront Marathon (2:22:43). She was ready to take on the world's best women and headed for Boston.

At the 2011 edition of the Boston Marathon, Cherop held fast to the leaders ; but faded when Davila and Kilel threw surges in the last few miles of the race. Cherop held strong and finished 3rd in 2:22:42. As a result. Cherop was selected to represent Kenya at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu where she won bronze under the hot humid conditions (2:29:14), contributing to the Kenyan victory of the women's marathon event.

In 2012 along with some shorter cross country races, Cherop ran a personal best at the 2012 Dubai Marathon in 2:22:39 (7th place).

Why? Cherop has consistently made improvements in the marathon with every race, including her three-month-before-Boston personal best. If she has recovered well from her January marathon in Dubai; with her consistent performances and speed, she may have an opportunity at the Boston Marathon title.

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - Kasim at 2011 Houston Marathon

Ashu Kasim
Country: Ethiopia
PB: 2:23:09, 2012 Xiamen Marathon

Ashu Kasim is one of five elite Ethiopians highlighting the 2012 Boston Marathon field. This will be Kasim's first time racing a World Marathon Major's race, but she is no novice tot he distance. This will be her ninth marathon and her 2nd marathon of 2012. She won the 2012 Xiamen Marathon in January in a personal best of 2:23:09. Incidentally, this was also the first time she broke 2:25:00.

Prior to 2012, Kasim who has been building a name for herself at several fast marathons worldwide has finished in the top five in nearly every marathon she has competed in - a victory of the 2010 Istanbul Marathon, runner up at the 2011 Houston Marathon, 3rd at the 2010 Prague Marathon, 4th at the 2009 Paris Marathon and 5th at the 2010 Los Angeles Marathon. Kasim is ready to challenge the deep field lined up for Boston.

Why? Kasim is a wild card in the women's field. Her last marathon finish proves that she has the ability to compete against the top in this field; but we will see if she has what it takes to battle it out against eight other women in a race that has no clear favorites.

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - Dado at the 2011 NYC Marathon

Firehiwot Dado
Country: Ethiopia
PB: 2:23:15, 2011 New York City Marathon

Firehiwot Dado, the 2011 New York City Marathon Champion, will be running her 10th career marathon at the Boston Marathon. While Dado may not be a familiar name on elite rosters in the U.S., she has finished in the top five of every marathon she's competed in and has five marathon victories to her name. Most notable on her resume are three wins of the Rome Marathon (2009, 2010, 2011) where she has shown improvements with each of her finishes - 2:27:08, 2:25:28, 2:24:13.

Dado debuted in the distance in Slovakia in 2008 with a 2:37:34 and within three years had broken the 2:25 barrier twice at the 2011 Rome Marathon and the 2011 New York City Marathon where she pulled away from Buzunesh Deba to take a surprise victory in 2:23:15.

Why? Dado is fresh off her win of the 2012 New York City Half Marathon in a personal best time of 68:35. If her race history is a good indicator, Dado is in the position to better her finish times and perhaps win the 2012 Boston Marathon.

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - Deba at the 2011 NYC Marathon

Buzunesh Deba
Country: Ethiopia
PB: 2:23:19, 2011 New York City Marathon

At 24, Buzunesh Deba has always been a road racer who specializes in the half marathon and marathon distances. She also ran road races ranging from the 5K to half marathon throughout that year, collecting victories at many. With eleven career marathons since her debut at the 2009 Quad Cities Marathon in 2:44:22, Deba is a prolific marathoner who followed her debut victory with another marathon closer to home only one month later - at the 2009 New York City Marathon (2:35:54, 7th place). Then after another short one month recovery, Deba ran to victory at the 2009 California International Marathon (2:32:17) in December.

If that wasn't a lot of racing, Deba ran five marathons in 2010 winning all but one - the 2010 New York City Marathon (2:29:55, 10th place). With her finish times improving, Deba ran her fastest finish at that time winning the Twin Cities Marathon in 2:27:24. She continued to collect additional victories at the 26.2 for Donna, Grandma's and California International Marathons.

Deba's success in the distance continued into 2011. And although she has scaled back on the number of marathons per year, she won the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon (2:26:34) and bettered her time at the 2011 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon (2:23:31). She then returned to New York City Marathon ready to give the top competitors a run for their money.

Deba threw in strong surges against a New York City Marathon field that included many race champions and Half Marathon World Record Holder Mary Keitany. And while she seemed the clear cut winner of the race by mile 22, Firehiwot Dado pulled ahead slightly to win in the narrowest margin of victory the race has seen - four seconds. Although Deba has not raced yet in 2012, her potential in the distance has not fully been realized.

Why? Deba has won 8 of 11 career marathons and will be running the Boston Marathon for the first time. In the African dominant field, she will not make the same mistakes as she had in New York.