2013 Boston Marathon - The Men

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2013 Boston Marathon - The Men

Wesley Korir | Gebre Gebremariam | Markos Geneti | Deriba Merga | Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot

We could write a book on most of these men. And, as always, there are too many to write about. Use this guide as reference and background on these top men - all of who are expected and likely to be in the top 10 finishers and ultimately Boston Marathon champion.

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - Can Wesley Korir Repeat?

Wesley Korir
Country: Kenya
PB: 2:06:13, 2012 Chicago Marathon

Any returning champion comes in with a majority of eyes on them. While Wesley's Korir's 2012 winning time (2:12:40) doesn't look all that great when compared to record finishes in 2010 & 2011, Korir demonstrated once again his tough nature and smarts as he beat the heat and the elite field. His showing confirmed what we all know -- Wesley Korir is one of the elite marathoners in the world.

Korir captured his first half marathon title in his debut, in 2008 at Louisville, KY (where the Kenyan native resides) in 65:18. The following fall, Korir made his marathon debut at the 2008 Chicago Marathon, finishing fourth overall in 2:13:53 (winning the open race). 2009 saw Korir add to his dominance at the half marathon, winning at both Carlsbad (62:45) and successfully defending his title at Louisville (64:10). A month later Korir ventured to Los Angeles and beat an elite field for the 2009 LA Marathon title (2:08:24). Korir then made a second trip to Chicago and cut three minutes from his 2011 run, to finish sixth (2:10:38).

2010 saw Korir once again go back and forth between the half marathon and full with continued success. He successfully defended his titles at Carlsbad (half marathon: 64:04) in January, and Los Angeles (marathon: 2:09:19), and finished fourth and seventh at Chicago (marathon: 2:08:44) and Philadelphia (half marathon: 62:40), respectively.

A third consecutive half marathon title at Carlsbad at the beginning of 2011, led to a runner-up finish at Chicago (2:06:15, faster than his open race-winning time in 2008) and a fourth place finish at Los Angeles (2:13:23).

With 2012, Korir finally moved east. In March, he took fourth at the New York City Half Marathon, finishing in 61:19. As a follow-up, Korir enrolled in Boston, joining the most impressive roster of the storied event's history. With heat nearing 85 degrees, and leaders Geoffrey Mutai and Levy Matebo surging (and eventually fading), Korir stayed true to himself. Nearly mile 24, Korir moved up to second place, then eventually overtook the lead to win in 2:12:40. Korir then finished fifth at Chicago the following fall (2:06:13).

Why? Korir's the defending champion, albeit it in extreme conditions. Still, his list of accomplishments at the full marathon distance includes a pair of Los Angeles Marathon titles and 4 top-six finishes at Chicago. He's shown over and over that he excels in tough conditions against elite competition.

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - Gebremariam Set a Personal Best at Boston (2011)

Gebre Gebremariam
Country: Ethopia
PB: 2:04:53, 2011 Boston Marathon

Gebregziabher Gebremariam's rise to the top of the distance running world started early. He medaled at the 2002 World Junior's Championship -- taking gold (10000m) and bronze (5000m). At 20, Gebremariam finished fourth in the 5000m at the 2005 Athens Olympics. However, it was not until Gebremariam turned his attention to road racing that he found greater success.

He finished second and fourth at the 2008 & 2009 at the Great North Run, with finishes of 61:29 & 60:59 respectively. Later in 2009, Gebremariam captured the 2009 World Cross Country Champion title and the 10000m National Championship. 2010 was also very good to Gebremariam and solidified his status as a 'one to watch'. He set a course record (27:42) at the Healthy Kidney 10K in NYC, won the Peachtree 10K (27:56), Beach to Beacon 10K (27:41), and the Falmouth Road Race (32:20). He then finished second at the Philadelphia Half Marathon (60:25).

With success at all levels, distances and surfaces, Gebremariam's decision to move up to the full marathon came as little surprise. He defied all expectations by winning the 2010 NYC Marathon in his debut with in 2:08:14. After his NYC success, Gebremariam again returned to the half marathon, finishing second at the March 2011 NYC Half Marathon (60:25). Given that success, many eyes were on Gebremariam to push for contention at the 2011 Boston Marathon. He did not disappoint. Finishing third (2:04:53) behind Geoffrey Mutai's record performance, indicated to the world that Gebremariam will be one to look for at the full marathon distance for years to come.

Gebremariam returned to New York for the 2011 NYC Marathon looking to hold onto his title. While he was 14 seconds faster than his winning time from 2011, Gebremariam finished fourth. The spring of 2012 saw Gebremariam return yet again to the half marathon where he finished third at Rabat in 61:23).

With memories of his third place finish at the 2011 event, many eyes were on Gebremariam to possibly move up the podium at the 2012 Boston Marathon. However, with the abnormal heat conditions, Gebremariam wasn't able to keep momentum, and finished a disappointing 14th (2:22:56), by far his slowest finish at the full marathon. Recently, Gebremariam was able to bounce back as he finished second at the February 2013 New Orleans Marathon (61:00).

Why? With his success at all levels and distances, and a notorious final kick, Gebremariam is a top flight elite marathoner. While his recent finishes have been respectable, he's still looking to regain the spotlight he earned back in New York in 2010. His 2011 finish (2:04:53) at Boston indicates that he has what it takes to break the tape first.

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - Geneti at the 2012 RnR Philly Half Marathon

Markos Geneti
Country: Ethiopia
PB: 2:04:54, 2012 Dubai Marathon

Despite only middling success at shorter distances (most notably at the two mile distance), Geneti holds a a pair of the fastest times recently run -- making one of the performers to contend for the men's title in 2013.

As a junior, Geneti won the 2001 World Youth Championship in the 3000m, and followed-up with a runner-up showing in 2002 in the 5000m. He made his half marathon debut at New Delhi in 2010, finishing 16th in 63:06. Thus, it came a surprise as he blitzed the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon course in stormy conditions, to set a course record by nearly two minutes (2:06:35).

Later in 2011, Geneti returned to the half marathon, finishing tenth at the 2011 Philadelphia Half Marathon (62:01), a minute ahead of his 2010 debut at New Delhi.

2012 continued Geneti's assault at the full marathon. In January 2012, he raced out to an impressive 2:04:54 in Dubai -- finishing third, in one of the fastest marathons ever (the top four finishes are included in the top 22 finishes ever.) Despite a finish nearly 9 minutes slower than his personal best, Geneit's runner-up finish at Honolulu in December 2012 caught our attention as it's a challenging course. Geneti's ability to push through, despite it being only his fifth full or half marathon, indicates he may be just scratching the surface of his talents.

Why? His 2012 showing at Dubai (2:04:54) in only his second marathon, illustrates on the right course on the right day, Geneti can push for the record books. Honolulu showed he can withstand a tough course. With 2013 Boston being a fast course (course records broken in 2011 and 2012) and several of the other elites withdrawing, Geneti could be standing tall on Monday.

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - The 2009 Champ Returns

Deriba Merga
Country: Ethiopia
PB: 2:06:38, 2008 London Marathon

Deriba Merga's debut win at the half marathon at Paris 2006 (60:45) indicated he had what it would take to compete an elite level for years to come. Since then, Merga has oscillated between half marathons and full marathons with ease and success. He has yet to finish below fourth at the half marathon distance, and discounting a recent tenth-place finish at Shanghai in 2012 (2:21:14), Merga has not finished any worse than sixth in a full marathon.

While his marathon debut at Boston 2006 did not fair so well (DNF), he was able to right the ship in 2007 with three sub-60:00 half marathons (RAK: 59:44), Rotterdam (59:25) and the World Championships at Udine (59:16), finishing third, third and fourth respectively. Spread throughout 2007, were top ten finishes at the marathon distance at Paris (2:13:33) and Fukuoka (2:06:50).

In 2008, Merga was amongst an elite field at the 2008 London Marathon, where he finished sixth in 2:06:38. Later that summer, he just missed medaling at the Beijing Olympic games, finishing fourth in 2:10:21. In the fall, Merga won the half marathon at New Delhi in another sub-60:00 finish (59:15). This successes all pointed to good things for Merga going into 2009.

He started the year by winning the Houston Marthon (2:07:52), then returned to Boston for the second time. Clearly looking to make up for his DNF back in 2006, Merga bested a tremendous field for his second marathon title in just 4 months (2:08:42). Sandwiched around his Boston Marathon win were another pair of sub-60:00 half marathons (RAK: 59:18, 3rd place & New Delhi: 59:54, 1st place).

Despite finishing ahead of his winning 2009 pace, Merga (2:08:39) was not able to overtake Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot's new course record at the 2010 Boston Marathon. Merga had to settle for third place. The summer of 2010 brought about another half marathon victory -- Bogota (62:31). The fall of 2010 ended disappointingly in a pair of DNFs at Chicago and Chunchon.

Since then, Merga's success has been at the half marathon distance. With wins at RAK (2011: 59:24), Yangzhou (2011: 61:10) and runner-up finishes at Bogota (2012: 64:49) and New York City (2012: 59:48) and Houston (2013: 62:00), he's shown the ability to sprint. Since his third-place showing at Boston in 2010, he's finished two full marathons, with two DNFs.

Why? Returning champions are always ones to watch. With Merga, his ability to stay in the hunt, and finish atop the leaderboard in the half marathon may seem ideal for the flat, fast course at Boston. Will his familiarity with the course make him a two-time champion?

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer - The 2010 Champ Returns

Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot
Country: Kenya
PB: 2:05:52, 2010 Boston Marathon

Although he has accomplished much for his 24 years, any writeup concerning Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, must first state that he is not in fact related to four-time winner of the Boston Marathon Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot. Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, who won in 2010, returns looking to add to his resume.

Despite gaining notoriety by winning the 2010 Boston Marathon at the age of 22, Kiprono Cheruiyot's star shined even earlier. His marathon debut marathon at Frankfurt 2008, saw him beat an elite field in a very respectable time of 2:07:21. The following spring, Kiprono Cheruiyot made his Boston Marathon debut, placing fifth in 2:10:06. The fall of 2009 saw him place 12th at the 2009 Rotterdam Half Marathon in 61:22, then amazingly return to Frankfurt a month later to finish second at the 2009 Frankfurt Marathon - nearly a minute ahead of his winning 2008 pace (2:06:23), and nine seconds off of defending his title.

With his second go-around at Boston (2010), Kiprono Cheruiyot seemed to learn from 2009. He started out and stayed with the elite veteran runners throughout. Eventually, former Boston champion Deriba Merga broke free with several surges to capture the lead. Kiprono Cheruiyot would then join Merga as the lead pack, and with little less than 2K left, Kiprono Cheruiyot broke from Merga for the win and established a new course record by nearly two minutes (2:05:52)

Since then, Kiprono Cheruiyot has osciillated between respectable times and questionable results. The fall of 2010 saw Kiprono Cheruiyot finish sixth at Chicago in 2:09:28, then fifth upon his return to Frankfurt in 2011 (2:06:29). As you can see from that result, he nearly matched his runner-up finish from 2009 (and cut a minute from his 2008 debut at Frankfurt). Thus, it's clear that the rest of the elite runners have begun setting blistering times when called upon at the world's biggest marathons. Kiprono Cheruiyot finished sixth at Boston in 2011 in 2:06:43, which saw Geoffrey Mutai shatter Kiprono Cheruiyot's course record by nearly three minutes (2:03:02).

However, it's 2012 which saw Kiprono Cheruiyot struggle. He bowed out of the 2012 Boston Marathon due to injury, finished 14th at the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon (2:25:07), and 23rd at the Amsterdam Marathon (2:21:25).

Why? As illustrated by his inconsistency, he's still very young and learning. After a disapppointing showing at Amsterdam (2:21:25), Kiprono Cheruiyot should be looking to push for contention. Having won the 2010 event, with his personal best, Kiprono Cheruiyot is clearly familiar with the course - and it would surprise few if he comes through on Monday.