FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
B.A.A. 10K on June 24 Draws Top Talent to Boston.
Second leg of B.A.A. Distance Medley Continues
with 2nd Annual B.A.A. 10K, starting and finishing at Boston Common.
BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today that some
of the world's best runners will travel to Boston to compete in the second
annual B.A.A. 10K on Sunday, June 24. The race will start and finish on
Charles Street between the Public Garden and historic Boston Common. A
partial list of the elite athletes entered in the race is attached to this
release.
This year, the B.A.A. 10K marks the second leg of the inaugural B.A.A.
Distance Medley, a three-race series which combines the B.A.A. 5K on April
15, the B.A.A. 10K on June 24, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon on October 7 to
crown a male and female series champion. Scoring for the B.A.A. Distance
Medley is based on total elapsed time across all three races. For example,
someone who runs 14:00 at the 5K, 29:00 at the 10K and 1:04:30 at the Half
Marathon would end the series with a total time of 1:47:30. The male and
female competitors with the fastest total time at the end of the series
will each win $100,000. This aggregate scoring system is intended to
maximize interest in the series among runners, the general public, and the
media.
Among the B.A.A. Distance Medley entrants to compete at the B.A.A. 10K are
14-time NCAA All-American Sam Chelanga, recent Bolder Boulder 10K champion
Allan Kiprono, and B.A.A. 5K third place finisher Lani Rutto. Ethiopia's
Ali Abdosh, as well as Massachusetts native Nate Jenkins, will join them on
the starting line.
The B.A.A. Distance Medley continues with the B.A.A. 10K after a thrilling
B.A.A. 5K, held on April 15. There, American Ben True set a new course
record of 13:41, beating Sam Chelanga by a mere two seconds. Chelanga, the
current B.A.A. Distance Medley time leader, finished fourth at last year's
B.A.A. 10K. Fellow B.A.A. 10K contenders Allan Kiprono and Lani Rutto also
had strong showings at the B.A.A. 5K, finishing third and fifth
respectively. Ali Abdosh, who was the 2011 B.A.A. Half Marathon champion,
finished ninth in 13:59, while Andover, Mass.'s Jenkins took 15th in 14:32.
On the women's side, 2011 B.A.A. 10K runner-up Kim Smith returns, as does
Ethiopia's Aheza Kiros, second at the B.A.A. 5K, and American Janet
Cherobon-Bawcom, last year's B.A.A. Half Marathon champion. Kenyan Jelliah
Tinega and American Esther Erb, both of whom were top twelve finishers at
the B.A.A. 5K, also are returning to Boston's Back Bay.
In the women's race at the B.A.A. 5K, Ethiopia's Werknesh Kidane ran away
with the title, establishing a new course record of 15:12. Behind, New
Zealand's Kim Smith and Ethiopia's Aheza Kiros battled for second, the
later gaining runner-up honors by five seconds. Janet Cherobon-Bawcom and
Jelliah Tinega both finished in the top ten, recording times of 15:41 and
16:00, respectively. Esther Erb, a member of the North Carolina-based ZAP
Fitness team, finished twelfth.
Several recent Boston Marathon champions and contenders will also be
running this year's B.A.A. 10K. The B.A.A. previously announced that
Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai, the world's fastest marathoner, will seek to defend
his B.A.A. 10K against this talented field, of which includes 2012 Boston
Marathon runner-up Levy Matebo, also of Kenya. Mutai won the 2011 Boston
Marathon in 2:03:02, the fastest marathon ever run under any conditions. On
the women's side, 2012 Boston Marathon champion Sharon Cherop will
challenge compatriot Caroline Kilel, the 2011 Boston Marathon champion and
reigning B.A.A. 10K winner, for the women's title.
The second annual B.A.A. 10K begins at 8:00 a.m. on Charles Street in
Boston, as the top athletes compete for a prize purse of nearly $30,000.
The 6.2-mile course is a scenic tour through Boston's Back Bay
neighborhood. Starting on Charles Street, the race winds down picturesque
Commonwealth Avenue and Bay State Road as far west as Babcock Street near
Boston University, before heading back on Commonwealth Avenue, around the
Public Garden, and finishing on Charles Street. Registration for the B.A.A.
10K remains open, but the field is limited to 6,000 entrants. To register,
please visit www.baa.org/races/10k.
Men's Elite Field (as of 06.06.12)
Name (Citizenship/Home) Age 10K Personal Best
Ali Abdosh ** (ETH) 24 28:26 (27:04.92, 10,000m)
Sam Chelanga ** (KEN) 27 28:31 (27:08.39, 10,000m)
Allan Kiprono ** (KEN) 22 27:42
Lani Rutto ** (KEN) 23 28:35
Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) 30 27:19 (27:27.59, 10,000m)
Levy Matebo (KEN) 22 27:55
NATE JENKINS (USA/Massachusetts) 31 29:33
Women's Elite Field (as of 06.06.12)
Aheza Kiros ** (ETH) 26 32:09 (31:06.93, 10,000m)
Kim Smith ** (NZL/Providence, RI) 30 31:23 (30:35.54, 10,000m)
Janet Cherobon-Bawcom **(USA/Georgia)33 32:27 (31:33.50, 10,000m)
Jelliah Tinega ** (KEN) 26 32:27
Caroline Kilel (KEN) 31 31:36
Sharon Cherop (KEN) 28 32:43 (32:03.0, 10,000m)
ESTHER ERB (USA/NC) 26 34:23
** B.A.A. Distance Medley participant; intending to participate in the
B.A.A.'s three race series (B.A.A. 5K, B.A.A. 10K, and B.A.A. Half
Marathon)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a
healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston
Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization
manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and
year-round running programs. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the
Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial. The Boston Marathon is
part of the World Marathon Majors along with the Virgin London Marathon,
BMW Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and the ING New York
City Marathon.
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