FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LEONARD MUCHERU JOINS ELITE MEN'S FIELD; RAN 2:09:37 LAST YEAR
MOLINE, IL – Leonard Mucheru (Kenya) has joined the 2010 Quad Cities
Marathon's elite runner field. The QCM is set for a 7:30-am start, Sunday,
at John Deere Commons in downtown Moline. The field, which had been closed,
has had five cancellations this week, opening room for Mucheru who is
training near Madison, WI.
The five runners pulling from the field include males: Habtamu Bekele,
Geoffrey Birgen, Kassahun Kabiso, and Thomas Kamau, along with female:
Laurie Cass. The current elite field features 22 men and nine women. A
revised elite runner listing follows this release.
Mucheru placed second at last year's Tiberias, Israel, Marathon in 2:09:37,
a personal best. He had won Tiberias in 2008 (2:10:30) and won in 2007 at
Tiberias (2:12:13). In June (2010) Mucheru placed fourth in 2:12:43 at the
San Diego Rock/Roll Marathon.
Mucheru has had a solid international running career for 10 years. His
5,000-meter best is 12:59.79 from 2005, his 3,000-meter best is 7:35.35
from 2001, and his best 3,000-meter steeplechase is 8:47.34 from 2000. He
ran a 3:49.75 mile in 2001 and ran a 3:33.79, 1500-meter, that same year.
On the world stage Mucheru has three fourth-place finishes and one seventh.
In the world cross country championships he was 4th in 11:21 in 2000. In
3,000-meter events, he placed fourth at the 2004 IAAF Worlds (7:40.13),
placed fourth in the 2003 IAAF Worlds (7:40.20), and was seventh in the
2003 IAAF World Indoors (7:44.83).
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