FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Boston Marathon, Virgin London Marathon Mark Milestones
as World Marathon Majors Series Resumes
World's best including reigning WMM Series champions
Wanjiru and Mikitenko in hunt for $1 million jackpot
CHICAGO (April 8, 2010) - The Boston Marathon and Virgin London Marathon
will both celebrate event milestones in April as the World Marathon Majors
Series resumes with star studded line-ups of the best marathon runners in
the world competing on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean as they chase the
$1 million series jackpot.
With most of the top WMM Series points leaders in action led by reigning
champions Irina Mikitenko of Germany and Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya, both who
are in London, the race to be crowned 2009-10 WMM Series champion is sure
to heat up this month.
The Boston Marathon will commemorate the 25th anniversary of its' principal
sponsor John Hancock Financial at the 114th running of the venerable race
that begins in rural Hopkinton and ends in the historic heart of the city
on Monday, April 19.
Six days later on Sunday, April 25, the action jumps over the Atlantic to
the British capital where Virgin will mark its first year as title sponsor
of the Virgin London Marathon.
American stars are expected to shine in Boston led by reigning ING New York
City Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi and Ryan Hall as they look to break
an American winless drought going back to 1983 and Greg Meyer. Both have
had success in Boston; Keflezighi finished third in 2006 and Hall was third
last year. A win by Keflezighi and the 25 WMM Series points would vault
him to the top of the Series leaderboard in a tie with Wanjiru as the men
head into the London race.
The Boston competition, however, will be stiff as defending champion Deriba
Merga of Ethiopia returns. Other top contenders should come from a group of
sub- 2:07 runners including Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco and Gilbert Yegon,
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot and Evans Cheruiyot of Kenya.
The Boston women's field features four returning champions led by 2009
winner Salina Kosgei of Kenya along with her compatriot, four-time champion
Catherine Ndereba (2000, 01, 04, 05), Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia (07) and
Dire Tune of Ethiopia (08).
There will be the glitter of gold when the action moves to London as both
2008 Olympic gold medalists, Wanjiru and Constantina Dita of Romania, will
be part of two deep and fast fields.
Wanjiru is London's defending men's champion and one of six men in the
field who have clocked sub-2:06 times including three-time winner Martin
Lel (2005, 07, 08), Duncan Kibet and world champion Abel Kirui all of
Kenya. Also in the field are two-time ING New York City Marathon champion
Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, 2008 Boston Marathon runner-up
Abderrahim Bouramdane of Morrocco and for the home side Dan Robinson and
Andrew Lemoncello.
Mikitenko is the women's pre-race favorite and could have a date with the
record book as she aims to join her fellow German Katrin Dorre as the only
woman to win three consecutive London crowns. She will, however, face
stiff opposition from an intriguing field that includes 2008 Olympic
Champion Dita, 2005 Chicago and 2006 London winner Deena Kastor of the
United States, 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon winner Liliya
Shobukhova of Russia and 2009 real-Berlin Marathon title holder Atsede
Habtamu of Ethiopia. But sure to be the focus of the home country's
attention will be Mara Yamauchi who finished second last year and is coming
off a strong wining performance last month at the NYC Half-Marathon.
The World Marathon Majors series continues this year with the real-Berlin
Marathon on Sunday September 26, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on
Sunday October 10 and concludes at the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday
November 7.
The current 2009-2010 men's and women's point leaders follow:
Men
Place Name Citizenship Point Total
1 Samuel Wanjiru KEN 50
2 Meb Keflezighi USA 25
2 Deriba Merga ETH 25
2 Tsegaye Kebede ETH 25
2 Abel Kirui KEN 25
2 Haile Gebrselassie ETH 25
Women
Place Name Citizenship Point Total
1 Irina Mikitenko GER 40
2 Liliya Shobukhova RUS 35
3 Salina Kosgei KEN 26
4 Derartu Tulu ETH 25
4 Atsede Habtamu ETH 25
4 Xue Bai CHN 25
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