FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joshua Milne
Sports Marketing PR Specialist
John Hancock Financial Services
Phone: 617-572-3816
Cell: 617-824-0294
JOHN HANCOCK PRESENTS 2005 BOSTON MARATHON ELITE FIELD
AT APRIL 15th MEDIA CONFERENCE
32 Elite Athletes from 12 Countries Assembled for John Hancock Team
BOSTON, MA - April 12, 2005 -John Hancock will present its elite team of 32
marathon runners from 12 countries to the media on Friday, April 15 at 10
a.m. at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. All attending media will have
the opportunity to interview the elite athletes during the conference.
The 109th running of the race is set for Monday, April 18, 2005. The world
class field includes four returning champions: three-time winner and
Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba, defending men's champion Timothy
Cherigat, and 2003 champions Svetlana Zakharova of Russia and Robert
Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya.
Ndereba, the reigning world champion and second fastest woman in the world,
will seek to defend her Boston title and make history as the first
four-time woman champion. She faces strong competition from 2004 runner-up
Elfenesh Alemu of Ethiopia who finished fourth at the Olympics, national
record holder Zakharova who finished ninth at the Olympics, three-time
Olympic medalist and national record holder Gete Wami of Ethiopia, Olympian
Nuta Olaru of Romania, and 2004 Tokyo champion Bruna Genovese of Italy who
finished tenth at the Olympics.
On the men's side, Cherigat faces ten men who have raced under 2:10,
including 2003 champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot; 2004 runner-up Robert
Cheboror of Kenya, who returns to Boston as the second fastest man in the
world last year; 2003 Boston runner-up Benjamin Kosgei Kimutai; and top
American Alan Culpepper, who finished 12th in the Olympic Marathon and won
the U.S. Olympic Trials. Added to the mix is Ryan Shay, the reigning U.S.
champion in the half-marathon, the 20K, the 15K, and the 5K.
Find the latest news about the Boston Marathon at
www.marathon.jhancock.com/marathon.
109th B.A.A. BOSTON MARATHON
JOHN HANCOCK'S 2005 ELITE FIELD
Men's Open Field Personal Best
Robert Cheboror, Kenya 2:06:23 (Amsterdam, 2004)
Wilson Onsare, Kenya 2:06:47 (Paris, 2003)
Benjamin Kosgei Kimutai, Kenya 2:07:26 (Amsterdam, 2002)
Mohamed Ouaadi, France 2:07:55 (Fukuoka, 1999)
Hailu Negussie, Ethiopia 2:08:16 (Hofu, 2002)
Pavel Loskutov, Estonia 2:08:53 (Paris, 2002) NR
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya 2:08:59 (Milan, 2002)
Stephen Kiogora, Kenya 2:09:21 (Chicago, 2004)
Benjamin Kipchumba, Kenya 2:09:23 (Milan, 2004)
Timothy Cherigat, Kenya 2:09:34 (San Sebastian, 2002)
Alan Culpepper, United States 2:09:41 (Chicago, 2002)
Thomas Omwenga, Kenya 2:10:44 (Seoul, 2004)
Khalid El Boumlili, Morocco 2:10:49 (Marrakech, 2004)
Benson Cherono, Kenya 2:11:23 (New York, 2004)
Gidey Amaha, Ethiopia 2:11:26 (Dubai, 2005)
Terefe Yae, Ethiopia 2:11:45 (Xiamen, 2004)
Andrew Letherby, Australia 2:12:45 (Fukuoka, 2003)
Ryan Shay, United States 2:14:08 (New York, 2004)
John Itati, Kenya 2:14:51 (Baltimore, 2004)
James Koskei, Kenya 2:18:40 (Chicago, 2004)
Women's Open Field Personal Best
Catherine Ndereba, Kenya 2:18:47 (Chicago, 2001) NR
Svetlana Zakharova, Russia 2:21:31 (Chicago, 2002) NR
Gete Wami, Ethiopia 2:22:19 (Amsterdam, 2002) NR
Elfenesh Alemu, Ethiopia 2:24:29 (London, 2001)
Nuta Olaru, Romania 2:24:33 (Chicago, 2004)
Bruna Genovese, Italy 2:25:35 (Tokyo, 2001)
Zhor El Kamch, Morocco 2:26:10 (Rotterdam, 2004) NR
Shitaye Gemechu, Ethiopia 2:26:15 (Berlin, 2002)
Grazyna Syrek, Poland 2:26:22 (Chicago, 2003)
Lyubov Morgunova, Russia 2:26:33 (London, 2000)
Eri Hayakawa, Japan 2:28:11 (Honolulu, 2004)
Mina Ogawa, Japan 2:28:47 (Osaka, 1998)
NR = National Record
###
|
