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Lead Stories: Monday, September 8, 2008

London Marathon Champions Return for BUPA London 10,000

Posted May 7th, 2008 at 10:28 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Britain’s two leading organizers of road races have joined forces to launch a new event slated for Monday, May 26. Dubbed the BUPA London 10,000, the event will be jointly produced by the Flora London Marathon and Nova International and will feature Martin Lel (Pictured) and Irina Mikitenko, the 2008 Flora London Marathon champions.

“We are delighted to have such strong elite fields for the first ever BUPA London 10,000,” said David Bedford, race director of the Flora London Marathon. “To have our current Flora London Marathon champions on the start line is a great boost for us in our first year.”
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Cheruiyot Leads Strong Kenyan Contingent for Boston Marathon

Posted February 28th, 2008 at 3:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Of the last 17 editions of the Boston Marathon Kenyan men have won all but two, and defending champion and course record holder Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot has nabbed three of those titles. According to an announcement by John Hancock Financial yesterday, Cheruiyot could be headed for a fourth Boston crown, keeping Kenyan dominance alive at America’s oldest, still-contested marathon, founded in 1897.

Cheruiyot, the 2006/2007 World Marathon Majors champion who rebounded from extreme poverty and homelessness to become one of the world’s finest athletes, first won in Boston in 2003. He had since come back to win twice more in 2006 –when he broke Cosmas Ndeti’s 1994 course record– and again last year when he had to contend with sheets of blowing rain as a Nor’easter pounded Boston.
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Prokopcuka, Grigoryeva Headline Elite Women’s Field at 2008 Boston Marathon

Posted February 13th, 2008 at 11:32 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons

In its 23rd year as the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, John Hancock Financial announced their team of top women contenders for the 112th running of the race on April 21. Defending Boston Champion Lidiya Grigoryeva is set to compete against 2006 winner Rita Jeptoo, two-time runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka and a new generation of international talent.

The blend of athletes with experience on the course and those new to the challenges of the hilly Hopkinton to Boston route should lead to a highly competitive race. Collectively the group has won 18 international marathons in the past three years and the top nine contenders have less than a three-minute differential in their personal best times. In addition, the athletes will be vying for a top Boston showing to secure a position on their country’s Olympic teams.
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Hall and Wanjiru Added to London Marathon Field

Posted January 7th, 2008 at 12:30 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Race director David Bedford has beefed up his already robust field for the 2008 Flora London Marathon by adding two of the sport’s most promising marathon stars: Ryan Hall (Pictured) of Big Bear Lake, Calif., and Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya. The 28th edition of the race is scheduled for Sunday, April 13.

Hall, 25, is coming off of a dramatic victory at the USA Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon held in New York City last November. The former Stanford University star ran a brilliant race, saving his strength during the first half of the hilly, five-loop course in Central Park before unleashing a seemingly effortless 62:45 for the second half. His finish time of 2:09:02 was a Trials record, despite the fact that he lost at least half a minute in the final miles celebrating his victory. Hall also ran 2:08:24 at London in his debut last April, a USA debut record.
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Lel Leads Stacked Elite Field for 2008 London Marathon

Posted December 12th, 2007 at 10:15 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Martin Lel, the only man to ever win the Flora London and ING New York City Marathons in the same year, headlines London’s field for next April, race director Dave Bedford announced today.

The 29 year-old Lel, who won both the London and New York races in sprint finishes over Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri, also won London in 2005. He has a personal best time of 2:06:41.

“I am very pleased to be able to defend my title.,” Lel commented through a media release. “I am training hard to make sure I am in top shape for my bid to win a third time. I know it will be tough, but I love running in London and am confident I can win again.”
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Gharib, Limo and Rutto Headline Chicago Field

Posted September 12th, 2007 at 7:05 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

A great battle is in store at the fastest marathon in the United States when the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon celebrates its 30th edition on Sunday, Oct. 7.

Making his Chicago debut will be two-time world champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco. Boasting a 2:07:02 personal best, Gharib snagged the world titles in both Paris in 2003 and Helsinki in 2005. He passed-up this year’s world championships so he could be best prepared to win a World Marathon Majors title in the fall. Chicago’s extremely fast course should play to his strength as a runnner who prefers a pace which is both steady and fast.

The man who won Chicago in 2005, Felix Limo (Pictured) of Kenya, should be Gharib’s top rival. Limo, who also won London in 2006 and Berlin in 2004, has four sub-2:07 marathons to his credit. At London last April he was in the hunt for victory in the final meters, but finished third to Martin Lel and Abderrahim Goumri in nail-biting sprint finish. Limo had planned to run Chicago last year, but an injury forced him to scratch from the race.
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NYC Half-Marathon releases elite fields; NYRR once again draws world’s best

Posted August 1st, 2007 at 4:33 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The New York Road Runners released the elite fields for Sunday’s second annual NYC Half-Marathon presented by NIKE. NOTE: TheFinalSprint.com will feature videos of every pre- and post-race press conference, one-on-one video & audio interviews with top elites, and of course, LIVE coverage of the race itself!)

Led by two-time Olympic gold medalist, Haile Gebrselassie, the men’s field has three athletes who have broken one hour for the half-marathon distance, and a total of 11 men who have run 62:23 or better.

Catherine Ndereba, the 2003 world marathon champion who won the inaugural NYC Half-Marathon last year, headlines the women’s field. She’s just one of seven women who have broken the 71 minute barrier (three have run sub-70 minutes).

Former world marathon record holder, Khalid Khannouchi, was forced to withdraw from the race citing a mechanical problem in his stride which had been causing a burning sensation in the ball of his right foot, race officials reported. He and wife Sandra have flown to Barcelona to see an orthodics specialist.
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