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Lead Stories: Friday, November 21, 2008

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

jelena prokopcuka and Lidiya Grigoryeva at 2007 boston marathon 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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Defending Champions to Return to Boston Marathon

Posted January 23rd, 2008 at 12:06 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

2007 boston marathon winners robert cheruiyot lidiya-grigoryeva Organizers of the Boston Marathon announced today that Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Lidiya Grigoryeva, their 2007 champions, planned to return to the race this year to defend their titles.

“We are very excited to have both of our defending champions returning for the 112th Boston Marathon,” said Guy Morse, executive director of the Boston Athletic Association through a media release sent by John Hancock Financial, the principal sponsor of the race. “Robert and Lidiya showed their strength by winning in difficult conditions in 2007. We look forward to seeing how they follow up on those victories in 2008.”

Cheruiyot, the 2006/2007 World Marathon Majors champion and Boston Marathon course record holder, got his third Boston victory in last year’s windy and rainy race, crossing the finish line in 2:14:13, the slowest winning time in 30 years. As in his previous Boston victories, Cheruiyot, 29, timed effort to perfection.
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Lance Armstrong to Run Boston Marathon

Posted January 17th, 2008 at 1:22 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

lance armstrong marathon billboard Lance Armstrong plans to extend his marathon career by running the 2008 Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today. It will be his third marathon; he ran the ING New York City Marathon in both 2006 and 2007.

In a press release the B.A.A. took care to explain that Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France champion, had actually qualified for the race like any other runner by running a 2:46:43 at New York last November (the qualifying standard for men 35 to 39 is 3:15:00). Most of the 22,473 runners who entered Boston last year had to qualify, although some were granted entry through charity groups or other special entry programs.

As in his two previous marathons, Armstrong will be running to raise money for his Lance Armstrong Foundation, which pursues an agenda focused on cancer prevention, access to screening and care, the improvement of the quality of life for cancer survivors, and an investment in research. Armstrong survived testicular cancer which was diagnosed in 1996.
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PBS’ Award-Winning TV Series NOVA To Premier “Marathon Challenge” on Tues., Oct. 30

Posted October 29th, 2007 at 4:32 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation

PBS NOVA TELEVISION SERIES MARATHON CHALLENGE A four-year working partnership between the Boston Athletic Association and the producers of the public television series NOVA will culminate with the premier of “Marathon Challenge” on Tuesday, October 30, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

“Marathon Challenge,” produced by WGBH, Boston’s PBS affiliate, explores the transformation of 13 individuals as they train for the 2007 Boston Marathon. The one hour program, which explores the physiological changes that each runner undergoes during their training, culminates with the NOVA team’s participation in the 111th Boston Marathon on April 16, 2007.

The Boston Athletic Association granted NOVA access to the Boston Marathon and waived the qualifying standards for the NOVA cast, each of whom was making his or her marathon debut. Also, camera crews were permitted on certain parts of the Boston Marathon course during the race to document the progress of selected team members as they ran from Hopkinton to Boston.