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Lead Stories: Sunday, September 7, 2008

97th ING Bay to Breakers Returns on Sunday in San Francisco

Posted May 14th, 2008 at 12:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Road Racing

Part parade, part fashion show, and part road race, the 97th ING Bay to Breakers returns to the streets of San Francisco on Sunday, and organizers expect some 70,000 runners and walkers (about half of them unregistered) to take part.

Up front, the race is serious business. Elite athlete coordinator Josh Muxen has assembled a strong field to chase a $74,000 prize money purse, including a special $25,000 ING Battle to the Breakers bonus which will be awarded to the first athlete to cross the finish line. That could be a man or it could be a woman; women are given a four minute and 40 second headstart based on the difference between the male (33:42) and female (38:22) course records.

In addition, there is a $5000 bonus for the first man and first woman to reach the top of Hayes Street Hill, a beast of a climb which begins at the two mile mark on Franklin Street, rises 201 feet, and covers a distance of 0.69 miles. Athletes can pocket the bonus as long as they also finish in the top-20.
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LIVE at the Boston Marathon: Cheruiyot Wins 112th Boston Marathon; Matches Bill Rodgers with 4 Boston Wins

Posted April 21st, 2008 at 12:09 PM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot has won the 112th Boston Marathon in a blistering time of 2:07:46. It is his third consecutive Boston victory and fourth overall, matching the legendary Bill Rodgers. Cheruiyot used a brisk early pace and a monstrous surge in the Newton Hills to pull away from the field and run unchallenged to the finish. He fell just short of his of 2:07:14 course record (set in 2006) but still earned a convincing victory. With the win, the inaugural World Marathon Majors champ likely clinched a spot on the Kenyan Olympic marathon team this summer.

Several other men took advantage of the outstanding conditions and boisterous crowds to post incredible times. Morocco claimed the next two spots with Abderrahime Bouramdane finishing second in 2:09:04 and Khalid El Boumlili claiming third in 2:10:35. Ethiopians Gashaw Asfaw and Kasime Adillo rounded out the top 5 in 2:10:47 and 2:12:24, respectively. 2004 champion Timothy Cherigat finished sixth in 2:14:13 and was followed by countrymen Christopher Chebioboch (2:14:47), James Kwambai (2:15:52), and James Koskei (2:15:52). American Nicholas A. Arciniaga rounded out the top 10 with a stellar 2:16:13 finish.

Many people are still out on the course (including 7 time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong) so stay tuned for continuing coverage from thefinalsprint.com!

Top Male Finishers:

1. Robert K Cheruiyot KEN 2:07:46
2. Abderrahime Bouramdane MAR 2:09:04
3. Khalid El Boumlili MAR 2:10:35
4. Gashaw Asfaw ETH 2:10:47
5. Kasime Adillo ETH 2:12:24
6. Timothy Cherigat KEN 2:14:13
7. Christopher Cheboiboch KEN 2:14:47
8. James Kwambai KEN 2:15:52
9. James Koskei KEN 2:16:07
10. Nicholas A. Arciniaga USA 2:16:13

For more news, analysis, interviews, videos, and results from the 2008 Boston Marathon and USA Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials, please visit:

http://boston.thefinalsprint.com/

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LIVE at the Boston Marathon: Men hammering through half marathon mark

Posted April 21st, 2008 at 11:10 AM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

The lead pack has been whittled to six as the leaders are continuing their torrid pace through the half way point of the 112th Boston Marathon. The half was reached in 1:03:07, well under pace for the course record of 2:07:14 set by Robert Cheruiyot in 2006.

Cheruiyot and Moroccan Abderrahime Bouramdane have been taking most of the pacing duties in the last few miles. The course becomes more difficult in the next few miles, so the men will be tested as they roll towards Heartbreak Hill.

Top Men at 13.1M-Open Race:

1. Robert K Cheruiyot KEN 1:03:07
2. Abderrahime Bouramdane MAR 1:03:07
3. James Kwambai KEN 1:03:07
4. Kasime Adillo ETH 1:03:07
5. Tesfaye Girma ETH 1:03:08
6. James Mwangi Macharia KEN 1:03:08
7. Khalid El Boumlili MAR 1:03:10
8. Gashaw Asfaw ETH 1:03:10
9. Lawrence Saina KEN 1:03:15
10. Christopher Cheboiboch KEN 1:03:21

For more news, analysis, interviews, videos, and results from the 2008 Boston Marathon and USA Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials, please visit:

http://boston.thefinalsprint.com/

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LIVE at the Boston Marathon: Men’s Lead Pack Intact, Moving at 15k

Posted April 21st, 2008 at 10:54 AM by Jared Markowitz

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Live Race Coverage

The men’s lead pack at the 2008 Boston Marathon is taking advantage of the course and conditions to push the pace and assault the course record.

Kenyans Lawrence Saina and Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot have taken many of the pacing responsibilities but the 17 man lead pack is still intact. The last 3 mile splits were 4:42, 4:46, 4:45 and the 15k split was 45:03.

Top Men at 15k:

1. Robert K Cheruiyot KEN 0:45:03
2. Lawrence Saina KEN 0:45:03
3. Tesfaye Girma ETH 0:45:04
4. Timothy Cherigat KEN 0:45:04
5. Kasime Adillo ETH 0:45:04
6. James Kwambai KEN 0:45:04
7. Shadrack Kiplagat KEN 0:45:04
8. Christopher Cheboiboch KEN 0:45:04
9. Abderrahime Bouramdane MAR 0:45:04
10. James Koskei KEN 0:45:04

For more news, analysis, interviews, videos, and results from the 2008 Boston Marathon and USA Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials, please visit:

http://boston.thefinalsprint.com/

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TFS News Briefs: 12/09/07

Posted December 9th, 2007 at 2:00 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics, Drugs In Sports, TFS News Briefs

IOC Meets This Week To Determine Fate of Marion Jones’ Medals
The International Olympic Committee faces a tricky decision this week when they meet in Lausanne, Switzerland to determine the fate of Marion Jones’ 5 Olympic medals from the 2000 Sydney Games. They have to be careful not to strip one drug-tainted athlete of her medals only to award them to another dope-tainted athlete. Read more at: [International Herald Tribune]

Australian 400m Runner Steffenson Under Investigation for Verbal Assault
Australian 400m runner John Steffensen, apparently stilled peeved because he didn’t gain one of the coveted “automatic selection” slots for the Beijing Olympics, verbally assaulted track and field selection panel member Glynis Nunn-Cearns, winner of the 1984 Olympic gold medal in the heptathlon. He is now under investigation and could be charged with misconduct. Read more at: [The Australian]

Dallas White Rock Marathon
James Koskei overcame cold, windy and wet conditions to win the Dallas White Rock Marathon in 2:15:07. He won $35,000 in prize money – $10K for 1st place and $25K for winning the gender challenge, in which he overcame an 18 minute, 35 second head-start that was given to the women. Emily Samoei won the women’s race in 2:35:24. Read more at: [Google News][Complete Results]
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Chicago Marathon ‘07: Men’s race about to get under way

Posted October 7th, 2007 at 8:57 AM by Jeremy Sussman

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Live Race Coverage

Men’s race is about to get under way. Currently, it’s 73 desgrees Fahrenehiet off of Lake Michicagn herre in CHicago and about 77 degrees away from the lake.

The runners to be watching are of course, returning champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, as well as Jaoouad Gharib, Patrick Ivuti,
Tariku Jufar, James Koskei, Bong-ju Lee, Felix Limo, Benjamin Maiyo, Jimmy Muindi, Daniel Njenga Muturi, Evans Rutto, and Daniel Yego.

Felix Limo, Evans Rutto and Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot are the favorites.

John Yuda , Charles Munyeki and William Chebon are the Pacers who were asked to go out in 63:20.

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Check back often for TheFinalSprint.com’s LIVE coverage of the 2007 Chicago Marathon, sponsored by Ultima Replenisher, at:

http://chicago.thefinalsprint.com

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