rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS" href="http://baa.org" http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=270 The 2008 Boston Marathon is now available on-demand at <a href="http://www.wcsn.com">WCSN.com</a> where viewers will be able to watch the race for the next 12 months. The on-demand broadcast is sponsored by adidas and marathonguide.com. Wednesday, April 23, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=271 For Immediate Release 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon Ends in Historic Fashion One-hour highlight show to air on Sunday, April 27 on MSNBC Boston, Mass. -- On a spectacular Sunday morning in Boston, the top female marathoners in the United States put forth an historic performance. Deena Kastor, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, and Blake Russell headlined the April 20 show as they captured the three spots on the U.S. Olympic Team for the women's marathon. As a result, their next marathon will be run through the streets of Beijing on August 17 as they compete in the 2008 Olympic Games. Behind the three Olympians, 143 other women thrilled the tens of thousands of spectators and viewers on NBCSports.com with one of the greatest women's marathons ever held. A one-hour highlight show of the event will air on Sunday, April 27 on MSNBC from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET. Commentary will be provided by commentator Al Trautwig and 10-time NCAA All-American Ed Eyestone. The show will be the premier episode in a series highlighting a number of Olympic Trials events leading up to the Beijing Olympic Games in August. The Olympic Trials online and over the air broadcast is a joint production of the USOC, Boston Athletic Association, NBC Sports and USA Track & Field. The attached photograph shows the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in the Women's Marathon serving as Grand Marshals of the 112th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21. Pictured are (l-r) Magdalena Lewy Boulet, Deena Kastor, and Blake Russell. Credit for the image is FAYFOTO/Boston. Among the many notable accomplishments from the event on Sunday: Athletes • 181 qualifiers (171 via a marathon performance, 10 via a 10,000m performance) • 146 starters • 124 finishers Sub-2:50's • 98 women ran under 2:50. This is the second largest total in the history of women's marathon running, trailing only the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials when 109 women broke that mark. • By comparison, 61 women broke 2:50 at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon. 44 did so in 2000; 71 in 1996; 46 in 1992; and 81 in 1988. All-Time Rankings • Deena Kastor and Magdalena Lewy Boulet ran the 2nd and 11th fastest Olympic Trials performances in U.S. history. • Kastor's winning time of 2:29:35 is the 41st fastest marathon ever run by an American woman. She also owns the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th, 12th, 14th, and 43rd-fastest times. • Lewy Boulet's second-place time of 2:30:19 is the 53rd fastest marathon ever run by an American woman. Age Group Records • Linda Somers Smith (2:38:49) sets U.S. 45+ record. (Previous best was Joan Samuelson, 2:42:28.) • Joan Samuelson (2:49:08) sets U.S. 50+ record. (Previous best was Shirley Matson, 2:50:26.) Personal Bests & Qualifying Performances • 135 women qualified for the Olympic Trials by running a new personal best in the marathon (out of 171 women who qualified with a marathon time). • 41 women ran new personal bests on Sunday, including 13 of the top 15 and 20 of the top 26. • 47 women improved upon their qualifying performance for the event (including Blake Russell who qualified via a 10,000m time because she did not have a qualifying marathon performance). U.S. Championships • Deena Kastor won her third U.S. Marathon Championship (2001 and 2007), and become the first woman since Linda Somers (in 1993-1994) to win back-to-back titles. • Kastor becomes the first woman to win three U.S. championships in the marathon. Julie Brown, Janis Klecker, and Linda Somers each won two. Olympic Teams • Kastor joins Cathy O'Brien as the only women to make two U.S. Olympic Teams in the Women's Marathon. • This represents the first time that the first alternate from an Olympic Team (Blake Russell in 2004) has made the Olympic Team four years later. • The 4th and 5th-place finishers from 2004 (Russell and Lewy Boulet, who finished just 35 and 53 seconds out of third place, respectively, in 2004) both made the Olympic Team this year. Website Usage • 48,583 visitors to www.bostontrials2008.com on race day. • 360,968 race day page views. • Visitors to the website were from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 90 countries. Friday, April 25, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=269 <b><i>Local Dignitaries to Take Part in Weekend's Festivities</i></b> BOSTON, Mass. - A number of Boston Marathon legends and Massachusetts dignitaries will be taking part in the festivities surrounding the 112th running of the world's oldest annual marathon. <b>Patriots' Award</b> On Thursday, April 17, Mike Andrews, Chairman and Executive Director of the Jimmy Fund, and a member of the 1967 Boston Red Sox "Impossible Dream" team will be presented with the 2008 Patriots' Award. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and its Jimmy Fund have collaborated with the Boston Athletic Association on a number of initiatives. This year 550 runners are expected to raise $4.5 million by running the Boston Marathon as a part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge. In September, more than 7,000 walkers will take part in the Jimmy Fund Marathon Walk, and expect to raise $7 million. Then in October, Dana-Farber will once again be the presenting sponsor of the B.A.A. Half Marathon. The Patriots' Award, established in 2002, is awarded annually to a New England-based individual, group, or organization that is patriotic, philanthropic, inspirational, and fosters goodwill and sportsmanship. Past winners include Robert and Myra Kraft and the New England Patriots (2002); Red Auerbach and the Red Auerbach Youth Foundation (2003); Ron Burton and the Ron Burton Training Village (2004); the Boston Red Sox Foundation (2005); Rick and Dick Hoyt (2006); and Joan Samuelson (2007). <b>Fenway Park, First Pitch</b> On Sunday, April 20, 1983 Boston Marathon champion Greg Meyer will throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park before the Boston Red Sox play the Texas Rangers. Meyer is the last American man to win the Boston Marathon, and will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of his victory by running the 112th Boston Marathon the next day. The game will begin at 1:35 p.m. <b>Official Starter, Wheelchair Division</b> John Kerry, Senator (D) from Massachusetts will be the official starter of the wheelchair division. The start will take place at 9:25 a.m., on Monday, April 21. <b>Official Starter, Elite Women's Start</b> Two-time Boston Marathon champion and 1984 Olympic gold medalist Joan Samuelson will start the Elite Women's race at 9:35 a.m. Samuelson will be competing one day earlier in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon. <b>Official Starter, Elite Men's Race & Wave One of the Boston Marathon</b> Starting Wave One of the race, which includes the elite men, will be Walter Brown. Members of the Brown family have been starting the Boston Marathon for more than a century. A statue in honor of George V. Brown, who started the race from 1905-1937, was unveiled in Hopkinton on April 13. <b>Grand Marshals</b> Top finishers from the previous day's 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon will serve as the official Grand Marshals of the 112th Boston Marathon. <b>Participants</b> In addition to the numerous past champions being honored this year, many are also competing. Past Boston Marathon champions entered in this year's race are: <b> Entrant Boston / Victories / Bib #</b> <b>Men</b> Keizo Yamada / 1953 / #1953 Amby Burfoot / 1968 / #1968 Greg Meyer / 1983 / #1983 Robert Cheruiyot / 2003, 2006, 2007 / #1 Timothy Cherigat / 2004 / #10 <b>Women</b> Rita Jeptoo / 2006 / #F4 Lidiya Grigoryeva / 2007 / #F1 <b>Men's Wheelchair</b> Ernst Van Dyk / 2001-2006 / #W2 Masazumi Soejima / 2007 / #W1 <b>Women's Wheelchair</b> Cheri Blauwet / 2004, 2005 / #W103 Wakako Tsuchida / 2007 / #W101 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=268 <b><i>Live and On-Demand Webcast Available Worldwide on April 21</i></b> LOS ANGELES - April 16, 2008- World Championship Sports Network (WCSN), the premier destination of Olympic and lifestyle sports, announced today it is joining forces with adidas and MarathonGuide.com to provide a free, first-ever global webcast of the 112th Boston Marathon. Through this partnership, fans worldwide can logon to WCSN.com to watch the live and on-demand webcast on April 21, beginning at 9:25 a.m. EST. "We're excited to partner with adidas and MarathonGuide.com in offering this free webcast and to help foster worldwide awareness for this major race," said Carlos Silva, president and COO of WCSN. "Now, for the first time global road racing fans will have unprecedented coverage to see the top marathoners square off in one of the world's most prestigious sporting events." On WCSN.com, running fans can also access Marathon Madness, a special editorial package that features original content, articles from road racing experts, interactive maps, results, highlights and more. Furthermore, WCSN.com will be offering special commentary from running legend and four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers. "Adidas is proud to join WCSN.com in providing a free internet broadcast of the 112th Boston Marathon," said Spencer Nel, head of global sports marketing for running and track and field at adidas. "As a Boston Marathon sponsor, adidas is especially pleased to help bring the oldest continuing annual marathon in the world to as many viewers as possible in every corner of the world. With its proven track record WCSN.com is the ideal partner to make that happen." "Since 2000, MarathonGuide.com's mission has been to promote the sport by providing comprehensive coverage of and information about marathons and distance running. As part of that mission, we are proud to work with WCSN.com and adidas to ensure that the Boston Marathon broadcast will be available at no cost and can be enjoyed by as many marathon enthusiasts as possible," said John Elliott, founder and president of MarathonGuide.com. Deemed one of the world's most prestigious and oldest annual road racing events, the Boston Marathon is the second stop on the World Marathon Majors, a marathon series offering a $1 million prize purse to be split between the leading male and female marathoners in the world. WCSN.com is the home of the 2008 World Marathon Majors with complete coverage of the London, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York City races. Marathon fans around the globe can catch the action on www.wcsn.com where they can be part of the more than 500,000 spectators anticipated to be cheering on the runners as they dash through the streets of rural Hopkinton to the beautiful Boston Back Bay finish line at Copley Square. Fans will also have access to complete live and on-demand video footage plus free access to news, race results, photo galleries, behind-the-scenes features and more. Wednesday, April 16, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=267 <b><i>Top Finishers to Receive $796,000: Largest increase since prize money introduced in 1986.</i></b> Boston, Mass. -- The Boston Athletic Association announced today that the prize purse for the 112th Boston Marathon has been increased by more than 38%, climbing from $575,000 to $796,000. The purse, funded by principal sponsor John Hancock Financial, will be the largest in the history of the race. The world's oldest annual marathon first began offering prize money in 1986 when John Hancock became the race's primary sponsor. "For more than 20 years, John Hancock has partnered with the B.A.A. to ensure that the Boston Marathon holds its status as one of the elite marathons in the world," said Guy Morse, B.A.A. Executive Director. "With more than $11 million in prize money awarded since 1986, John Hancock's commitment to the Boston Marathon and the sport has been unwavering." Prize money is awarded to the top open division finishers, as well as the top masters and push-rim wheelchair division finishers. Under the new prize structure, money has been added to the top five overall finishers in each class. The men's and women's open division victor will each receive $150,000, a record level for guaranteed prize money among individual race winners from the World Marathon Majors events, which - besides Boston - includes the Flora London Marathon; Bank of America Chicago Marathon; real,- Berlin Marathon; and the ING New York City Marathon. "John Hancock is proud of its long history of supporting the Boston Marathon, ensuring that it remains one of the world's premier road races," said John D. DesPrez III, President and Chief Executive Officer of John Hancock Financial. "As we celebrate our 23rd year of fulfilling our promise to the city of Boston and surrounding communities to support this great race, we have also made a commitment to attract and reward the top runners in the world that participate in this global event." 2008 Boston Marathon® Prize Money as of April 14, 2008 Overall Place Amount 1 $150,000 2 $75,000 3 $40,000 4 $25,000 5 $15,000 6 $12,000 7 $9,000 8 $7,400 9 $5,700 10 $4,200 11 $2,600 12 $2,100 13 $1,800 14 $1,700 15 $1,500 sub-total $353,000 total - open men and women $706,000 Additional Amount $221,000 Masters Division Place Amount 1 $10,000 2 $5,000 3 $2,500 4 $1,500 5 $1,000 sub-total $20,000 total - men and women $40,000 Wheelchair Division Place Amount 1 $15,000 2 $5,000 3 $2,500 4 $1,500 5 $1,000 sub-total $25,000 total - men and women $50,000 Grand Total $796,000 Catherine Ndereba leads all athletes in prize winnings from the Boston Marathon, having collected $392,000 in total earnings. With his win in the 2007 Boston Marathon, Robert Cheruiyot became the all-time men's prize leader with $319,000 earned. The 112th Boston Marathon will be held next Monday, April 21, 2008, Patriots' Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The race follows a 26.2-mile point-to-point route from the town of Hopkinton, Mass., to Boston's Back Bay. The wheelchair division begins at 9:25 a.m. ET; the Elite Women start at 9:35 a.m. ET; and the first wave of entrants, including the Elite Men, commences at 10:00 a.m. ET. Tuesday, April 15, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=266 The new era in long distance running continues with a galaxy of the sport's brightest stars back in action this month as the World Marathon Majors series resumes at the Flora London Marathon and the 112th running of the Boston Marathon. More than $850,000 in prize money, prestige and all important points in the race to crown the 2007-2008 WMM champions will be on the line in the British capital on Sunday, April 13 followed eight days later at the celebrated Hopkinton to Boston course on Monday, April 21. Reigning women's WMM champion Gete Wami of Ethopia leads the field in London while the WMM men's champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya tops the field in Boston. In London, United States sensation Ryan Hall makes his first start since winning the US Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon race last fall in New York. It will be his second consecutive appearance in London, following his breakthrough seventh place finish last year in his 26.2-mile debut. Also in the field are defending champion Martin Lel of Kenya, Olympic gold medalist Stefano Baldini of Italy, South African veteran Hendrick Ramaala, Moroccans Abderrahim Goumri and Jaouad Gharib, World champion Luke Kibet of Kenya and his countryman, the World half-marathon record holder Sammy Wanjiru. In addition to Wami, the women's field in London features her Ethiopian compatriot Berhane Adere, Constantina Tomescu-Dita of Romania and Russian Svetlana Zakharova. Cheruiyot will be chasing history as the 2003, 2006 and 2007 champion seeks to become the first Kenyan man to claim four Boston Marathon crowns. Leading challengers are Kenyans Patrick Ivuti, Stephen Kiogora and former champion Timothy Cherigat. The women's field is lead by defending champion Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia who will be chased by last year's runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia and past champions Margaret Okayo and Rita Jeptoo both of Kenya. The WMM Series leader boards are sure to have a new look after the races as many of the top contenders are in action. On the men's side, six of the top seven are running - Lel (1), Goumri (2), Cheruiyot (3), Kibet (4), Ivuti (4) and Gharib (7). Wami is atop the women's leader board with Grigoryeva (3), Prokopcuka (5) and Adhere (5). WMM series points are collected for top five finishes with 25 points for first, 15 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth and 1 for fifth. The WMM series features a $1 million purse with $500,000 for the men's and women's champions. This year's WMM series continues with the Olympic Games men's and women's marathons in Beijing on August 17th and Aug 24th respectively followed by the fall season beginning at the real-Berlin Marathon, September 28, Bank of America Chicago Marathon , October 12 and the series finale at the ING New York City Marathon, November 2nd. Tuesday, April 01, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=265 <b><i>WCSN.com Delivers Live and On-Demand Coverage of the 112th Boston Marathon on April 21st </i></b> LOS ANGELES -March 31, 2008- World Championship Sports Network (WCSN), the premier destination for fans of Olympic and lifestyle sports, will be offering the first ever global webcast of the 112th running of the Boston Marathon via its broadband network. Holding its traditional place on Patriots' Day, Monday, April 21, beginning at 9:25 a.m. EST, race fans can go to www.wcsn.com for comprehensive start to finish coverage of the 26.2 mile event as more than 20,000 contenders set stride on the hilly New England terrain including the infamous one-half mile stretch known as Heartbreak Hill. Deemed one of the world's most prestigious and oldest annual road racing events, the Boston Marathon is the second stop on the World Marathon Majors, a marathon series offering a $1 million prize purse to be split between the leading male and female marathoners in the world. Top male athletes competing include three-time Boston Marathon champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot who will be fiercely defending his title against 2007 Chicago Marathon winner Patrick Ivuti and 2007 Boston runner-up, James Kwambai. The women's field will prove to be a strong heart-pounding competition with defending Boston Marathon champion Lidiya Grigoryeva racing against 2006 Boston Champion Rita Jeptoo and two-time runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka. Collectively the three female champions have won 18 international marathons in the past three years making for a top-notch Patriots' Day showdown in Boston. "We are proud that WCSN will be the first entity to receive and globally distribute the Boston Marathon production over the Internet via its site. We recognized WCSN's intense base of sports viewers, and the Boston Marathon would seem to be a perfect match for those who want to see Boston live - from wherever they may be viewing," said Guy Morse, executive director of the Boston Athletic Association. "Through WCSN, we can share the excitement of this international race with everyone." "WCSN has established itself as the top destination for competitive running and road racing events. Our mission is to elevate and deliver Olympic and lifestyle sports that exemplifies the best of the human spirit," said Claude Ruibal, CEO of WCSN. "By working with the Boston Athletic Association, we are pleased to give viewers worldwide the opportunity to watch one of the world's most prestigious sporting events and that combined, with our broadcasts of the New York, Chicago, London and Berlin Marathons, among others, provide our fans the opportunity to capture the entire season of major marathons from around the world." WCSN is the home of the 2008 World Marathon Majors with complete coverage of the London, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York City races. Marathon fans around the globe can catch the action on www.wcsn.com via a $4.95 monthly subscription where they can be part of the over 500,000 spectators anticipated to be cheering on the runners as they dash through the streets of rural Hopkinton to the beautiful Boston Back Bay finish line at Copley Square. Fans will also have access to complete live and on-demand video footage plus free access to news, race results, photo galleries, behind-the-scenes features and more. Broadcast schedules of all live and on-demand events can be found at WCSN.com. Monday, March 31, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=264 <i>Statue of former Boston Athletic Assn. Executive and Hockey Hall of Fame member will be unveiled at symphony concert opening 2008 Marathon Week</i> HOPKINTON, Mass. - March 19, 2008 - The Hopkinton Athletic Association announced today that a commemorative statue of Hopkinton native, Boston Marathon patriarch and renowned Boston and Olympic sportsman George V. Brown will be unveiled at the Metrowest Symphony Orchestra's 2008 Boston Marathon Kickoff Concert on Sunday, April 13 at Hopkinton High School. The statue, a life-size bronze figure sculpted by Hopkinton artist Michael Alfano, portrays Brown with his starter's pistol raised and ready to send the field of Boston Marathon runners on their 26 mile, 385 yard journey. The pistol is cast from an actual gun used to start many marathons; it was loaned to Alfano by Walter F. Brown, George's grandson, who has served as starter for the race since 1990. George V. Brown served as starter of the Boston Marathon from 1905 to 1933. For every year but one since 1905, a member of his family has fired the race's starting gun. During his tenure as director of athletics for the Boston Athletic Association, the race was lengthened from its original 25 miles to Olympic distance and the starting line moved to Hopkinton from Ashland. <b>Commemorating a Distinguished Sporting Career</b> Born in Hopkinton in 1880, George Brown graduated from Hopkinton High in 1898, went to work for the BAA in 1900, and in 1905 was named its athletic director. The BAA was an important source of athletes for United States teams in the modern Olympic games. George Brown was a manager and assistant U.S. track coach in seven Olympic games, beginning with St. Louis in 1904 and ending with Berlin in 1936. He was a finish line judge in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. George Brown was a prominent leader and American pioneer in the sport of ice hockey at the professional and amateur levels as well. He was instrumental in organizing the first American team to compete for a medal - and winning the Silver - at Chamonix, France in 1924. He managed the Boston Arena from 1921 to 1937 and the Boston Garden from 1934 to 1937. He also served as athletic director at Boston University from 1918 to 1931. He is enshrined in both the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. George's son Walter succeeded him as general manager of the Garden and Arena. He too had a storied career in Boston and international sports. He was the owner of the Boston Celtics who broke the "color line" in the National Basketball Association with the drafting of Chuck Cooper, the league's first black player. He also hired Red Auerbach to coach the team that became professional basketball's first dynasty. Earlier, in 1933, Walter coached America's first world championship hockey team. <b>Sculptor Also a Qualified Marathoner</b> Michael Alfano will be competing in his second Boston Marathon in 2008 and raising funds for the Melanoma Foundation. He has run a total of seven marathons to date and first competed in Boston in 2007. Alfano received the HAA's commission to sculpt the statue of Mr. Brown last fall. He conducted extensive research before beginning and received significant help and background materials from the BAA and members of the Brown family. The statue depicts Brown wearing a fedora and trench coat, a mode of dress in which he frequently appears in photographs from marathons, track meets, and Olympic games of the 1920s and 1930s. "Once I've completed a sculpture, I often don't see it again because it's in another state or a private collection. It will be exciting for me to experience the ongoing reaction to the work and engage with it as a member of the community." <b>Concert Kicks Off a Week of Festivities</b> The Metrowest Symphony's Marathon Kickoff Concert is the opening event of a full week of celebrations and special events leading up to the 112th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 21. The Hopkinton Athletic Association will host six runners from Marathon, Greece for this year's Boston race; Hopkinton and Marathon have established an official "sister city" relationship. The concert, which will include the works of Bach, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Suppé, will be the first public performance of Marathon Day by composer Chris Florio. It will also feature Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 by concert pianist Ronald Kmiec, who will be running in his 35th consecutive Boston Marathon this year. "It's especially fitting to have the sculpture unveiled in 2008, given George V. Brown's ties to the Olympics and the US Women's Olympic Marathon Trials being held here in conjunction with the Boston Marathon," noted Hopkinton Athletic Association president Tim Kilduff. "Hopkinton takes a great deal of pride as steward of the start of the Boston Marathon. Our pride will certainly increase as the story of George Brown, Hopkinton's First Citizen of Sport, is retold. The sculpture will be a fitting reminder of his distinctive service to athletics and his contributions to sports and sportsmanship, both here and abroad." Wednesday, March 19, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=263 <b><i>WBZ-TV and VERSUS to Again Televise Race</i></b> BOSTON, Mass. - The Boston Athletic Association announced today that the 112th Boston Marathon will be televised live, wire-to-wire, both locally and nationally on Monday, April 21. WBZ-TV (CBS owned-and-operated, Channel 4) will once again be providing live local coverage. Their broadcast will run from 8 a.m. (ET) until 3 p.m. (ET). WBZ-TV, now a partner of the Boston Athletic Association for 28 years, will be the only local television station providing live wire-to-wire coverage. VERSUS will once again televise the Boston Marathon for the fourth consecutive year. The telecast will air from 9:30 a.m. (ET) to 12:30 p.m. (ET), making the Boston Marathon the only road race in the United States to have a complete, live, national telecast. The 2008 Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 21, 2008, Patriots' Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The race will begin with the Elite Women's Start at 9:35 a.m. "We're excited to once again partner with WBZ-TV and VERSUS to make the Boston Marathon the only U.S. road race to air live, wire-to-wire, locally and nationally," said Guy Morse, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association. "Boston is one of the most prestigious races in the world, so it's fitting to have such respected outlets as television partners so that our race can be enjoyed by fans around Boston and across the country on April 21." Tuesday, March 25, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=262 <i><b>Five Past Champions, Course Record Holders, 2007 Runner-ups Head Field of 31 Athletes for 112th Running</b></i> BOSTON, MA (March 12, 2008)-In its 23rd year as principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, John Hancock Financial today announced its elite team of 31 marathon runners from eight countries set for the 112th running of the race on Monday, April 21. Headlining the field are defending champions Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya and Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia. Back to challenge Cheruiyot and Grigoryeva are past champions Rita Jeptoo, Timothy Cherigat and Margaret Okayo. Cheruiyot and Okayo are the current course record holders. Also set to challenge the defending champion's are last year's second-place finishers Jelena Prokopcuka and James Kwambai. <b>The Men's Field</b> Cheruiyot, the champion in 2003, 2006 and 2007, seeks to become the first Kenyan man to claim four Boston Marathon crowns. Cheruiyot also won Chicago in 2006, Milan in 2002 and was named the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series Champion. Kwambai, a past marathon winner in Brescia and Beijing, shadowed Cheruiyot until mile 25 last year before the champion surged for the win. Cherigat, who won a tactical race in 2004, has five starts in Boston and the experience to secure another title. Chasing the trio is a talented pack led by Patrick Ivuti of Kenya, the 2007 Chicago champion; Stephen Kiogora of Kenya, last year's third place finisher; Gashaw Asfaw of Ethiopia, the 2006 Paris winner and Abderrahime Bouramdane of Morocco, the 2007 runner up in Seoul and Ottawa. Added to the mix are Christopher Cheboiboch, the 2007 Las Vegas winner; William Kiplagat, the 2007 Lake Biwa runner-up and 2:07 marathoner Shadrack Kiplagat. All three runners are from Kenya. Young talent set for this world-class race includes 21-year-old Yirefu Birhanu of Ethiopia, the 2006 Baltimore winner and 23-year-old James Mwangi Macharia of Kenya, who finished second in Vienna in 2007 in his marathon debut. Also expected to make an impact are Abdelhadi El Mouaziz of Morocco, who won his debut last year in San Sebastian; James Koskei of Kenya, the 2007 Dallas winner, and four time European Cross-Country Champion Paulo Guerra of Portugal. Rounding out the men's field are Khalid El Boumlili of Morocco and Tariku Aboset, Kasime Adillo, Tesfaye Girma and Dejene Yirdaw, all of Ethiopia. <b>The Women's Field</b> On the women's side, with three champions in the field, a two-time runner-up, and a new generation of international talent, John Hancock's elite team is a strong mix of experienced runners and rising stars. Russian Lidiya Grigoryeva has the edge coming into the race as the defending champion. As a two-time Olympian at 10,000 meters she has the closing speed to win if the lead pack stays tight. She also set a course record at the 2006 Los Angeles Marathon and was champion at the 2005 Paris Marathon. Challenging Grigoryeva is 2006 Boston Champion Rita Jeptoo and 2002 Champion Margaret Okayo, both of Kenya. Jeptoo returns to improve upon her fourth place finish in last year's Nor'easter. Okayo holds the course record and the fastest time in the field at 2:20:43. Okayo is a two-time New York City and Rock 'n' Roll winner and past champion in London and Milan. Two-time runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, also has much to prove at this year's race. Although she bested both Grigoryeva and Jeptoo during her two New York City wins, she finished behind Grigoryeva last year in Boston and in 2006 finished second to Jeptoo. Challenging the leaders are talented newcomers Askale Tafa Magarsa and Dire Tune, both of Ethiopia. Magarsa is the 2007 Paris, 2007 Dubai and 2006 Milan champion, and Tune won in Hong Kong in 2006 and set course records in Houston in 2007 and 2008. Close on their heels and debuting on the Boston course are Ukrainian national record holder Tetyana Kuzina-Hladyr and 2007 Amsterdam winner Magdaline Chemjor of Kenya. Additional competition will come from returnees Alevtina Biktimirova of Russia, the winner of the 2007 Honolulu Marathon; Italian Olympian Bruna Genovese, a past winner of the Tokyo Women's Marathon, and 21-year-old Robe Tola Guta of Ethiopia, the 2006 Hamburg Marathon champion. 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 men's and women's race. A complete field list follows. <b>WOMEN'S OPEN FIELD</b> Name Country Personal Best Marathon Margaret Okayo Kenya 2:20:43 (Boston 2002) CR Jelena Prokopcuka Latvia 2:22:56 (Osaka 2005) NR Askale Tafa Magarsa Ethiopia 2:23:23 (Dubai 2008) Rita Jeptoo Kenya 2:23:38 (Boston 2006) Robe Tola Guta Ethiopia 2:24:35 (Hamburg 2006) CR Dire Tune Ethiopia 2:24:40 (Houston 2008) CR Lidiya Grigoryeva Russia 2:25:10 (Los Angeles 2006) CR Alevtina Biktimirova Russia 2:25:12 (Frankfurt 2005) CR Bruna Genovese Italy 2:25:28 (Boston 2006) Tetyana Kuzina-Hladyr Ukraine 2:25:44 (Rome 2006) NR Magdaline Chemjor Kenya 2:28:16 (Amsterdam 2007) <b>MEN'S OPEN FIELD</b> Name Country Personal Best Marathon William Kiplagat Kenya 2:06:50 (Amsterdam 1999) Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot Kenya 2:07:14 (Boston 2006) CR Patrick Ivuti Kenya 2:07:46 (Chicago 2005) Shadrack Kiplagat Kenya 2:07:53 (Amsterdam 2007) Gashaw Asfaw Ethiopia 2:08:03 (Paris 2006) Christopher Cheboiboch Kenya 2:08:17 (New York 2002) Abderrahime Bouramdane Morocco 2:08:20 (Seoul 2007) Yirefu Birhanu Ethiopia 2:09:01 (Seoul 2007) Stephen Kiogora Kenya 2:09:21 (Chicago 2004) Timothy Cherigat Kenya 2:09: 34 (San Sebastian 2002) CR James Kwambai Kenya 2:10:20 (Brescia 2006) Kasime Adillo Ethiopia 2:10:20 (Toronto 2007) James Mwangi Macharia Kenya 2:10:27 (Vienna 2007) Khalid El Boumlili Morocco 2:10:49 (Marrakesh 2004) Paulo Guerra Portugal 2:11:02 (Berlin 1998) Dejene Yirdaw Ethiopia 2:11:08 (Dublin 2007) Tariku Aboset Ethiopia 2:12:24 (Dubai 2008) Abdelhadi El Mouaziz Morocco 2:12:45 (San Sebastian 2007) Tesfaye Girma Ethiopia 2:13:37 (Addis Ababa 2003) James Koskei Kenya 2:14:02 (Dubai 2007) Wednesday, March 12, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=261 <b><i>Defending Champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot Aims To Be First Four-Time Winner From Kenya</i></b> <b><i>2007 Chicago Champion Patrick Ivuti And 2007 Boston Runner-Up James Kwambai Headline List Of Top International Challengers</i></b> BOSTON, MA, February 27, 2008-In its 23rd year as the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, John Hancock Financial announced their team of top male contenders for the 112th running of the race on April 21. Three-time Boston Champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot is set to defend his title against 2007 Chicago Champion Patrick Ivuti, 2007 Boston Runner-up James Kwambai and 15 other top international athletes. Cheruiyot, the course record holder and winner in 2003, 2006 and 2007, has added incentive to win as he will seek to become the first Kenyan to claim four Boston Marathon crowns. Cheruiyot also won Chicago in 2006, Milan in 2002 and was named the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series Champion last year. Leading this year's challenges is 2007 Chicago Marathon winner Patrick Ivuti of Kenya, who is determined to begin his own legacy on the Boston course. In one of the most exciting marathon finishes of all time, Ivuti won in Chicago last year by .05 of a second over two-time World Champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco. He also bested Cheruiyot in the pair's first head-to-head marathon, as Cheruiyot finished fourth after fading from the leaders in the oppressive heat. A two-time World Cross Country silver medalist, Ivuti also competed in the 10,000m at the Sydney Olympics where he finished fourth, less than a second out of the medals. Ivuti excelled in his 2005 marathon debut turning in a fast 2:07:46 in Chicago. In 2007 he won the Prague Half Marathon in a course record 1:01:00 and in Rotterdam improved his personal best to 59:27. John Hancock also announced the return of 2007 runner up James Kwambai, who showed his potential by challenging Cheruiyot until the final mile last year. Kwambai debuted in 2006, winning his first two marathons in Brescia and Beijing. With experience on the course now and respect for Cheruiyot's racing strategy, Kwambai is determined to win this year. "Since I was young, I have worked hard to be a good athlete, and I hope to be able to realize this dream by making a good result in the Boston Marathon," he said. Additional top contenders on the John Hancock Elite Team include last year's third place finisher Stephen Kiogora of Kenya and Gashaw Asfaw of Ethiopia, the 2006 Paris winner and 2007 Paris and Mumbai runner up. Also at the start will be Abderrahime Bouramdane of Morocco, the 2007 runner up in Seoul and Ottawa and past winner of Tunis, Marrakesh and Ottawa, and William Kiplagat of Kenya, who was runner up in Lake Biwa in 2007 and past winner in Seoul and Rotterdam. Other athletes of note include Shadrack Kiplagat of Kenya, a 2:07 marathoner, and Christopher Cheboiboch, a past Boston and New York City runner up and 2007 Las Vegas winner. Young talent set for this world class race includes 21-year-old Yirefu Birhanu of Ethiopia, who won Baltimore in 2006 and finished third in Seoul in 2007, and 23-year-old James Mwangi Macharia of Kenya, who finished second in Vienna in 2007 in his marathon debut. These top athletes will join the complete John Hancock Elite Team, which will be announced in March. Wednesday, February 27, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=260 <b><i>Defending Champion Lidiya Grigoryeva is set to compete against 2006 Boston Champion Rita Jeptoo, Two-time Runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka, and New International Talent</i></b> BOSTON, MA, February 13, 2008-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. Russian Lidiya Grigoryeva has the edge coming into the race as the defending champion. "Winning Boston last year is my proudest accomplishment," says Grigoryeva. "The weather was terrible, but I was very happy to have won." Grigoryeva is a two-time Olympian at 10,000 meters and hopes to compete in the marathon at the 2008 Olympics. She also earned a course record win at the 2006 Los Angeles Marathon and was champion at the 2005 Paris Marathon. John Hancock also announced they have signed 2006 Boston Champion Rita Jeptoo of Kenya, who returns to challenge for another title. Jeptoo says, "The Boston field is always one of the top ones, and this being an Olympic year means that all the top women in the major marathons need to perform well to be selected for their Olympic teams." Jeptoo is also a past Milan Marathon and Stockholm Marathon winner. Two-time runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka, the national record holder of Latvia, has much to prove at this year's race. Although she has bested both Grigoryeva and Jeptoo during her two New York City wins, she finished behind Grigoryeva last year at Boston and in 2006 finished second to Jeptoo by 10 seconds, the closest 1-2 women's finish in Boston history. A three-time Olympian, Prokopcuka holds additional national records on the road and track and was the second place finisher in the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series. Challenging the trio are talented newcomers Askale Tafa Magarsa and Dire Tune, both of Ethiopia. Magarsa, only 23 years old, is the champion of the 2007 Paris and 2007 Dubai Marathons and the 2006 Milan Marathon. With a personal best of 2:23:23, she will be a strong contender, as will Tune, a 22-year old, who is a two-time winner and course record holder of the Houston Marathon (2007 and 2008) and champion of the 2006 Hong Kong Marathon. Also debuting on the Boston course are Ukrainian national record holder Tetyana Kuzina-Hladyr, who in 2006 won in Rome and placed second in New York City, and 2007 Amsterdam Marathon winner and half marathon standout Magdaline Chemjor of Kenya. Additional competition will come from returnees Alevtina Biktimirova of Russia, the winner of the 2007 Honolulu Marathon; Italian Olympian Bruna Genovese, a past winner of the Tokyo Women's Marathon, and 21-year old Robe Tola Guta of Ethiopia, the 2006 Hamburg Marathon Champion and course record holder. These top athletes will join the complete John Hancock elite team, which will be announced in March. Wednesday, February 13, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=259 <b><i>Former Arkansas Governor will be running his fifth marathon</i></b> BOSTON, Mass. - Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has officially entered the 2008 Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association announced today. As has been reported in the media, Huckabee has been training while on the campaign trail. He will join Team Hoyt, a local charity which strives to integrate the physically challenged into everyday life. Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father and son team that has completed 25 Boston Marathons, with Dick running and Rick in his wheelchair. In 2003, while serving as Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. As a result he began running and gradually lost 110 pounds. In 2005 he completed the Little Rock Marathon in 4:38:32, a performance which earned him the honor of USATF Athlete of the Week. Since then Huckabee has completed three additional marathons: the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon, the 2006 Little Rock Marathon, and the 2006 ING New York City Marathon. His personal best, coming in 2006 at Little Rock, is now 4 hours, 26 minutes, 05 seconds. Following stints as Lieutenant Governor (1993-1996) and Governor (1996-2007) of Arkansas, Huckabee entered the 2008 presidential race. Huckabee's campaign scored a victory in the Iowa Caucuses and placed third in both the New Hampshire and Michigan primaries, making the former governor is a strong contender for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. He was the runner-up in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary on Saturday, January 19. The 112th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 21, 2008, Patriots' Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The race follows a 26.2-mile point-to-point route from the town of Hopkinton, Mass., to Boston's Back Bay. The race begins at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, January 24, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=258 <b><i>Three-time Boston Winner and World Marathon Majors Champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot And 2007 Boston Winner Lidiya Grigoryeva Set To Defend Their Titles On April 21</i></b> BOSTON, MA, January 23, 2008-John Hancock Financial, in its 23rd year as principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, today announced the return of three-time champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya and women's winner Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia for the 112th running of the race on April 21. Cheruiyot, the winner in 2003, 2006 and 2007, will seek to become the first Kenyan to claim four Boston Marathon crowns. Winning this year also would put him in the company of only three men who have won four or more times, Canadian Gerard Cote and Americans Bill Rodgers and Clarence DeMar. "I'd like to thank John Hancock for inviting me back to defend my title," said Cheruiyot. "I have had much success on the Boston course because the more difficult and competitive a race is, the more I commit myself to do my best." Cheruiyot, who set a course record of 2:07:14 in Boston in 2006, then went on to win the Chicago Marathon in an unprecedented same-year double. He returned to a stormy Boston in 2007 to claim his third victory and secure the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series title and $500,000 prize. The series, now entering its second two-year cycle, brings together the best athletes in the world to compete in Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. Boston's 2007 women's champion, Lidiya Grigoryeva, found the tape first last year holding off the top three ranked women in the world: Deena Kastor, Jelena Prokopcuka and 2006 Boston Champion Rita Jeptoo. "Winning Boston was a career highlight for me," said Grigoryeva. "I am eager to compete again with the best runners in the world and thank John Hancock for the opportunity." Grigoryeva is a two-time Olympian at 10,000 meters and, in addition to her Boston success, she earned a course record win at the 2006 Los Angeles Marathon and was champion at the 2005 Paris Marathon. "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. "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." "John Hancock Financial is closing in on a quarter century of bringing the world's top runners like Robert and Lidiya back to the race year after year, ensuring that the Boston Marathon remains one of the world's premier road races," said John D. DesPrez III, President and Chief Executive Officer of John Hancock Financial. "We are very pleased to celebrate our 23rd year of fulfilling our promise to the city of Boston and surrounding communities to support this great race. Not only is it an annual sign that spring has arrived here, but the Boston Marathon also provides a tremendous positive annual economic effect on the region, generating a direct and indirect economic impact of an estimated $95 million. John Hancock is proud of its long history of supporting the Boston Marathon." Wednesday, January 23, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=257 Boston, Mass. - Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France champion, has entered the 2008 Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association announced today. Armstrong qualified for the Boston Marathon with a 2:46:43 finish at the 2007 ING New York City Marathon. The Boston Marathon qualifying time for Armstrong's 35-39-year-old age group is 3 hours, 15 minutes. Armstrong won the 1993 World Cycling Championship as well as multiple stages of the Tour de France before being diagnosed with an aggressive form of testicular cancer in 1996. Though the cancer spread to his lungs and brain, Armstrong recovered to win seven consecutive Tour de France titles (1999-2005). Following his retirement from professional cycling, Armstrong competed in the 2006 ING New York City Marathon, completing the race in 2:59:36. He returned to New York City a year later, improving his time to 2:46:43. In Boston, Armstrong will be raising money for the 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. The 112th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 21, 2008, Patriots' Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The race follows a 26.2-mile point-to-point route from the town of Hopkinton, Mass., to Boston's Back Bay. The race begins at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, January 17, 2008 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=256 Looking back as we prepare to celebrate the holidays and close out the year, 2007 was indeed memorable for all of us. We managed and staged a trying -- yet very successful -- 2007 Boston Marathon, navigating the Spring nor'easter of Patriots' Day weekend, further highlighted by our playing host to the USA Women's Marathon Championship. Our marathon was a prelude to a newsworthy year which also featured our colleagues at Chicago (unusually warm conditions) and New York (great marathon weekend dampened by the very unfortunate passing of Ryan Shay during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon). Also, we witnessed the exciting culmination of our first World Marathon Majors Series, and the awarding of Champion titles to Robert Cheruiyot and Gete Wami. As we look towards the Olympic year of 2008, our big weekend will be even more exciting as we prepare to play host to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon on Sunday, April 20. The next day, we will welcome 25,000 runners to the 112th Boston Marathon, allowing this coming year's Patriots' Day weekend to rival the historic Centennial Boston Marathon weekend a dozen years ago. The John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo and runners' Number/Packet Pick-up will again be at The Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center and will feature one additional full day (to include Friday) in anticipation of the large number of participants and tourists who are coming to Boston. True to the mission of the B.A.A., I am confident we will host a memorable series of events that will please both runners and visitors alike, and we are particularly proud of our role in sending America's marathon team to the Beijing Olympics next summer. Further, we are fortunate to be in the midst of an unprecedented time of sports popularity in Boston, as it seems that winning has become contagious among the professional New England teams, especially the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and Boston Celtics. On a different level, the Boston Athletic Association plays an equally prominent role in encouraging and maintaining the active lifestyle of our citizens, and we celebrate all of those who train and qualify for our marathon. We are equally proud that our successful charity programs and active support will help to raise in excess of $10 million this calendar year alone. Additionally, our year-round programming for youths, community fitness initiatives, and our Running Club are all examples of the B.A.A.'s 365-day approach to positive change and a fuller life for all. Clearly, we are fortunate to work and reside in the Boston area. On another, more personal level, this is even more evident to me as I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, as some of you are aware. After that surprise and several weeks of research and second opinions, I have now begun my own marathon of sorts, an aggressive six month treatment protocol under the direction of The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital. I am confident in the future, as I believe there are no finer doctors and nurses anywhere than right here in our backyard. As such, I look forward to sharing the excitement this year presents and to the unwavering support always shown me and our great annual running tradition known to many around the world simply as "Boston." I know the entire team at the B.A.A. stands ready and eager to begin the 2008 celebration, and I sincerely wish you and yours a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season. Guy Morse Executive Director Boston Athletic Association Thursday, December 20, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=255 Team USA Minnesota founder and president Pat Goodwin was named USA Track and Field's Women's Long Distance Running "Contributor of the Year" at the organization's annual convention in Honolulu, Hawaii last week. Goodwin (pictured) became the 31st recipient of the Marja Bakker Award whose honorees have included such well-known names in women's distance running as Nina Kuscik, Doris Brown Heritage, Dr. Joan Ullyot, and Francie Larrieu Smith. Goodwin is the second Minnesotan to win the award; LeeAnn Meyer was the 1993 recipient. Mickey Piscitelli, USATF's Women's LDR awards coordinator and the person who nominated Goodwin for the award, said the following at the awards' ceremony: "The ongoing successes realized by the members of Team USA Minnesota can be attributed in part to a person who volunteers her time as a marketing and promotion specialist. Pat Goodwin's labor of love is to bring local resources together to dramatically improve post-collegiate American distance running and develop future Olympians. I attended the Long Distance Running "Meet Team USA " session yesterday in which Team USA Minnesota athlete and Olympic Trails qualifier Matt Gabrielson spoke about his experiences with the group. He emphasized Pat Goodwin's role in the establishment and success of their training center." Saturday, December 01, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=254 New York, NY (October 29, 2007): Runner's World magazine, the worldwide authority on running information and published by Rodale, is proud to announce its fourth annual Heroes of Running, featured in the December 2007 issue on newsstands October 30. The honored runners have gone above and beyond, defying expectations, breaking barriers and leading future generations of runners. DSME Sports, Inc. founder, Dave McGillivray, will be among those honored this year. McGillivray faced one of his career's greatest challenges in 2007 when a nor'easter threatened to cancel the Boston Marathon for the first time in the event's 111-year history. The North Andover, Massachusetts native worked diligently to take care of more than 20,000 runners and thousands of volunteers and officials to ensure the world's oldest marathon would survive the storm. Dave McGillivray lives by two simple rules: Plan for everything and stay positive. Yet McGillivray's life is anything but simple: He's an endurance-running machine, a tireless philanthropist, and the best race director the world has ever seen. For more than two decades DMSE Sports has produced or consulted on more than 750 events worldwide, directing some of the most technically challenging and high-profile road races and charitable sporting events in the nation. DMSE also sponsors the Children's Fitness Foundation, which supports nonprofit organizations whose efforts address the epidemic of childhood obesity through youth fitness and medical research programs. "Each of these Heroes is living proof that running has the capacity to transform our minds and spirits, and the ability to improve the lives of others," said Runner's World Editor-in-Chief David Willey, who initiated the Heroes of Running in 2004. "Running is more than a trim physique or a finisher's medal; it brings people and communities together, allows for positive change and reflects the amazing feats people are capable of when faced with a challenge." Runner's World's 2007 Heroes of Running also include: *Runner's World Lifetime Achievement Honoree 88-year-old Ted Corbitt is often referred to as the father of long distance running. Among his many contributions to running over the past several decades, Corbitt ran in the 1952 Olympics, was named the first president of the New York Road Runners Club in 1958 and established the calibrated bicycle measurement as the course-certification standard. *Martin Franklin, CEO of Jarden Corporation, who not only finished the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon in California's Death Valley, perhaps the toughest footrace in the world, but he also raised money doing it. On top of his own $135,000 contribution he collected pledges of $300,000 that would go to the Wounded Warrior Project, the largest single donation ever received by the nonprofit organization. *The Blue Planet Runners, ran 15,200 miles, across 16 countries and 4 continents, in 95 24-hour days to raise awareness of the lack of safe drinking water. *Twenty-four-year-old Ryan Hall smashed the 21-year-old half-marathon record in America by 72 seconds and averaged 4:33 a mile. Hall also had the fastest American debut and the second fastest American time ever at the London Marathon in April 2007, where he ran a 2:08:24. *Runner's World's first-ever Reader's Choice Hero recipient Amy Palmiero-Winters proves that anything she ever did on two legs can be done on one-and faster. Crushing the world record for female amputees by 49 minutes and her personal best from 13 years ago, which she achieved prior to losing her left leg, Amy is the ultimate powerhouse. *Alan Webb of Reston, Virginia, who at 18 broke the 36-year-old high-school mile record and who, in 2007, broke the American record in the mile to become the eighth-fastest man in history. *When Nancy Brinker lost her sister to breast cancer, she started the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and organized a charity run. Today, there are 120 Race for the Cure events held annually, with 1.4 million participants, making it the largest fund-raising event for breast cancer in the world. *Former marathon world-record holder and the first African woman to win a major marathon, Tegla Loroupe, founded The Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation and is an established spokesman for peace and human rights. *At age 75, Sister Madonna Buder of Spokane, Washington, is the oldest woman to finish the Kona Ironman World Championship, in 2005 and 2006. *Since 1991, devoted husband Jamie Parks has pushed his wife Lynn Parks in her wheelchair in more than 170 road races. Covering over 13,000 miles together, they even finished a half marathon after one of the wheels on Lynn's chair fell off. In recognition of their commitment and contribution to the sport of running, Runner's World will host a gala event honoring the 2007 Heroes of Running on Saturday, November 3rd in New York City. About Runner's World: Recognized as the worldwide authority on running information, the mission of Rodale's Runner's World is to inform, advise, and motivate runners of all ages and abilities. Runner's World aims to help runners achieve their personal health, fitness, and performance goals, and to inspire them with vivid, memorable storytelling. Currently Runner's World publishes nine international editions in 11 countries. Runner's World's companion Web site, www.runnersworld.com, is the largest running community on the Internet, featuring interactive, searchable, and targeted content for runners of all ages and abilities. Wednesday, November 07, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=253 <i>The Ethiopian's runner-up finish at the ING New York City Marathon secures her the title.</i> Champions to be honoured on Monday, November 5 at Champions' Luncheon in Central Park. NEW YORK CITY - The final event of the first World Marathon Majors Series concluded in dramatic fashion today when Gete Wami, of Ethiopia, completed a spectacular fall double by winning the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON on September 30 and placing runner-up behind Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain in today's ING New York City Marathon. Conventional thinking suggested that racing and placing in two of the world's major marathons within 35 days is an undertaking of daunting proportions, but the title of World Marathon Majors champion proved to be the overriding and motivating factor for the three-time Olympic medallist Wami. With her 15 points and runner-up finish, Wami (2:23:32) secured her place in marathon history by becoming the first World Marathon Majors champion. Wami wound up with 80 points, beating Jelena Prokopcuka by 15 points. Prokopcuka, the two-time defending ING New York City Marathon champion, was third in Sunday's 38th Running of the ING New York City Marathon with a time of 2:26:13. "I'm so happy to be the first World Marathon Majors winner," said the 32-year-old Wami. "I came to New York to win the jackpot, and I did it. The race felt good and I'm happy." Running in her first marathon in more than two years, Radcliffe returned to her previous form prior to the birth of her first child in January 2007. The Englishwoman employed a relentless pace from the beginning and imposed a ruthless and extended finishing kick, finishing in 2:23:09. Radcliffe, the world record holder at the distance, is undefeated in every marathon she has finished. Nearly two years have passed since organizers of the Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City marathons announced the formation of the World Marathon Majors (WMM), and 11 events, including the IAAF World Championships, have been run since the WMM Series was launched at the 2006 Boston Marathon. Both champions will be presented with their share of the $1 million (USD) jackpot at a special luncheon on November 5, with each awarded a check for $500,000 (USD). A win in New York would have clinched the title for either Wami or Prokopcuka, while the men's title had already been secured by Kenya's Robert K. Cheruiyot. Two Boston Marathon victories in 2006 and 2007 and his 2006 The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon title gave Cheruiyot an insurmountable lead with still six months remaining in the first Series, but his fourth place at the 2007 The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon gave Cheruiyot a total of 80 points. Both World Marathon Majors champions scored the same number of points over the series. The World Marathon Majors Series scores as follows: 25 points for first place, 15 points for second place, 10 points for third place, five points for fourth place, and one point for fifth place. A runner's best four races over the two years count towards scoring. The 2007 Flora London Marathon came down to a sprint finish between eventual champion Martin Lel and Abderrahim Goumri, MAR, who placed second. Similarly, Lel, of Kenya, put 12 seconds between himself and the Moroccan in the final mile to win the men's race at the ING New York City Marathon. Lel won Sunday's race in 2:09:04 and now has four individual titles at World Marathon Majors events to his credit (London: 2005, 2007; New York: 2003, 2007). For the final World Marathon Majors 2006-2007 leaderboards, please go to: http://www.worldmarathonmajors.com/downloads/2006-07_Leader_Men.pdf http://www.worldmarathonmajors.com/downloads/2006-07_Leader_Women.pdf For the 2007-2008 World Marathon Majors Series leaderboards, please go to: http://www.worldmarathonmajors.com/UK/index.php?nid=178 http://www.worldmarathonmajors.com/UK/index.php?nid=179 For more information on the World Marathon Majors, please go to: http://www.worldmarathonmajors.com Sunday, November 04, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=252 Boston, Mass. - 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. "The opportunity for the Boston Marathon to be the setting for NOVA was one the Boston Athletic Association heartily embraced," said Guy Morse, Executive Director of the B.A.A. "NOVA is synonymous with excellence in programming and education, and we know that 'Marathon Challenge' will inspire viewers to consider their own health and fitness. We would expect many of the show's viewers to establish participating in the Boston Marathon as their ultimate goal. The educational component, which is at the core of every NOVA project, combined with the potential audience we will reach meant the B.A.A. was prepared to grant access which was previously without precedent within our race." NOVA is the highest rated science series on television and the most watched documentary series on public television. NOVA has won every major television award since it was first broadcast 30 years ago. "Marathon Challenge" premiers on Tuesday, October 30 at 8:00 p.m. on WGBH in Boston, and will be rebroadcast frequently in the upcoming weeks. Check local listings for air times on PBS affiliate stations. Monday, October 29, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=251 18th Annual Mayor's Cup Cross Country Races, presented by adidas and the Boston Athletic Association Franklin Park, Boston Sunday, October 28, 2007 Ethiopians Girma Tola and Aziza Ayilu, representing Westchester (New York) Track Club win individual titles at Mayor's Cup Cross Country Races Boston Athletic Association wins men's team title; Riadha/Shoe for Africa claims women's title. BOSTON, Mass. - Blustery winds, blue skies, and temperatures in the lower 50s created the quintessential New England cross country backdrop for the 782 finishers in Sunday's Mayor's Cup Cross Country Races, presented by adidas and the Boston Athletic Association, and directed by USA Track & Field (New England Association) and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department in conjunction with Boston Centers for Youth and Families. Westchester (New York) Track Club repeated its feat from last year, sending both the male and female champions to the winner's circle, and Aziza Ayilu - an Ethiopian residing in the Bronx - became the first female to win back-to-back since the legendary Lynn Jennings successfully defended her title in 1994-'95. Ayilu, 22, ran 16:37 in the women's championship 5-kilometer race, beating Julie Culley, of Arlington, Virginia, by six seconds. Culley, 26, and formerly of Rutgers University improved from her eighth place finish at the 2006 Mayor's Cup. Serena Ramsey was third in 16:50. With her second Mayor's Cup title, Ayilu joins Jennings and Kathy Franey as the only women to have notched two victories in the event's 18 years. Four men have won the Mayor's Cup twice: Keith Kelly (2002-'03); Francis Kirwa (1998, 2000); Silah Misoi (1996-'97); and Brad Schlapak (1992-'93). RIADHA/S4A won the women's competition by the score of 35 to 46 over the Nike Central Park Track Club. Greater Boston Track Club (GBTC) was the first local club (third place; 70 points). Riadha (ree-ah-thah), Swahili for athletics, which in East Africa translates to Track and Field plus non-track running, is a self-funded athlete based philanthropic organization focused on improving human health worldwide, which also supports developing track and field athletes. Riadha merged with Shoe for Africa (S4A) and the club is now referred to as Riadha/Shoe for Africa. Girma Tola, 32, also Ethiopian and who has been living in the Bronx, New York for approximately two months, won the men's 8-kilometer race (180 finishers), with a time of 23:18, three seconds faster than runner-up Jorge Torres, 27, of Reebok and Boulder, Colorado. Massachusetts was represented on the awards platform in the person of Sean Quigley, 22, who is in a collegiate "red shirt" year at LaSalle University (Penn.), but who made his name as a scholastic standout at Franklin Park when he wore the local colors of Archbishop Williams several years ago. Quigley's time was 23:24, while fourth place Dylan Wykes (23:41), of the host Boston Athletic Association, led the B.A.A. to the team victory. Genesee Valley Harriers (91 points) and Westchester Track Club (100 points) were the second and third place men's teams. Defending champion Stephen Chemlany (KEN) was 14th place and and 2005 champ Jarrod Shoemaker (Sudbury, MA) was ninth. Shoemaker was recently named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic triathlon team. The 10-year old meet records by Franey (Women's 5K; 16:22 in 1997) and Misoi (Men's 8K; 22:53 in 1997) went unchallenged for yet another year. Another former Mayor's Cup champion - U.S. Olympian Kate O'Neill - served as the starter of the women's race and was an all-around celebrity as she distributed the awards to the top placers from the youth races. O'Neill, the 2003 Mayor's Cup champion and who is from Milton, Mass., was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team (10,000m), and was in town to tour the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon course in Boston and Cambridge. She qualified for that event three weeks ago at The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon where she placed third with a time of 2:36:15. The Mayor's Cup is composed of five races: girls' and boys' 1.1-mile races, the open Franklin Park 5K, the women's Championship 5K and the men's Championship 8K. Winners of the other Mayor's Cup races were: Brett Baker (Boys 1.1 mile) - 5:40; Laura Williamson (Girls 1.1 mile) - 6:21; Eric Khatchadourian (men, Franklin Park 5K - 16:02); and Jennifer Rapaport (women, Franklin Park 5K - 19:30). A portion of the proceeds from the Mayor's Cup Cross Country Races are directed back to the park for the maintenance of the cross country facility. Past Mayor's Cup Champions Year Men (club representing); Women (club representing) 2007 Girma Tola (Westchester TC); Aziza Aliyli (Westchester TC) 2006 Stephen Chemlany (Westchester TC); Aziza Aliyli (Westchester TC) 2005 Jarrod Shoemaker (B.A.A.); Kim Smith (Reebok) 2004 Mark Carroll (adidas); Atalelech Keteme (Westchester TC) 2003 Keith Kelly (New Balance); Kate O'Neill (Nike) 2002 Keith Kelly (New Balance); Kristin Chisum (New Balance) 2001 Sandu Rebencuic (U.S. Army); Priscilla Hein (Indiana Invaders) 2000 Francis Kirwa (Life University); Sarah Dupre (B.A.A.) 1999 Sammy Nyamongo (Life University); Christine Junkermann (adidas) 1998 Francis Kirwa (Life University); Lesley Lehane (B.A.A.) 1997 Silah Misoi (Life University); Kathy Franey (Nike International) 1996 Silah Misoi (Life University); Kate Fonshell (ASICS) 1995 Seamus McElligott (ASICS); Lynn Jennings (Nike International) 1994 Abidi Bouazza (Westchester TC); Lynn Jennings (Nike International) 1993 Brad Schlapak (NYAC); Carmen Troncoso (Nike Texas) 1992 Brad Schlapak (NYAC); Kathy Franey (Reebok Racing) 1991 Andy Ball (Nike Running Room); Gwyn Coogan (Nike Boston) 1990 Michael Baugh (HFC Striders); Michelle DiMuro (Reebok Racing) For complete results, please go to the Coolrunning result page: http://www.coolrunning.com/cgi-bin/res_load/recent_results.cgi For additional event information, please contact: Steve Vaitones, meet director USATF-NE, at 617-566-7600. Office@usatfne.org Michael Pieroni, athlete information (B.A.A.) at 617-236-1652 ext. 2631. Pieroni@baa.org Jack Fleming, media information (B.A.A.) at 617-236-1652 ext. 2627. Fleming@baa.org # # # Sunday, October 28, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=250 <i>Past Champions Highlight Elite Field</i> BOSTON, MA - Nearly 800 runners took part in last year's Mayor's Cup Cross Country Races at Franklin Park in Boston, making 2006 one of the most successful editions of the event yet. With the cross country season in full swing across the country, the 2007 Mayor's Cup on Sunday, October 28 is positioned for another exciting day of races for men, women and children. The event is presented by the Boston Athletic Association and adidas, and directed by USATF-New England and the Boston Centers for Youth & Families. The Mayor's Cup is composed of five races: girls' and boys' 1.1-mile races will begin the day, the open Franklin Park 5K will follow, and then the day culminates with the Women's Championship 5K and Men's Championship 8K. Two past champions are entered in the men's field: defending champion Stephen Chemlany (KEN) and 2005 champ Jarrod Shoemaker (Sudbury, MA). Chemlany defeated one of the deepest fields in Mayor's Cup history last year, finishing the 8K course in 23:32, and leading eight men under 24 minutes. Shoemaker ran just four seconds slower than his winning time from 2005, yet placed well behind the leaders in 15th. Shoemaker was recently named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic triathlon team. Looking to challenge Chemlany and Shoemaker will be Jorge Torres (Boulder, CO), making his Mayor's Cup debut. Torres, one of the top young distance runners in the United States, has a near-perfect cross country resume. Torres was three-time Illinois state champion and 1999 national champion in high school. At the University of Colorado he placed in the top three at the NCAA Cross Country Championships three times, winning the national championship in 2002. Since graduating he has been a consistent top-five finisher in the USA Cross Country Championships, and placed 13th in the world at the 4K distance in 2006. Defending women's champion Aziza Aliyli (ETH) returns Sunday looking to make it back-to-back Mayor's Cup victories. In 2006 she edged Amy Mortimer by two seconds, and beat out a women's field in which the top four finished within nine seconds, and the top seven within 17 seconds. This year Aliyli will have to fend off two former NCAA stars. Maureen McCandless (Syracuse, NY) placed fifth for Pittsburgh at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2004, while Anne Shadle (Fairfax, VA) was in NCAA Indoor mile champion in 2005 for Nebraska. Serving as the honorary starter of the Women's Championship 5K will be 2003 Mayor's Cup champion Kate O'Neill. The Milton, MA, native, was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team (10,000m), and is in town to tour the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon course in Boston and Cambridge. She qualified for that event three weeks ago at The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon where she placed third with a time of 2:36:15. The Mayor's Cup Cross Country Races are open to the public, and race-day registration is available until the start of the races. Proceeds from the event are used to maintain Franklin Park. Sunday's schedule of events: 10:10 a.m. Girls 1.1-mile 10:30 a.m. Boys 1.1-mile 10:50 a.m. Franklin Park 5K 11:30 a.m. Women's Championship 5K Noon Men's Championship 5K Past Mayor's Cup Champions Year Men Women 2006 Stephen Chemlany (Westchester TC) Aziza Aliyli (Westchester TC) 2005 Jarrod Shoemaker (B.A.A.) Kim Smith (Reebok) 2004 Mark Carroll (adidas) Atalelech Keteme (Westchester TC) 2003 Keith Kelly (New Balance) Kate O'Neill (Nike) 2002 Keith Kelly (New Balance) Kristin Chisum (New Balance) 2001 Sandu Rebencuic (U.S. Army) Priscilla Hein (Indiana Invaders) 2000 Francis Kirwa (Life University) Sarah Dupre (B.A.A.) 1999 Sammy Nyamongo (Life University) Christine Junkermann (adidas) 1998 Francis Kirwa (Life University) Lesley Lehane (B.A.A.) 1997 Silah Misoi (Life University) Kathy Franey (Nike International) 1996 Silah Misoi (Life University) Kate Fonshell (ASICS) 1995 Seamus McElligott (ASICS) Lynn Jennings (Nike International) 1994 Abidi Bouazza (Westchester TC) Lynn Jennings (Nike International) 1993 Brad Schlapak (NYAC) Carmen Troncoso (Nike Texas) 1992 Brad Schlapak (NYAC) Kathy Franey (Reebok Racing) 1991 Andy Ball (Nike Running Room) Gwyn Coogan (Nike Boston) 1990 Michael Baugh (HFC Striders) Michelle DiMuro (Reebok Racing) Friday, October 26, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=249 <i>Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center</i> <b>Conducted and Organized by:</b> Boston Centers for Youth and Families Boston Athletic Association Boston Public Schools Athletic Department <b>Sponsored by:</b> adidas <b>Boys Teams Scoring: Top 3 performers from each team (1200 meters)</b> 1. Timilty 2:57.0 2. Rogers 3:16.3 3. Orchard Gardens 3:22.3 4. Young Achievers 3:24.1 5. Tobin 3:28.4 6. Mildred Ave 3:30.1 7. Cleveland 3:30.2 8. Dearborn 3:36.1 9. McKay 3:37.5 10. Wilson 3:38.3 11. Greenwood 3:52.7 12. Curley 3:53.0 13. King 4:01.6 14. Lewis 4:17.7 15. McCormack 5:11.0 <b>Boys Individual 400 meters</b> 1. Timothy Timson Timilty 0:58.5 2. Damian Hyman Timilty 0:58.9 3. Edmar Correia Timilty 0:59.6 4. Elijah Smith Rogers 1:03.6 5. Kevin Owens Young Achievers 1:04.1 6. Jamal Simon Orchard Garden 1:04.7 7. Cesar Escobar Rogers 1:05.1 8. Kijama Beckles Rogers 1:07.6 9. Michael Belfiori Cleveland 1:08.0 10. Anthony Pimock Mildred Ave 1:08.2 <b>Girls Teams Scoring: Top 3 performers from each team (1200 meters)</b> 1. Timilty 3:40.2 2. Rogers 4:02.3 3. Orchard Gardens 4:03.1 4. Greenwood 4:06.8 5. McKay 4:07.2 6. Mildred Ave 4:07.9 7. Cleveland 4:09.9 8. Young Achievers 4:15.7 9. Curley 4:17.4 10. Tobin 4:17.9 11. King 4:18.4 12. Wilson 4:47.1 13. McCormack 4:48.0 14. Dearborn 5:08.6 15. Lewis 5:19.4 <b>Girls Individual 400 meters</b> 1. Edna Crisanto Timilty 1:12.2 2. Carianna Williams Tobin 1:13.8 3. Tanasha Ward Timilty 1:13.9 4. Kilona Thomas Timilty 1:14.2 5. Fredera Lawson Orchard Garden 1:15.9 6. Cassandra Dyer Orchard Garden 1:17.1 7. Wleesaymah Hankerson Greenwood 1:17.4 8. Ashley Lopez Mildred Ave 1:18.4 9. Nicole Palmisano McKay 1:18.5 10. Patricia Pimentel Cleveland 1:18.7 <b>Co-ed Relay 4 x 200 meters, Boy-Girl-Boy-Girl</b> 1. Timilty 1:59.5 2. Rogers 2:02.7 3. Mildred Ave 2:05.4 4. Tobin 2:05.8 5. Orchard Gardens 2:05.9 6. Greenwood 2:06.5 7. Cleveland 2:06.9 8. Wilson 2:07.1 9. Curley 2:07.2 10. Young Achievers 2:07.9 11. Dearborn 2:08.3 12. McKay 2:08.9 13. Lewis 2:13.1 14. King 2:26.4 15. McCormack 2:35.5 <b>Participating Schools - 15 schools, 405 individual participants</b> Cleveland Middle School Janice McDonough / Ray Butler Curley Middle School Adriece Dancy / Joe Robinson Dearborn Middle School Michael Baugh Greenwood Middle School Drew Hughes-Brock King Middle School Syd Queripel Lewis Middle School Brian Buckley McCormack Middle School Dawn Harris McKay School Tom Levett Mildred Ave Middle School Kevin Gadson Orchard Gardens Carol East-Jose Rogers Middle School Lois Hartley Timilty Middle School Manny Fernandez Tobin Middle School Eddie Davis Wilson Middle School Mallory L. Chestnut Young Achievers Brandon Watson Wednesday, October 17, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=248 <i>3,591 finishers paced by Tom Nyariki's course record</i> Boston, Mass. - A record field of 3,591 runners completed the seventh annual B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund this morning. Unseasonably balmy weather greeted runners as they made their way to Roberto Clemente Field in the early morning hours, however cooler air blew in by race time, with the temperature sitting at a comfortable 68 degrees when the gun sounded at 8:00 a.m. The early aggressor in the strong men's field was former Providence College star Martin Fagan (IRL / Flagstaff, AZ), 24, in his half marathon debut. Fagan led the pack through the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7-mile points right on course-record pace. Then defending champion Samuel Ndereba (KEN / Norristown, PA), 30, and Tom Nyariki (KEN / Boulder, CO), 36, took over and quickly strung out the pack with a blazing 4:26 eighth mile. The final five miles were a two-man race, and Nyariki and Ndereba needed nearly every inch of that distance to decide the winner. As the two men sprinted down the final stretch to the finish at Clemente Field, Nyariki, a past medalist at the World Track & Field Championships, was able to pull ahead for a one-second victory. Both Nyariki (1:02:20) and Ndereba (1:02:21) finished well under the previous course record of 1:02:57 (Luke Metto, 2004). While the men had a pack of six in the early going, Edna Kiplagat (KEN), 27, and Caroline Chepkorir (KEN), 20, were alone in front of the women's race from the gun. The two matched strides out to the Franklin Park Zoo, reaching the turn-around together and heading back toward the finish. As in the men's race, the decisive move came in the eighth mile as Kiplagat began to ease away from her compatriot, gradually building a lead. Kiplagat broke the tape in 1:13:36, with Chepkorir following 28 seconds behind in 1:14:04, then Kathy Newberry (Williamsburg, VA), 29, rounding out the top three in 1:16:44. The top three entrants in the men's push rim wheelchair division each owned two previous B.A.A. Half Marathon titles. Timothy Kelly (Weymouth, MA), 40, won in 2001 and 2002, and has competed in all seven editions of the race. Tony Nogueira (Glen Ridge, NJ), 39, took the next two crowns, in 2003 and 2004. In the past two years, Mark Ledo (Maple, Ontario), 30, has taken the title. Emerging from the field to become the division's first three-time champion was Nogueira, who finished in 54:19, the second-fastest winning time in event history. Ledo was runner-up in 56:02, with Kelly third in 1:04:28. Jacqui Kapinowski (Pt. Pleasant, NJ), 44, won the women's push rim wheelchair division for the first time, finishing in 1:22:17. Three hundred and ten runners competed for the Dana-Farber Runners, adding to the more than $1.3 million raised by Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund at this event over the past five years. Full results of the B.A.A. Half Marathon will be available at www.baa.org. Sunday, October 07, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=247 <i>Past champions and newcomers vie for $30,000 purse</i> Boston, Mass. - For the seventh consecutive October thousands of runners will be racing through the streets of Boston and Brookline in the B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. The race is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 7 at Roberto Clemente Field in Boston's Back Bay Fens neighborhood. The route will take runners out to the Franklin Park Zoo, and back again, along Boston's Emerald Necklace park system. Leading the pack will be a field of elite men and women, competing for a total prize purse of $30,000. Defending champion Samuel Ndereba (KEN), 30, headlines a men's field that will be chasing Luke Metto's 3-year-old course record of 1:02:57. After placing second here in 2005, Ndereba seized control of the 2006 B.A.A. Half Marathon at the 11-mile mark. He crossed the finish line in 1:03:03, tying the fourth fastest time ever run on the course, and falling just short of a new course record. Ndereba made his marathon debut in Boston this past spring, placing ninth in 2:17:04. With that time, he and his sister, four-time Boston Marathon champion and former world-record holder (2:18:47) Catherine, set a unique record: they now own the fastest combined brother/sister marathon time in history at 4:35:51. Celedonio Rodriguez (Alamosa, CO), 26, the man who beat Ndereba two years ago, and placed fifth last year, will be looking to regain the top spot. Rodriguez took the entire elite field by surprise in 2005, seizing the lead in the first mile and never looking back en route to a 12-second win. Challenging the two past champions will be Richard Kiplagat (KEN), 26, runner-up in 2006. In his half marathon debut, Kiplagat was the only man who could keep pace with Ndereba. He ultimately finished just 12 seconds back, in 1:03:15, the seventh fastest time ever run on the course. Joining these B.A.A. Half Marathon veterans will be Tom Nyariki (KEN), 36, who boasts a 5,000m best of 12:55.94, won the 2006 New York City Half Marathon with a time of 1:01:22. Edna Kiplagat (KEN), 28, one of the year's hottest road racers, headlines the women's field. Kiplagat comes to Boston for the first time having already captured three major road racing titles in 2007, winning the Lilac Bloomsday 12K, Bay to Breakers 12K, and Bolder Boulder 10K earlier this year. Though she's a relative newcomer to the half marathon distance, Kiplagat already owns a personal best of 1:09:32. Kiplagat will be challenged by Volha Krautsova (BLR), 26, who ran a PR of 1:11:33 in Philadelphia just a few weeks ago, and 20-year-old Caroline Chepkorir (KEN). Chepkorir also ran a PR in Philadelphia, finishing in 1:13:07. The top U.S. entrants in the women's field will be three-time World Cross Country Championships competitor Kathy Newberry (Williamsburg, VA), 29, and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon qualifier Caroline Bjune (Andover, MA), 33. The top three men in last year's push rim wheelchair field will also be returning. In one of the fastest races in event history, Mark Ledo (CAN), 30, won in 56:48, and was followed by Tony Nogueira (Glen Ridge, NJ), 39, in 57:06, and Timothy Kelly (Weymouth, MA), 40, in 1:06:20. No man outside of this group has ever won the B.A.A. Half Marathon. Kelly won the first two editions in 2001 and 2002, Nogueira followed in 2003 and 2004 (setting a course record of 53:07 in the latter), and Ledo is now the two-time defending champion following his 2005 and 2006 victories. In the women's race, Jacqui Kapinowski (Pt. Pleasant, NJ), 44, will face off against Ellie O'Neill (Syracuse, NY), 22. ELITE FIELDS Top Men # Age Citizenship Hometown PR Samuel Ndereba 1 30 Kenya Eldoret, Kenya/Norristown, PA 1:01:50 Richard Kiplagat 2 26 Kenya Iten, Kenya/Boulder, CO 1:03:15 Tom Nyariki 3 36 Kenya Iten, Kenya/Boulder, CO 1:01:22 Linus Maiyo 4 24 Kenya Eldoret, Kenya/Norristown, PA 1:02:40 Celedonio Rodriguez 6 26 USA Alamosa, CO 1:04:09 Martin Fagan 7 24 Ireland Flagstaff, AZ debut Matt Thull 8 32 USA Milwaukee, WI 1:05:40 Chris Seaton 9 28 USA Raleigh, NC 1:06:22 Nate Jenkins 11 27 USA Lowell, MA 1:04:14 Nathan Wadsworth 13 25 USA Andover, KS 1:06:17 Robbie Wade 14 25 USA Chicago, IL 1:08:54 Charles Ngolepus 24 20 Kenya Easton, MD 1:01:07 Top Women # Age Citizenship Hometown PR Edna Kiplagat F1 28 Kenya Iten, Kenya/Boulder, CO 1:09:32 Volha Krautsova F2 26 Belarus Grodno, Belarus 1:11:33 Caroline Chepkorir F3 20 Kenya Kericho, Kenya/Norristown, PA 1:13:07 Kathy Newberry F4 29 USA Williamsburg, VA debut Caroline Bjune F6 33 USA Andover, MA 1:20:52 PRIZE MONEY Athletes in the elite, wheelchair, and masters division fields will be competing for a total of $30,000 in prize money, to be awarded equally to men and women. The complete prize purse is as follows: Place Overall Masters (40+) Wheelchair 1st $5,000 $500 $750 2nd $3,000 $300 $500 3rd $1,500 $100 $250 4th $1,000 5th $600 6th $500 7th $400 8th $300 9th $200 10th $100 PAST CHAMPIONS Men <i>2001 Wayne Levy (JAM/MA) 1:10:57</i> 2002 David Hinga (KEN/MA) 1:09:47 2003 Laban Kipkemboi (KEN) 1:03:04 2004 Luke Metto (KEN) 1:02:57 (course record) <i>2005 Celedonio Rodriguez (CO) 1:04:09 2006 Samuel Ndereba (KEN) 1:03:03</i> Women <i>2001 Sarah Nixon (MA) 1:21:16 2002 Sarah Nixon (MA) 1:22:34</i> 2003 Marie Davenport (IRL/CT) 1:10:57 (course record) 2004 Lornah Kiplagat (NED) 1:12:05 2005 Nataliya Berkut (UKR) 1:12:21 2006 Marie Davenport (IRL/CT) 1:12:10 Men's Wheelchair <i>2001 Tim Kelly (MA) 1:06:46 2002 Tim Kelly (MA) 1:06:51 2003 Tony Nogueira (NJ) 57:43 2004 Tony Nogueira (NJ) 53:07 (course record) 2005 Mark Ledo (CAN) 57:18 2006 Mark Ledo (CAN) 56:48</i> Women's Wheelchair 2001 Jane Raymond Hall (MA) 1:31:06 2002 Nanci Cahalane (MA) 1:30:13 2003 Laurie Stephens (MA) 1:10:43 2004 Laurie Stephens (MA) 1:09:44 (course record) 2005 April Coughlin (NY) 1:22:50 2006 April Coughlin (NY) 1:15:17 <i>*italics = entered in 2007 B.A.A. Half Marathon</i> Monday, October 01, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=246 <i>Seventh annual event, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, is scheduled for October 7.</i> Boston, Mass. - A record of more than 4,500 runners have signed up to run the seventh annual B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, on October 7. Among those entered to date are 58 individuals who will be looking to complete the race for the seventh consecutive year-every time the event has been run. The group of 58 range in age from 29 to 61, and consists of 42 men and 16 women. Most live in Massachusetts, but some are traveling from as far away as New Mexico and California to keep their streaks alive. Fifty-seven of them have run the course six times, while one has covered the route in his wheelchair each year. While many average between eight and ten minutes per mile as they cover the 13.1-mile course, this group is not without some fleet-of-foot. The first of these streakers to cross the finish line in 2006 was Bobby Bligh, 42 (Wakefield, MA). In his six B.A.A. Half Marathon performances, Bligh has averaged just over 1:16:00 per year, finishing last year in 1:15:06, good for 24th place overall in a field of 3,482 finishers (and fourth in the Masters division). The first woman across the line was Sarah Nixon, 42 (Medfield, MA) in 1:28:43. Over six years, Nixon has finished with an average time of 1:24:00, including back-to-back victories in the first two editions of the race. Nixon won the inaugural B.A.A. Half Marathon when she established a course record of 1:21:16 in 2001, then defended her title in 2002 with a time of 1:22:34. Nixon is not the only two-time champion on this list. Timothy Kelly, 40 (Weymouth, MA) won the first two B.A.A. Half Marathon wheelchair titles, and has consistently been a top finisher in that division, most recently placing third in 2006. Kelly boasts a best of 58:41 on the course, making him the fifth-fastest performer ever in this race. The oldest member of this group is far from the slowest: Hal Goforth, 61 (El Cajon, CA), finished in 1:33:54 last year, the first time he has failed to break 1:30:00 here. Goforth is also in the midst of another streak, having completed 30 consecutive Boston Marathons. Over three decades of uninterrupted finishes on Patriots' Day, Goforth has maintained an impressive sub-2:50:00 finishing time The B.A.A. Half Marathon starts and finishes at Roberto Clemente Field, in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. The 13.1-mile route shows off Boston's Emerald Necklace park system, starting in the Fenway area, and covering Riverway, Jamaicaway, and Arborway on the out-and-back route to Franklin Park and the Franklin Park Zoo. A portion of each participant's entry fee is donated to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and is directed toward the enhancement and maintenance of the park system. The athletes hoping to extend their streaks on October 7 are: <b>Men</b> Chris Anderson Jamaica Plain, MA Bobby Bligh Wakefield, MA Patrick Carrier Brookline, MA Bill Coffey Norwell, MA Peter Cohn South Walpole, MA John Degnan Jamaica Plain, MA Jack Dresser Wayland, MA David Driscoll Peabody, MA Jeffrey Ecker Newton, MA Andrew Fuller Brookline, MA Robert Gaudet West Roxbury, MA Hal Goforth, Jr. El Cajon, CA Michael Hamrock West Roxbury, MA Larry Hanson Georgetown, MA Philip Harrington Brookline, MA Eric Kelly Milton, MA Douglas King Abington, MA Michael Leonard Quincy, MA Eduardo Lopez Santa Fe, NM Mike Mason Peabody, MA Jonathan McIntyre Arlington, MA Bryan Mello Roslindale, MA Michael Mellone Cohasset, MA John Monahan, Jr. Newton, MA Mark Monti Cambridge, MA James Morse Weymouth, MA Michael Mullen Natick, MA Michael Murphy Saugus, MA Steve Murray Milton, MA Joseph Palladino Boston, MA Bob Pomeroy Arlington, MA Ronald Rakow West Roxbury, MA Michael Reardon Needham, MA Ken Ross Boston, MA John Singleton Waltham, MA Philip Smith Allentown, PA Jeff Teumer Brookline, MA Christopher Wagner Allston, MA Robert Walter Natick, MA John Wermers Dorchester, MA Michael Wessels Brookline, MA <b>Women</b> Beth Ann Brown Quincy, MA Judy Callahan Stoughton, MA Barbara Cleary Brookline, MA Barbara Connolly Wellesley, MA Maria David Malden, MA Donna Dominguez Sterling, MA Carolyn Harthun Wellesley, MA Amy Kiley Jamaica Plain, MA Kate Maul Wellesley, MA Patrycja Missiuro Somerville, MA Terri Murray Milton, MA Sheila Nee Westwood, MA Sarah Nixon Medfield, MA Mae Shoemaker Sudbury, MA Andrea Smeglin Pembroke, MA Cynthia Smithy Wellesley, MA <b>Men's Push Rim Wheelchair</b> Timothy Kelly Weymouth, MA For more information about the B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund, please visit www.baa.org or http://www.jimmyfund.org/eve/event/half-marathon/. Tuesday, September 25, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=245 <i>4,500 Runner Field Fills in Record Time</i> Boston, Mass. - The B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, scheduled for October 7, 2007 at 8 a.m., will feature the largest field in the event's seven-year history. The field, limited to 4,500 entrants, filled in a record three weeks. The race, which has quickly become a staple of the fall racing season, has regularly sold out since its inception in 2001 when 3,375 runners entered. The B.A.A. Half Marathon starts and finishes at Roberto Clemente Field, in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. The 13.1-mile route shows off Boston's Emerald Necklace park system, starting in the Fenway area, and covering Riverway, Jamaicaway, and Arborway on the out-and-back route to Franklin Park and the Franklin Park Zoo. A total of $30,000 in prize money will be awarded to the top overall, masters and wheelchair finishers. Past participants have included John Kagwe (two-time New York City Marathon champion), Timothy Cherigat (2004 Boston Marathon champion), Lornah Kiplagat (20K world record holder), Valentina Yegorova (Olympic marathon gold medalist), Jen Rhines (two-time U.S. Olympian), and Peter Gilmore (three-time top-10 finisher in the Boston Marathon). The course records are held by Luke Metto of Kenya (1:02:57 in 2004) and Marie Davenport of Ireland (1:10:57 in 2003). For the fifth consecutive year, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund are the presenting sponsors of the B.A.A. Half Marathon. Several hundred Dana-Farber Runners will be fundraising for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Additionally, a portion of the entry fees will be donated to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy to benefit the 1,000 acres of greenspace, waterways and parkways so important to our Commonwealth's quality of life and health of its citizens. Tuesday, September 11, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=244 <b><i>Prokopcuka and Cheruiyot Remain Atop Leaderboards after IAAF World Championships</i></b> With the conclusion of last week's IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Osaka, Japan, three races remain in the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series: the real,- Berlin Marathon on September 30; The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on October 7; and the ING New York City Marathon on November 4. Jelena Prokopcuka, of Latvia, leads the women's series with 55 points, followed by Gete Wami, of Ethiopia, and Zhou Chunxiu, of China, both of whom have 40 points. Chunxiu moved into a tie for second place in the standings with her runner-up performance at last Sunday's marathon in Osaka. Other top marathoners who can conceivably tie or win the 2006-2007 women's series are Rita Jeptoo and Catherine Ndereba, both of Kenya, and both with 35 points, and Berhane Adere, of Ethiopia, with 30 points. With the conclusion of the IAAF World Track & Field Championships, the fall World Marathon Majors races are expected to begin announcing their professional athlete fields, and the head-to-head match-ups which may decide the Series winner. Among the men, Robert Cheruiyot, of Kenya, has a seemingly insurmountable lead. Cheruiyot has won three races during the two year period, and he heads into the fall with 75 points (35 points ahead of his nearest threat). For Cheruiyot to be overtaken, one of the other marathoners among the top seven on the leaderboard likely would have to win two of the remaining fall marathons. Below Cheruiyot on the 2006-2007 leaderboard are: Martin Lel, of Kenya, with 40 points; Felix Limo, of Kenya, with 35 points; Stephen Kiogora, of Kenya, with 25 points; Haile Gebrselassie, of Ethiopia, with 25 points; Marilson Gomes dos Santos, of Brazil, with 25 points; and Luke Kibet, of Kenya, with 25 points. Over two year periods, the world's best marathoners compete against each other in five of the world's best marathons: the Boston Marathon, the Flora London Marathon, the real,- Berlin-Marathon, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon. In addition, the marathons at the IAAF World Track & Field Championships and Olympic Games count in the point totals during years when those events are contested. The World Marathon Majors awards points accordingly: 25 points for first place; 15 points for second place; 10 points for third place; 5 points for fourth place; and 1 point for fifth place. The two-year spans of the World Marathon Majors Series overlap, and while the inaugural series (2006-2007) will conclude this November, the next series (2007-2008) will be at its midway mark. The directors of the World Marathon Majors have chosen to have an overlapping series so that World Marathon Majors Series champions can be designated each year. The inaugural series champions - the winning male and female - each will be presented with a $500,000 USD check in New York City at the series conclusion and they will be recognized as the world's top marathoners during the period. Cheruiyot, Lel and Kibet lead the 2007-2008 leader board with 25 points, while Chunxiu - with her victory at this year's Flora London Marathon and second place at the World Championships - has 40 points and stands alone atop the women's series leaderboard. To view the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 men's and women's World Marathon Majors leader boards, go to: <a href="http://www.worldmarathonmajors.com"> www.worldmarathonmajors.com</a> Tuesday, September 04, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=243 <i>Six organizations added to B.A.A.'s Official Charity Program</i> Boston, Mass. - Online registration for the 112th Boston Marathon, scheduled for April 21, 2008, will begin at 9:00 a.m. eastern time on Wednesday, September 5. Held on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts holiday, Boston is the world's oldest annual marathon. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial Services. In coordination with the launch of registration for next year's race, the B.A.A. has announced that the maximum field size for 2008 has been set at 25,000 entrants. 23,869 runners entered the 2007 Boston Marathon. To qualify for the 112th Boston Marathon, runners must meet the designated time standard for their age group. Qualifying times must be run on or after September 23, 2006 at a certified marathon. Qualifying standards may be viewed at <a href="http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/Qualifying.asp">www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/Qualifying.asp</a>. Seeding of the race is based on qualifying times, which are subject to review and verification. In addition to online registration, runners may download a PDF application at <a href="http://www.baa.org">www.baa.org</a>, or request a hard-copy application by emailing registration@baa.org. Entries will be accepted until the maximum field size of 25,000 athletes has been reached. The 2008 Boston Marathon will once again feature a two-wave start, with Wave One beginning at 10:00 a.m., followed by Wave Two at 10:30 a.m. Adding to the festivities during Boston Marathon weekend this year will be the U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon, which will take place in downtown Boston and Cambridge on Sunday, April 20 at 8:00 a.m. The top three finishers in that event will represent the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. <b>B.A.A.'s Charity Program Expands</b> The official Charity Program for the B.A.A. recognizes a select group of charities each year, providing each with entries to be used for fundraising purposes. In 2007, the more than 1,200 runners who took part in the B.A.A.'s Official Charity Program raised more than $10 million, while John Hancock's Boston Marathon Fundraising Program raised an additional $3.3 million. The Boston Marathon Charity Program began in 1989 and has raised more than $70 million in 19 years. The B.A.A. recently selected six new charities to participate in the 2008 Boston Marathon, bringing the total in the program to 24. New members of the Boston Marathon Charity Program: • Boston Living Center • Boston Partners in Education • Bottom Line • The Esplanade Association • Home for Our Troops • The New England Center for Children, Inc. Returning organizations: • Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts Chapter • American Liver Foundation, New England Chapter • American Stroke Association-Tedy's Team • Casa Myrna Vazquez • Children's Hospital Boston • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute • Good Sports • Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, Inc. • Lazarus House Ministries • The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society • Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children • Melanoma Foundation New England • MetroLacrosse • Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center • Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc. • National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Central New England Chapter • National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Inc., Massachusetts Division • Read Boston Contact information and descriptions of each charity can be found on the B.A.A.'s Charity Program webpage at <a href="http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/Charity.asp">www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/Charity.asp</a>. Applications will become available tomorrow, and runners of all ability levels are encouraged to apply early. Tuesday, September 04, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=241 1954 Boston Marathon champion Veikko Karvonen passed away on August 1 in his hometown of Turku, Finland. He was 81. One of the most dominant marathoners of the 1950s, Karvonen won the 1954 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:20:39 and captured the bronze medal in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. Karvonen came close to winning the 1953 Boston Marathon, finishing just 28 seconds behind champion Keizo Yamada. He returned in 1954 where he caught world-record holder, and early leader, Jim Peters in the closing miles and went on to win by more than two minutes. He finished second again in 1957, running 2:23:54, finishing behind John J. Kelley. Among Karvonen's many other accomplishments were: • 5th in the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki • 1954 European Marathon champion • 1955 Fukuoka Marathon champion • 14 victories in 34 career marathons <a href=http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=40123.html>Click here for Karvonen's IAAF obituary.</a> Friday, August 03, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=240 <b><i>Seventh Annual Event Scheduled for October 7, 2007</i></b> Boston, Mass. - Registration for the seventh annual B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund will open on Wednesday, July 18 at 9:00 a.m. This year's race will be held on Sunday, October 7, 2007 (Columbus Day weekend) and begins at 8:00 a.m. Athletes may register online or download a PDF of the application at www.baa.org. The registration fee is $45 and the field will be limited to 4,500 runners. The event has grown quickly since its inception in 2001, reaching its field size limit in each of the past six years, with last year's 4,500-runner field filling in just a few weeks. An elite field of professional runners vying for a share of the $30,000 prize purse and a full slate of age group awards have helped make the B.A.A. Half Marathon one of the most attractive events on any runner's fall schedule. Past champions have included Marie Davenport, Lornah Kiplagat and Samuel Ndereba, while numerous Olympians and road racing stars such as Jen Rhines, Valentina Yegorova, John Kagwe, Timothy Cherigat, and Mark Carroll have also participated. The B.A.A. Half Marathon course starts and finishes at Roberto Clemente Field in Boston's Back Bay Fens neighborhood. The route encompasses much of Boston's famed Emerald Necklace park system, proceeding along the Riverway, past Jamaica Pond and the Arborway, and into Franklin Park before reversing course. A portion of each participant's entry fee is donated to the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and is directed toward the enhancement and maintenance of the park system. Other sponsors of the B.A.A. Half Marathon include adidas, Belmont Springs Water, Gatorade, Long's Jewelers, and PowerBar. For more information about the B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund, please visit www.baa.org or http://www.jimmyfund.org/eve/event/half-marathon/. Monday, July 16, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=239 <b><i>Registration for 2008 Boston Marathon Set to Begin in September</i></b> Boston, Mass. - Official Finishers' Certificates and copies of the Boston Marathon Racers' Record Book, containing the official results of the 111th running of the Boston Marathon, were mailed to all 2007 participants this week. Following the adjudication of results, there were 20,338 official finishers for the 2007 Boston Marathon, the second-highest total in event history, behind only the 100th running in 1996 which boasted 35,868 finishers. In total, based on the adjudication process, 17 individuals were removed from the 2007 Boston Marathon results and seven were added. The most notable change to the results was the removal of seventh-place female Lyubov Denisova (RUS) as a result of a positive out-of-competition drug test. Denisova was found to have an elevated testosterone level and tested positive for Prostanozol in a test conducted on March 20, 2007. Denisova now faces a two-year ban from competition, and all results posted after the test have been invalidated. Athletes who finished behind Denisova were moved up one place in the final standings, and prize money was reallocated based on the new results. The adjusted women's top finishers are as follows: Place Athlete Time Prize Money 1. Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS) 2:29:18 $100,000 2. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT) 2:29:58 $40,000 3. Madai Perez (MEX) 2:30:16 $22,500 4. Rita Jeptoo (KEN) 2:33:08 $18,000 5. Deena Kastor (USA) 2:35:09 $14,000 + $25,000* 6. Robe Tola Guta (ETH) 2:36:29 $12,000 7. Alice Chelangat (KEN) 2:38:07 $9,000 8. Ann Alyanak (USA) 2:38:55 $7,400 + $15,000* 9. Kristin Price (USA) 2:38:57 $5,700 + $10,000* 10. Mary Akor (USA) 2:41:01 $4,200 + $6,000* 11. Christine Lundy (USA) 2:41:14 $2,600 + $4,000* 12. Janelle Kraus (USA) 2:41:24 $2,100 + $3,000* 13. Zoila Gomez (USA) 2:41:36 $1,800 + $2,500* 14. Melissa White (USA) 2:42:56 $1,700 + $2,000* 15. Kelly Flathers (USA) 2:43:25 $1,500 + $1,500* 16. Dot McMahan (USA) 2:43:56 $1,000* <i>* USA Women's Marathon Championship prize money.</i> Among the participants in this year's race were representatives from 21 official Boston Marathon charities. In total, these runners raised a record $10 million for area charities. The 112th Boston Marathon is scheduled for April 21, 2008. Once again the race will feature a two-wave start, with the first 10,000 runners beginning at 10:00 a.m., and the remainder of the field at 10:30 a.m. Registration for the 2008 Boston Marathon will begin on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. (EST) at www.baa.org. Friday, July 13, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=235 <b><i>Cheruiyot Comfortably in First Place; Series Welcomes First-Ever Chinese Champion</i></b> LONDON (April 22, 2007) - The countdown to the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series championship continued today as the Flora London Marathon crowned its winners Martin Lel (KEN) and Chunxiu Zhou (CHN). Lel's victory strengthened the chances for current World Marathon Majors points leader Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN) to take the 2006-07 crown. Zhou's victory marked the first time a Chinese athlete - male or female - has won any one of the five World Marathon Major races. With a total of 75 points following three, first-place victories, Cheruiyot is nearly untouchable as Lel remains the only competitor within striking distance with 40 second-place points. Today in London, Lel outsprinted second-place finisher Abderrahim Goumri (MAR) and Felix Limo (KEN) in the final stretch to add 25 points to his score. Goumri and Limo picked up 15 and 10 points respectively for their second- and third-place performances. Zhou earned her first 25 points in the 06-07 series today, placing her in seventh on the leaderboard. "I know about the World Marathon Majors and I am happy to have the first points now. I think it's a good idea and I will continue to run the World Marathon Majors events", Zhou said. Gete Wami (ETH) vaulted to second place among the women, earning 15 points today for a 40-point total. She is now in position to challenge current leader Jelena Prokopcuka (55 points). Constantina Tomescu-Dita took third today in London, advancing her total points to 11 and her 2006-07 rank to 13. Today's top five male and female finishers also earned points toward the overlapping 2007-08 series. They are now tied with last week's top Boston Marathon finishers for the lead in the 2007-08 competition which will crown its champions in November, 2008. The World Marathon Majors Series will now prepare to incorporate the IAAF World Championships Marathon for the first time this summer. The men's and women's competitions are set for August 25 and September 2, respectively in Osaka, Japan. Following today's Flora London Marathon, only four events remain in the 2006-07 series: IAAF World Championships, real,- Berlin, The LaSalle Bank Chicago and ING New York City. News, information and the current leaderboard can be viewed at www.worldmarathonmajors.com. The updated 2006-07 and 2007-08 leaderboards follow. 2006-2007 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS LEADERBOARD MEN 1. Robert Cheruiyot (KEN), 75 pts. 2. Martin Lel (KEN), 40 pts. 3. Felix Limo (KEN), 35 pts. 4. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH), 25 pts. 4. Marilson Gomes dos Santos (BRA), 25 pts. 4. Stephen Kiogora (KEN), 25 pts. 7. Benjamin Maiyo (KEN), 15 pts.. 7. Gudisa Shentema (ETH), 15 pts. 7. Daniel Njenga (KEN), 15 pts. 7. James Kwambai (KEN), 15 pts. 7. Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), 15 pts. 12. Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), 11 pts. 12. Meb Keflezighi (USA), 10 pts. 13. Meb Keflezighi (USA), 10 pts. 13. Kurao Umeki (JPN), 10 pts. 13. Paul Tergat (KEN), 10 pts. 13. Jimmy Muindi (KEN), 10 pts. 17. Brian Sell (USA), 5 pts. 17. Terefe Yae (ETH), 5 pts. 17. Daniel Yego (KEN), 5 pts. 17. Khalid Khannouchi (USA), 5 pts. 17. Abdi Abdirahman (USA), 5 pts. 17. James Koskei (KEN), 5 pts. 17. Jaouad Gharib (MAR), 5 pts. 24. Alan Culpepper (USA), 1 pt. 24. Ahmed Ezzobayry (FRA), 1 pt. 24. Rodgers Rop (KEN), 1 pt. 24. Stefano Baldini (ITA), 1 pt. 24. Robert Cheboror (KEN), 1 pt. 24. Teferi Wodajo (ETH), 1 pt. WOMEN 1. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT), 55 pts. 2. Gete Wami (ETH), 40 pts. 3. Rita Jeptoo (KEN), 35 pts. 4. Berhane Adere (ETH), 30 pts. 5. Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS), 26 pts. 5. Deena Kastor (USA), 26 pts. 7. Chunxiu Zhou (CHN), 25 pts. 8. Salina Kosgei (KEN), 20 pts. 9. Galina Bogomolova (RUS), 16 pts. 10. Tatiana Hladyr (UKR), 15 pts. 10. Lyudmila Petrova (RUS), 15 pts. 10. Madai Perez (MEX), 15 pts. 13. Constantina Tomescu-Dita (ROM), 11 pts. 14. Reiko Tosa (JPN), 10 pts. 14. Monica Drybulska (POL), 10 pts. 14. Catherine Ndereba (KEN), 10 pts. 14. Susan Chepkemei (KEN), 10 pts. 14. Benita Johnson (AUS), 10 pts. 19. Bruna Genovese (ITA), 5 pts. 19. Asha Gigi (ETH), 5 pts. 21. Kiyoko Shimahara (JPN), 1 pt. 21. Marcia Narlock (BRA), 1 pt. 21. Lornah Kiplagat (NED), 1 pt. 2007-08 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS LEADERBOARD MEN 1. Robert Cheruiyot (KEN), 25 pts. 1. Martin Lel (KEN), 25 pts. 3. James Kwambai (KEN), 15 pts. 3. Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), 15 pts. 5. Stephen Kiogora (KEN), 10 pts. 5. Felix Limo (KEN), 10 pts. 7. James Koskei (KEN), 5 pts. 7. Jaouad Gharib, 5 pts. 9. Teferi Wodajo (ETH), 1 pt. 9. Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), 1 pt. Women 1. Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS), 25 pts. 1. Chunxiu Zhou (CHN), 25 pts. 3. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT), 15 pts. 3. Gete Wami (ETH), 15 pts. 5. Madai Perez Carrillo (MEX), 10 pts. 5. Constantina Tomescu-Dita (ROM), 10 pts. 7. Rita Jeptoo (KEN), 5 pts. 7. Salina Kosgei (KEN), 5 pts. 9. Deena Kastor (USA), 1 pt. 9. Lornah Kiplagat (NED), 1 pt. Sunday, April 22, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=236 <b><i>111th Annual Race Marks Launch of 2007-08 Series</i></b> Boston, Mass. (April 16, 2007) - The chase for the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series championship heated up at the 111th Boston Marathon today as champions Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN) and Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS) each earned 25 points in the race for the $1 million prize purse. The champions battled the elements and strong fields to further their positions in the series and simultaneously establish themselves as the early leaders on the 2007-08 circuit. Cheruiyot's 2:14:13 victory marked his second consecutive Boston Marathon championship and third consecutive World Marathon Major win as he took first place at The 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon last October. The wins place him comfortably in first place for the championship with 75 total World Marathon Majors points. James Kwambai (KEN) placed second today to earn his first 15 points on the 2006-07 leaderboard with a time of 2:14:33. Fellow Kenyan Stephen Kiogora finished in third, advancing his 06-07 point total to 25 and tying him for second place among the leaders. James Koskei (KEN) and Tefere Wodajo (ETH) placed fourth (5 points) and fifth (1 point), respectively to score their first World Marathon Majors points. Grigoryeva's win in 2:29:18 advanced her 06-07 World Marathon Majors total to 26 points, placing her in a tie for fourth place with Deena Kastor (USA) on the overall leaderboard. Jelena Procopcuka (LAT) maintains a commanding lead in the 06-07 women's series with a total of 55 points, including the 25 she earned with a first-place finish at the ING New York City Marathon last fall. Madai Perez (MEX) finished third to increase her point total to 15, tying her for eighth among the 06-07 leaders. Last year's Boston champion Rita Jeptoo (KEN) now ranks second among the 06-07 women as she finished fourth to push her point total to 35. Kastor crossed the finish line in fifth, adding one World Marathon Majors point to her now 26-point total. Today's competition also marked the beginning of the 2007-08 series. Points earned in 2007 races will count toward both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 series. The top five male and female finishers in today's Boston Marathon are the current leaders on the 2007-08 leaderboard. The World Marathon Majors Series will now shift to the Flora London Marathon which will take place on Sunday, April 21. Following today's Boston Marathon, only five events remain in the 2006-07 series - Flora London, IAAF World Championships in Osaka, real,- Berlin, The LaSalle Bank Chicago and ING New York City. News, information and the current leaderboard can be viewed at worldmarathonmajors.com. The updated 2006-07 and 2007-08 leaderboards follow. 2006-2007 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS LEADERBOARD MEN 1. Robert K. Cheruiyot, KEN, 75 points 2. Stephen Kiogora, KEN, 25 points 2. Felix Limo, KEN, 25 points 2. Haile Gebrselassie, ETH, 25 points 2. Marilson Gomes dos Santos, BRA, 25 points 6. Benjamin Maiyo, KEN, 15 points 6. James Kwambai, KEN, 15 points 6. Martin Lel, KEN, 15 points 6. Gudisa Shentema, ETH, 15 points 6. Daniel Njenga, KEN, 15 points 11. Meb Keflezighi, USA, 10 points 11. Hendrick Ramaala, RSA, 10 points 11. Kurao Umeki, JPN, 10 points 11. Jimmy Muindi, KEN, 10 points 11. Paul Tergat, KEN, 10 points 16. Brian Sell, USA, 5 points 16. Khalid Khannouchi, USA, 5 points 16. Terefe Yae, ETH, 5 points 16. Abdi Adirahman, USA, 5 points 16. Daniel Yego, KEN, 5 points 16. James Koskei, KEN, 5 points 22. Alan Culpepper, USA, 1 point 22. Teferi Wodajo (ETH), 1 point 22. Stefano Baldini, ITA, 1 point 22. Ahmed Ezzobayry, FRA, 1 point 22. Robert Cheboror, KEN, 1 point 22. Rodgers Rop, KEN, 1 point WOMEN 1. Jelena Prokopcuka, LAT, 55 points 2. Rita Jeptoo, KEN, 35 points 3. Berhane Adere, ETH, 30 points 4. Deena Kastor, USA, 26 points 4. Lidiya Grigoryeva, RUS, 26 points 6. Gete Wami, ETH, 25 points 7. Galina Bogolomova, RUS, 16 points 8. Ludmila Petrova, RUS, 15 points 8. Salina Kosgei, KEN, 15 points 8. Madai Perez, MEX, 5 points 8. Tatiana Hladyr, UKR, 15 points 12. Reiko Tosa, JPN, 10 points 12. Susan Chepkemei, KEN, 10 points 12. Monica Drybulska, POL, 10 points 12. Benita Johnson, AUS, 10 points 12. Catherine Ndereba, KEN, 10 points 17. Bruna Genovese, ITA, 5 points 17. Asha Gigi, ETH, 5 points 19. Kiyoko Shimahara, JPN, 1 point 19. Marcia Narlock, BRA 1, point 19. Constantina Tomescu-Dita, ROM, 1 point 2007-08 WORLD MARATHON MAJORS LEADERBOARD MEN 1. Robert K. Cheruiyot, KEN, 25 points 2. James Kwambai, KEN, 15 points 3. Stephen Kiogora, KEN, 10 points 4. James Koskei, KEN, 5 points 5. Teferi Wodajo, ETH, 1 point WOMEN 1. Lidiya Grigoryeva, RUS, 25 points 2. Jelena Procopcuka, LAT, 15 points 3. Madai Perez, MEX, 10 points 4. Rita Jeptoo, KEN, 5 points 5. Deena Kastor, USA, 1 point Monday, April 16, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=233 <b><i>Legend will receive honor tonight at "Cheers" in recognition of her contributions to sports and the community.</i></b> Boston, Mass.-The Boston Athletic Association tonight will present the sixth annual Patriots' Award to marathon legend Joan Samuelson. The award, introduced in 2002, recognizes a New England sportsperson or organization for contributions both to sport and to the local community. Samuelson burst onto the scene when she won the 1979 Boston Marathon. The Bowdoin College student crossed the finish line in a Red Sox hat-in a new American-record time of 2:35:15-forever endearing her to the Boston crowds. She will forever be remembered for her dominating gold medal performance in the inaugural Olympic women's marathon in 1984. Remarkably Samuelson had qualified by winning the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials just two and a half weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery. She was considered one of the 1984 Olympic favorites based on her sensational 2:22:43 world record at the 1983 Boston Marathon. Samuelson won the 1985 Sullivan Award honoring America's top amateur athlete and has been inducted into the USATF Hall of Fame, National Distance Running Hall of Fame, International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame, the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of America National Hall of Fame, and the International Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame. In 1999 Samuelson, a native of Cape Elizabeth, ME, founded the popular Beach to Beacon 10K, utilizing a course that runs along the coastline of her picturesque hometown. Each year, the race chooses one Maine-based, youth-oriented charity to benefit, making a donation and providing fundraising opportunities for the organization. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Beach to Beacon 10K, and STRIVE-a non-profit organization serving developmentally disabled youth-has been announced as this year's beneficiary. Samuelson will accept her award this evening at the "Cheers" to the Boston Marathon reception at the Hampshire House. <b>Past recipients of the Patriots' Award:</b> 2002 New England Patriots / Robert and Myra Kraft 2003 Red Auerbach and the Red Auerbach Youth Foundation 2004 Ron Burton and the Ron Burton Training Village 2005 The Red Sox Foundation 2006 Dick and Rick Hoyt, Team Hoyt 2007 Joan Samuelson, Beach to Beacon 10K Thursday, April 12, 2007 http://baa.org/News.asp?NewsID=232 <b><i>Local (WBZ-TV), National (Versus), and International Television Partners Return to Carry the Boston Marathon from wire-to-wire.</i></b> Boston, Mass. - The Boston Marathon, scheduled to begin two hours earlier than past years, will reach local, national and international viewers with complete, live coverage. WBZ-TV (CBS affiliate, Channel 4) will provide its exclusive live, local broadcast from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. WBZ-TV, a partner of the Boston Athletic Association for 27 years, is the only Boston television station providing live wire-to-wire coverage of the 2007 Boston Marathon. For the third year, Versus (formerly known as Outdoor Life Network) will provide complete, live, national coverage from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. A same-day, encore presentation of the Versus telecast will air from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. Eurosport, a Boston Marathon partner, will carry the race in Europe in 130 million homes. Additional B.A.A. partners include SporTV in Brazil, SuperSport throughout Africa, Sky Mexico, i-cable in Hong Kong, Latvian TV, and worldwide highlights on SNTV and Reuters. American Forces Radio and Television will bring the race to U.S. troops overseas, covering 190 countries. WBZ am 1030 once again will provide live local radio coverage. The Boston Athletic Association, the organizer of the Boston Marathon, will provide text-based web coverage with a leader board and real-time updates on the official Boston Marathon web site: www.bostonmarathon.org. The push rim wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon begins at 9:25 a.m. ET; the Elite Women start at 9:35 a.m. ET; and the Elite Men with the first wave of official entrants begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. More than 23,800 participants are entered. This year's race marks the first time that the world's most prestigious road race has not begun at Noon ET. <i>Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organiza