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JOHN HANCOCK ANNOUNCES RETURN OF BOSTON MARATHON RUNNERS-UP TO 2005 ELITE
FIELD
2004 Second Place Finishers Set For Rematch With Defending Champions
BOSTON, MA - March 8, 2005 - John Hancock Financial Services today announced
that 2004 runners-up Elfenesh Alemu of Ethiopia and Robert Cheboror of Kenya
will return to the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18, in an effort to
dethrone defending champions Catherine Ndereba and Timothy Cherigat.
Last year Alemu finished a slight 16 seconds back from Ndereba's 2:24:27
win, tying the closest one-two women's finish in Boston history. Following
Boston, the rivalry continued at the Athens Olympic Marathon where Ndereba
won the silver medal and Alemu finished fourth. This year the rematch is
significant because Ndereba will seek to establish Boston Marathon history
as the first woman to win the race four times.
Alemu is a two-time Olympian and three-time World Championship finisher and
has run nearly 30 marathons with seven under 2:25 since 2000. Track & Field
News ranked Alemu fourth in the world last year for her Boston performance,
her third place at the Tokyo Marathon and her fourth at the Olympics.
Ndereba was ranked number two in the world. In February, proving she is
ready for the Boston course, Alemu won the challenging and competitive 43rd
San Blas Half Marathon and set a course record along the way. This will be
Alemu's third Boston appearance and she is eager to win. In 2002 she
finished third behind Margaret Okayo and Ndereba.
On the men's side, Robert Cheboror returns to Boston as the second fastest
man in the world last year. Coming off a 2:06:23 win at the 2004 Amsterdam
Marathon, Cheboror is poised to challenge the defending champion Timothy
Cherigat. Last year at Boston in a prophetic statement before only his
second marathon, Cheboror said, "Boston is a tough course, but maybe I am
strong and can do something." He held on to Cherigat until the champion
surged off the Newton hills to secure the win.
Marathoner William Kiplagat discovered Cheboror after he finished third at
the 2001 Kenyan 25K while wearing tennis shoes. Cheboror has leaped to the
top of the running world quickly and confidently. His expectations for
Boston are "that the field will be challenging as there are always strong
athletes there, but I hope I can improve my performance and be the winner in
2005." In preparation for this year's race, he won the Egmond Half Marathon
in the Netherlands in January.
John Hancock is celebrating the 20th year of its landmark sponsorship of the
Boston Athletic Association's premier event. John Hancock will announce the
international elite field the last week in March.
Find the latest news and information about the Boston Marathon at
www.marathon.jhancock.com/marathon.
====================
ROBERT CHEBOROR
Kipsaos, Kenya
AGE: 26 (9/9/78)
PERSONAL BEST: 2:06:23 (Amsterdam, 2004)
BOSTON MARATHON HISTORY: 2nd in 2004 (2:11:49)
Last year at Boston in a prophetic statement before only his second
marathon, Cheboror said, "Boston is a tough course, but maybe I am strong
and can do something." Do something he did, surprising everyone but
himself. During the race Cheboror focused on being patient and keeping
hydrated. He stayed in the top mix throughout and unable to move with
Cherigat coming off the hills he challenged experienced Boston runner Martin
Lel for the runner up slot. "Now I realize Boston is a different marathon
than others," says Cheboror, "You need to know when to make the right move."
ADDITIONAL MARATHON HIGHLIGHTS:
10/17/04 ING Amsterdam Marathon 1st (2:06:23)
10/19/03 ING Amsterdam Marathon 9th (2:11:06)
CAREER NOTES:
The second fastest man in the world last year, Cheboror found the tape first
at Amsterdam posting a course record and improving his best by more than
four minutes. A pacer at the 2003 Amsterdam race, Cheboror was not expected
to finish, but he stayed in the game and debuted with ninth. This year
Cheboror won his second international half marathon in Egmond Am Zee,
Netherlands, where 7K of the race is run on the beach. In 2004 he was
second at the City Pier City Half Marathon (62:42) and third at the
Rotterdam Half Marathon (62:31). In 2003 he finished second at the Berlin
Half Marathon (61:55). His fastest half was a 2002 win in Lille, France, in
61:42.
PERSONAL NOTES:
Discovered as a potential powerhouse in the marathon in 2001 by 2:06
marathoner William Kiplagat (after finishing third at a Kenyan 25K while
wearing tennis shoes), Cheboror has leapt to the top quickly and
confidently. His expectations for Boston are "that the field will be
challenging as there are always strong athletes there, but I hope I can
improve my performance and be the winner in 2005." Cheboror has been doing
a lot of hill work in Kapngetuny and Chirchir-Centre, near Eldoret. The
tall Kenyan (1.83m) is married to Purity and they have a 10-month-old
daughter named Sharon. He likes to help those in need, listen to Christian
music and visit friends.
====================
ELFENESH ALEMU
Arsi, Ethiopia
AGE: 29 (6/10/75)
PERSONAL BEST: 2:24:29 (London, 2001)
BOSTON MARATHON HISTORY: 3rd in 2002 (2:26:01); 2nd in 2004 (2:24:43)
This could be Alemu's year for the win. After finishing third in 2002 and
second in 2004, Alemu knows the course and the competition. Last year she
was the gutsy leader for the opening 15 miles and then held tight to
Catherine Ndereba until a mile out. There Ndereba put in a surge that
carried her to a 16 second victory (tying the closest one-two women's finish
in Boston history) over a closing Alemu.
ADDITIONAL MARATHON HIGHLIGHTS:
8/22/04 Athens Olympic Marathon 4th (2:28:15)
11/21/04 Tokyo International Ladies Marathon 3rd
(2:26:58)
11/16/03 Tokyo International Ladies Marathon 1st
(2:24:47)
8/31/03 IAAF World Championships, Paris 6th (2:26:29)
11/17/02 Tokyo International Ladies Marathon 4th
(2:29:31)
10/7/01 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon 2nd (2:24:55)
4/22/01 Flora London Marathon 5th (2:24:29)
9/24/00 Sydney Olympic Marathon 6th 2:26:54
4/9/00 Nagano Marathon 1st (2:24:55)
8/29/99 IAAF World Championships, Seville 5th (2:28:52)
4/19/99 Nagano Marathon 2nd (2:28:59)
11/1/98 Amsterdam Marathon 3rd (2:30:19)
11/2/97 Amsterdam Marathon 1st (2:37:36)
8/9/97 IAAF World Championships, Athens 15th (2:41:00)
CAREER NOTES:
A two-time Olympian and three-time World Championship finisher, Alemu began
running the marathon in 1993 and has run nearly 30 career marathons with
seven under 2:25 since 2000. Alemu is still at the top of her game as
witnessed by Track & Field News ranking her fourth in the world last year
for her Boston performance, her third at Tokyo and fourth at the Olympics.
In February, proving she is ready for the Boston course, Alemu won the
challenging and hilly 43rd San Blas Half Marathon in a course record
1:12:57.
PERSONAL NOTES:
Alemu married Gezahegne Abera, the 2000 Boston runner-up and 2000 Olympic
Marathon gold medalist in a ceremony held in the summer of 2003 in Addis
Ababa Stadium before 25,000 guests. In keeping with the pair's competitive
and national spirit, Alemu's wedding veil was a world record 600 feet long
and was later cut into 1,000 pieces with guests signing a pledge on each
piece to protect themselves from the HIV/AIDS disease. Alemu lives and
trains in Addis Ababa. She grew up Bekoji, a town in the Arsi highlands
region, in a family of 11 children. Her younger sister, Asnakech, is a
former runner and married to elite runner Habte Jifar. Alemu trains with
Yilma Berta, the national marathon coach and is a member of the Ethiopian
Prison Police.
source RunningUSA
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