Posted: April 15, 2005

Athletics: Kipkoech Cheruiyot, 2003 Boston Marathon Champion, Joins 109th Boston Field

Culpepper, Shay Lead American Contingent

BOSTON - (April 12, 2005) - John Hancock, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, announced on Tuesday the addition of 2003 Boston champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya to the elite field of 32 athletes from 12 countries. The 109th running is scheduled for Monday, April 18, 2005.

Cheruiyot will join defending champion Timothy Cherigat and last year's runner up Robert Cheboror, who was the second fastest marathoner in the world last year. The race should prove highly competitive as eleven men in the field hold personal bests under 2 hours and 10 minutes.

2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion Alan Culpepper and 2003 USA Marathon champion Ryan Shay, a Team Running USA athlete, are the top Americans and both come into the race with expectations of challenging for top placements. Greg Meyer was the last U.S. male to win Boston (1983).

Other additions to the men's field include Benjamin Kipchumba of Kenya, the winner of the 2004 Nairobi Marathon; Benson Cherono of Kenya and Moroccan Olympian Khalid El Boumlili, the winner of the 2004 Marrakech Marathon.

Withdrawals from the field include Malgorzata Sobanska of Poland due to illness, Olivera Jevtic due to a calf injury and Paul Koech due to training difficulties.

The Boston Marathon will be broadcast on OLN with three hours of live, wire-to-wire coverage from 11:30am - 2:30pm ET. Check your local cable listings.

109th BAA Boston Marathon - John Hancock's 2005 Elite Field

MEN
Name/Country/PR
Robert Cheboror, Kenya, 2:06:23 (Amsterdam 2004)
Wilson Onsare, Kenya, 2:06:47 (Paris 2003)
Benjamin Kosgei Kimutai, Kenya, 2:07:26 (Amsterdam 2002) 
Mohamed Ouaadi, France, 2:07:55 (Fukuoka 1999) 
Hailu Negussie, Ethiopia, 2:08:16 (Hofu 2002) 
Pavel Loskutov, Estonia, 2:08:53 (Paris 2002) NR
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:08:59 (Milan 2002)
Stephen Kiogora, Kenya, 2:09:21 (Chicago 2004)
Benjamin Kipchumba, Kenya, 2:09:23 (Milan 2004)
Timothy Cherigat, Kenya, 2:09:34 (San Sebastian 2002) 
Alan Culpepper, United States/Colorado, 2:09:41 (Chicago 2002)
Thomas Omwenga, Kenya, 2:10:44 (Seoul 2004)
Khalid El Boumlili, Morocco, 2:10:49 (Marrakech 2004)
Benson Cherono, Kenya, 2:11:23 (New York 2004)
Gidey Amaha, Ethiopia, 2:11:26 (Dubai 2005)
Terefe Yae, Ethiopia, 2:11:45 (Xiamen 2004) 
Andrew Letherby, Australia, 2:12:45 (Fukuoka 2003) 
Ryan Shay, United States/Michigan, 2:14:08 (New York 2004)
John Itati, Kenya, 2:14:51 (Baltimore 2004)
James Koskei, Kenya, 2:18:40 (Chicago 2004)

WOMEN
Catherine Ndereba, Kenya, 2:18:47 (Chicago 2001) NR 
Svetlana Zakharova, Russia, 2:21:31 (Chicago 2002) NR
Gete Wami, Ethiopia, 2:22:19 (Amsterdam 2002) NR 
Elfenesh Alemu, Ethiopia, 2:24:29 (London 2001) 
Nuta Olaru, Romania, 2:24:33 (Chicago 2004) 
Bruna Genovese, Italy, 2:25:35 (Tokyo 2001) 
Zhor El Kamch, Morocco, 2:26:10 (Rotterdam 2004) NR
Shitaye Gemechu, Ethiopia, 2:26:15 (Berlin 2002)
Grazyna Syrek, Poland, 2:26:22 (Chicago 2003)
Lyubov Morgunova, Russia, 2:26:33 (London 2000)
Eri Hayakawa, Japan, 2:28:11 (Honolulu 2004) 
Mina Ogawa, Japan, 2:28:47 (Osaka 1998)
NR = National Record

Find the latest news about the 109th Boston Marathon at: www.marathon.jhancock.com/marathon or www.baa.org.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.