FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joshua Milne
Sports Marketing PR Specialist
John Hancock Financial Services
Phone: 617-572-3816
Cell: 617-824-0294
JOHN HANCOCK ANNOUNCES 2005 BOSTON MARATHON ELITE INTERNATIONAL FIELD
Catherine Ndereba, Timothy Cherigat
Head Field of 31 Athletes for 109th Running
BOSTON, MA - March 16, 2005 - In its 20th year as principal sponsor of the
Boston Marathon, John Hancock announced its elite team of 31 marathon
runners from 13 countries today, including three-time winner and Olympic
silver medalist Catherine Ndereba, and Timothy Cherigat, the men's
defending champion. The race is set for Monday, April 18, 2005.
Five women who finished in the top ten at the 2004 Olympic marathon and
five national record holders will highlight the women's field. Ndereba, the
reigning world champion and second fastest woman in the world, will seek to
defend her Boston title and make history as the first four-time woman
champion. She faces strong competition from 2004 runner-up Elfenesh Alemu
of Ethiopia who finished fourth at the Olympics, national record holder
Olivera Jevtic of Serbia and Montenegro who finished sixth, 2003 Boston
champion and national record holder Svetlana Zakharova of Russia who
finished ninth and 2004 Tokyo champion Bruna Genovese of Italy who finished
tenth.
Close on their heels will be three-time Olympic medalist and national
record holder Gete Wami of Ethiopia, Olympian Nuta Olaru of Romania,
national record holder of Morocco Zhor El Kamch, 2001 Boston runner-up and
Olympian Malgorzata Sobanska of Poland and Honolulu champions Lyubov
Morgunova of Russia and Eri Hayakawa of Japan. Additional talent from
Poland, Ethiopia and Japan are included in the women's field.
On the men's side, Timothy Cherigat will face 2004 runner-up Robert
Cheboror of Kenya who returns to Boston as the second fastest man in the
world last year with a 2:06:23 Amsterdam win. Another 2:06 marathoner,
Wilson Onsare of Kenya, leads the charge of ten men under 2:10 which
includes 2003 Boston runner-up Benjamin Kosgei Kimutai and Olympian and
road racing talent Paul Koech of Kenya. Top American Alan Culpepper, who
finished 12th at the Olympics in the marathon and won the U.S. Olympic
Trials, is also ready to challenge the defending champion.
Added to the mix is Olympian Mohamed Ouaadi who wants a first time win for
France and Pavel Loskutov, the 2003 and 2004 Seoul champion and national
record holder of Estonia. Kenyan Stephen Kiogora and young talent Hailu
Negussie of Ethiopia also look to improve their top-five finishes from last
year at Boston. Ryan Shay, the reigning U.S. champion in the
half-marathon, the 20K, the 15K, and the 5K expects a win as do additional
world ranked men from Kenya, Ethiopia and Australia. A complete list of
the field follows.
109th B.A.A. BOSTON MARATHON
JOHN HANCOCK'S 2005 ELITE FIELD
Men's Open Field Personal Best
Robert Cheboror, Kenya 2:06:23 (Amsterdam, 2004)
Wilson Onsare, Kenya 2:06:47 (Paris, 2003)
Paul Koech, Kenya 2:07:07 (Chicago, 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
Stephen Kiogora, Kenya 2:09:21 (Chicago, 2004)
Timothy Cherigat, Kenya 2:09:34 (San Sebastian, 2002)
Alan Culpepper, United States 2:09:41 (Chicago, 2002)
Thomas Omwenga, Kenya 2:10:44 (Seoul, 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 2:14:08 (New York, 2004)
John Itati, Kenya 2:14:51 (Baltimore, 2004)
James Koskei, Kenya 2:18:40 (Chicago, 2004)
Women's Open Field Personal Best
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)
Olivera Jevtic, Serbia and Montenegro 2:25:23 (Rotterdam, 2003) NR
Bruna Genovese, Italy 2:25:35 (Tokyo, 2001)
Malgorzata Sobanska, Poland 2:26:08 (Chicago, 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 and information about the Boston Marathon at
www.marathon.jhancock.com/marathon.
About John Hancock and Manulife Financial
John Hancock continues to build on its rich history of creating and
leveraging sports marketing opportunities through its agreements with Major
League Baseball, the Olympic Games, the Boston Marathon and Champions on
Ice. John Hancock is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading
Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19
countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in
Canada and most of Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United
States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection
products and wealth management services through its extensive network of
employees, agents and distribution partners. The John Hancock unit, through
its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the
United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and
services, including whole life, term life, variable life, and universal
life insurance, as well as college savings products, fixed and variable
annuities, long-term care insurance, mutual funds and various forms of
business insurance.
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