FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
World Record Holder, World Champion, Six Boston Winners to Square Off
at 127th Boston Marathon
- Historic lineup to include Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, 2022 World
Athletics Marathon gold medalist Gotytom Gebreslase, defending Boston
Marathon champion Evans Chebet plus five additional Boston winners.
BOSTON-The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) proudly announced today
that marathon world record holder and double Olympic marathon gold medalist
Eliud Kipchoge, as well as reigning World Athletics Marathon champion
Gotytom Gebreslase, will each make their Boston Marathon debuts in April,
joining six distinguished Boston Marathon champions on the starting line of
the 127th Boston Marathon. Among the Boston Marathon champions set to race
are reigning winner Evans Chebet of Kenya and Des Linden, the most recent
American open division champion.
The 127th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023 –
Patriots' Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts-and will feature 30,000
participants.
"The B.A.A. is bringing the world's best to Boston to compete on the
renowned 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston," said Mary Kate Shea, B.A.A.
Director of Professional Athletes & Technical Support. "World record holder
and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, World Champion Gotytom Gebreslase and
six Boston Marathon winners will challenge themselves, each other and a
deep field of accomplished athletes on our sport's famed stage."
Defending Boston Marathon champion Chebet, 2021 winner Benson Kipruto, and
two-time victor Lelisa Desisa (2013 and 2015) will be part of an
historically deep men's open division. Among the returning champions in the
women's field are Linden (2018), Edna Kiplagat (2017) and Atsede Baysa
(2016).
As the fastest marathoner in history, Kipchoge will take on the challenging
Boston Marathon course with hopes of earning his eleventh win at an Abbott
World Marathon Majors event. Kipchoge's last marathon resulted in a new
world record when he timed 2:01:09 for the win at September's Berlin
Marathon. Kipchoge's lifetime best is 1:59:40, run at the INEOS 1:59
Challenge exhibition event in 2019 where he became the first man ever to
cover 26.2 miles in under two hours. The 38-year-old looks to become the
only man in history to have established a marathon world record, won two
Olympic marathon gold medals, and break the tape first in Boston over the
span of their career.
"I am happy to announce in April I will compete in the Boston Marathon, a
new chapter in my Abbott World Marathon Majors journey," said Kipchoge.
"Good luck to all the runners running Boston in 2023."
Joining Kipchoge among the contingent from Kenya is Evans Chebet, who
stormed to a 2:06:51 win at April's Boston Marathon then ran to victory at
the TCS New York City Marathon in November. In 2022, Chebet became just the
sixth man in history to win the Boston and New York City Marathons in the
same year.
"To be a champion in Boston is something very special and for me it has
even more meaning because it took me quite some time during my career to be
competitive enough to finally win the oldest marathon in the world," said
Chebet. "I can't wait to be back and to enjoy the great atmosphere of such
a unique and historical race!"
Chebet's training partner, Benson Kipruto, also returns; he won the 2022
Chicago Marathon in addition to claiming Boston in October of 2021.
"Boston is more than simply a place for me to race," said Kipruto. "It has
become so familiar to me that just the idea of making the journey there
once again gets me kind of emotional. Even now, in these months to come, I
promise to concentrate and dedicate my time and training to be at my best
and to ensure that I will honor this special opportunity, once again. Thank
you Boston for having me back!"
Desisa enters Boston with vital experience, having placed in the top-two
four times at the Boston Marathon (wins in 2013 and 2015 and second-place
finishes in 2016 and 2019). April marks the ten-year anniversary of his
victory in 2013, one in which he donated his champion's medal back to the
City of Boston in recognition of the tragedy of April 15, 2013.
"There is no one in athletics who will be more focused than me this spring
in racing, as I look to once again win the Boston Marathon," said Desisa.
"Ten years since my first victory – I understand what this anniversary
means and I would love nothing more than to put my name into the history of
the race again. I stand with the people of Boston and I will be running the
race of my life for you all. We are Boston Strong!"
While this will be Gotytom Gebreslase's first Boston Marathon, it is far
from her first time racing in Boston. The Ethiopian world champion has
finished runner-up at the B.A.A. Half Marathon twice and has placed in the
top-five three times at the B.A.A. 5K on Patriots' Day weekend. Beyond
winning a world title in 2022, Gebreslase placed third at both the Berlin
Marathon and New York City Marathons this year.
"I am very happy to compete in the Boston Marathon 2023, as Boston is one
of the most famous races in the world," said Gebreslase. "It has long been
a dream of mine to win the race. When I was a young track athlete, I raced
many time in Boston in indoor races and then on the roads in the B.A.A. 5K.
So, I am very excited and happy to bring my career full circle and come
back to Boston now as the World Champion with a chance to add the Boston
Marathon Champion to my resume! See you on the start line!"
Representing America is Linden, racing in her tenth Boston Marathon.
April's race will mark the five-year anniversary of her memorable 2018
victory in the torrential rain, when she ended a 33-year American women's
drought in the open division. Linden has five top-five finishes, a win and
a runner-up placing to her name in Boston.
"I'm excited about where my fitness is relative to last year," said Linden.
"Now it's time to get the result to validate the work. I look forward to
returning to the Boston Marathon, getting on the course I know and love,
gaining momentum from the best fans in the sport, and recapturing some
magic from the greatest marathon in the world."
Edna Kiplagat set a new Masters Division record en route to finishing
fourth at the 2022 Boston Marathon in 2:21:40, and shows no signs of
stopping. Kiplagat plans to return and contend at the age of 43; she won
the 2017 Boston Marathon in 2:21:52 and crossed the line second at both the
2019 and 2021 editions of the race.
Atsede Baysa rounds out the women's open division returning champions.
After finishing eighth at last year's Boston Marathon, Baysa placed fifth
at the Houston Marathon and looks to return with high hopes of another
podium in 2023.
"Each year, the B.A.A. prides itself on bringing the best runners in the
world together to battle on the famed course from Hopkinton to Boston,"
said Jack Fleming, President and Chief Executive Officer of the B.A.A.
"History and heritage are two cornerstones of the Boston Marathon. This
year's race brings those elements to the forefront as world record holder
and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge and six Boston Marathon champions
battle on Patriots' Day. The world will be watching Boston with great
anticipation to see how the competition plays out."
The complete 127th Boston Marathon professional field –including additional
Boston Marathon champions, Abbott World Marathon Majors winners, global
medalists, and Paralympic champions-will be announced in the coming months.
Since 1986, John Hancock has served as principal sponsor of the Boston Mara
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through
sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and
supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The
Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with
international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York
City. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been
John Hancock. The 127th Boston Marathon is scheduled to take place on
Monday, April 17, 2023. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit
www.baa.org.
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