FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Defending Champion Faces Last Year's Runner-Up in 2014 ASICS LA Marathon
Erick Mose, Julius Keter Among Top International Elites
With Eyes Set on the Win
LOS ANGELES (January 23, 2014) - A stacked line-up of more than 20 of the
world's most competitive distance runners-including defending men's
champion Erick Mose and 2013 men's runner-up Julius Keter-headline the
field for the 2014 ASICS LA Marathon, which will be held on Sunday, March
9th 2014.
This year's ASICS LA Marathon, which will once again follow its popular
Stadium to the Sea course, starting at Dodger Stadium and finishing near
the Santa Monica Pier, will be the 29th edition of the race, which became
an annual event following the historic 1984 Olympic Game in Los Angeles.
Kenya's Mose, whose come-from-behind surge in the final two miles
ultimately overtook fellow countryman Keter-the grandson of Olympic legend
Kip Keino-and clinched last year's title, heads a talented list of 11 top
male runners who have committed to this year's race, including rising
Americans Aaron Braun, Adam Roach and Stephan Shay.
The women's field is equally competitive, with five top Ethiopian talents
who each sport sub-2:36 marathon PRs, including Genet Getaneh, the top
finisher at the 2007 and 2007 IAAF World Half Marathon Championship, as
well as Ukranian Olena Burkovska, a former winner of Europe's venerable
Košice Peace Marathon, along with four emerging young American talents.
"As we are continually looking to attract an ever growing number of
world-class marathoners, we know this year will elevate the level of
competition being able to field last year's men's champion Erick Mose and
runner-up Julius Keter," said Tracey Russell, CEO LA MARATHON LLC. "The
2014 ASICS LA Marathon will be an exciting year for the elites, general
runners and the spectators."
Fresh off the heels of a second place finish in the 2014 U.S. Half Marathon
Championship earlier this month, Aaron Braun will make his marathon debut
alongside two-time defending Big Sur International Marathon champion Adam
Roach and Stephan Shay, who placed in the top five at the 2012 U.S. Half
Marathon Championship, to lead the elite U.S. runners competing in Los
Angeles this year. Among the women, the Americans are also well represented
with athletes who include three-time Olympics Trials qualifiers Kristen
Fryburg-Zaitz and; Heather McWhirter, the second-place finisher at last
year's Buffalo Marathon; and Lindsey Scherf who placed second at the 2012
U.S. 25K Championship.
Additional top international male qualifiers include Ethiopian Raji Assefa,
the 2012 Paris International Marathon runner-up; Lani Rutto of Kenya, a
top-ten finisher in the 2013 BMW Frankfurt Marathon and Canadian Greg
Wieczorek, a three-time Blue Nose Marathon winner.
A list of the elite runners who have committed to this year's ASICS LA
Marathon on March 9 is below. More information on additional runners who
have committed to the race will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information, visit www.lamarathon.com.
2014 ASICS LA MARATHON
Elite Runners Confirmed
MEN
NAME PERSONAL BEST COUNTRY
Gezahegn Alemayehu 2:09:42 (Košice, 2013) Ethiopia
Raji Assefa 2:06:24 (Paris, 2012) Ethiopia
Fikre Assefa 2:10:23 (Linz, Austria, 2013) Ethiopia
Aaron Braun 2nd - 1:01:38 (Houston Half, 2014) USA
Julius Kipyego Keter 2:10:31 (Los Angeles, 2013) Kenya
Erick Mose 2:09:44 (Los Angeles, 2013) Kenya
Adam Roach 2:24:30 (Sacramento, 2013) USA
Lani Rutto 2:10:01 (Frankfurt, 2013) Kenya
Stephan Shay 2:16:48 (Houston, 2012) USA
Greg Wieczorek 2:25:56 (Houston, 2012) Canada
Dawit Wolde 1st – 1:00:46 (Egmond Half, 2012) Ethiopia
Gabriel Proctor 1:02:22 (Houston Half, 2014) USA
WOMEN
NAME PERSONAL BEST COUNTRY
Olena Burkovska 2:27:07 (Hannover, 2013) Ukraine
Gulume Chala 2:36:04 (Danzhou, 2013) Ethiopia
Degefa Bruktayit Eshetu 2:26:22 (Houston, 2014) Ethiopia
Kristen Fryburg-Zaitz 2:37:50 (Sacramento, 2013) USA
Genet Getaneh 2:25:38 (Amsterdam, 2012) Ethiopia
Agnes Jepkosgei 2:39:17 (Nairobi, 2013) Kenya
Heather McWhirter 2:45:33 (Buffalo, 2012) USA
Elfnesh Melaku 2:31:41 (Chongqing, 2013) Ethiopia
Lindsey Scherf 2nd – 1:25:12 (U.S. 25K Champ, 2012) USA
Tigist Tufa 2:29:24 (New York City, 2013) Ethiopia
Lauren Kleppin 2:42:17 (Carlsbad, 2013) USA
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