JOHN HANCOCK ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO THE
2011 BOSTON MARATHON ELITE FIELD
American Brett Gotcher Added to the Field, Antonio Vega Withdraws Due to Injury
BOSTON,
MA, March 4, 2011ÛÓJohn Hancock Financial today announced American
talent Brett Gotcher has been added to the elite field for the 115th
running of the Boston Marathon on April 18.
Brett Gotcher ran
the fourth fastest American marathon debut in Houston in 2010 and the
2:10:36 he recorded is his personal best. Gotcher represented the
United States at the 2009 World Half Marathon Championships and the 2009
World Cross Country Championships.
Accomplished at the
national level, Gotcher won the 2009 USATF 20K Championships in 58:57,
placed third in the USATF Half Marathon Championships with a personal
best 1:02:09, and finished seventh in the USATF Cross Country
Championships. As a junior he won the 2003 Pan American 10,000m and
the U.S. Junior Nationals 10,000m.
Gotcher ran for Stanford
University as a teammate of Ryan Hall for several years. He was a
three-time Pac-10 All Academic selection and an All American in the
10,000m before graduating with a BS in psychology in 2007. Gotcher
trains with the McMillan Elite team in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Antonio
Vega, the USATF MenÛªs Long Distance Runner of the Year, has not been
able to train properly due to a stress fracture in the pelvis. VegaÛªs
doctors expect the athlete will be back racing in the summer.
ÛÏOnce
I found out that I had a stress fracture, I was extremely disappointed
that I would have to miss the Boston Marathon,Û said Vega. ÛÏLast year I
considered the Boston Marathon one of my breakthrough races, and was
looking forward to coming back again this year and bettering my
performance. As tough as it is to have to sit out this yearÛªs race, I
look forward to coming back and running the Boston Marathon in future
years.Û
Vega won the 2010 U.S. Half Marathon Championships last
year in 1:01:54 and then finished 12th at the Boston Marathon. He
trains with Team USA Minnesota.
An updated field list follows.
MenÛªs Open Field Citizenship Personal Best
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot Kenya 2:05:52 (Boston, 2010) CR
Geoffrey Mutai Kenya 2:04:55 (Rotterdam, 2010)
Ryan Hall USA 2:06:17 (London, 2008)
Gilbert Yegon Kenya 2:06:18 (Amsterdam, 2009)
Evans Cheruiyot Kenya 2:06:25 (Chicago, 2008)
Tadese Tola Ethiopia 2:06:31 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Sylvester Teimet Kenya 2:06:49 (Seoul, 2010) CR
Bekana Daba Ethiopia 2:07:04 (Houston, 2011) CR
Philip Kimutai Sanga Kenya 2:07:11 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Shadrack Kiplagat Kenya 2:07:53 (Amsterdam, 2007)
Tekeste Kebede Ethiopia 2:07:23 (Boston, 2010)
Abreham Cherkos Ethiopia 2:07:29 (Amsterdam, 2010)
Deressa Chimsa Ethiopia 2:07:54 (Dubai, 2009)
Stephen Kibiwot Kenya 2:07:54 (Praha, 2009)
Robert Kipchumba Kenya 2:08:07 (Xiamen, 2011) CR
Gebregziabher Gebremariam Ethiopia 2:08:14 (New York City 2010)
Moses Kigen Kipkosgei Kenya 2:10:12 (Nairobi, 2009) CR
Brett Gotcher USA 2:10:36 (Houston, 2010)
Peter Kamais Kenya 2:14:58 (New York City, 2010)
Alistair Cragg Ireland Debut
Moses Mosop Kenya Debut
WomenÛªs Open Field Country Personal Best
Teyba Erkesso Ethiopia 2:23:53 (Houston, 2010) CR
Catherine Ndereba Kenya 2:18:47 (Chicago, 2001) NR
Galina Bogomolova Russia 2:20:47 (Chicago, 2006)
Sharon Cherop Kenya 2:22:43 (Toronto, 2010) CR
Tirfi Tsegaye Ethiopia 2:22:44 (Toronto, 2010)
Merima Mohammed Ethiopia 2:23:06 (Toronto, 2010)
Salina Kosgei Kenya 2:23:22 (Berlin, 2006)
Caroline Kilel Kenya 2:23:25 (Frankfurt, 2010) CR
Dire Tune Ethiopia 2:23:44 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Alice Timbilili Kenya 2:25:03 (Amsterdam, 2010)
Kim Smith New Zealand 2:25:21 (London, 2010) NR
Kara Goucher USA 2:25:52 (New York, 2008)
Tatyana Pushkareva Russia 2:26:14 (Boston, 2010)
Desiree Davila USA 2:26:20 (Chicago, 2010)
Misiker Mekonin Demissie Ethiopia 2:26:20 (Los Angeles, 2010)
Silvia Skvortsova Russia 2:26:24 (Berlin, 2009)
Werknesh Kidane Ethiopia 2:27:15 (Dubai, 2011)
Hellen Mugo Kenya 2:27:16 (Carpi, 2010)
Yuliya Ruban Ukraine 2:27:44 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Woynishet Girma Ethiopia 2:27:51 (Amsterdam, 2010)
Blake Russell USA 2:29:10 (Chicago, 2005)
Florence Kiplagat Kenya Debut
www.johnhancock.com/bostonmarathon/index.html Twitter @JHFS_Boston26 www.baa.org Twitter @B_A_A_
About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial
John
Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a
leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of
customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as
Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John
Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation offers
clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth
management services through its extensive network of employees, agents
and distribution partners. For more than 120 years, clients have looked
to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking
solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Funds under
management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were $475 billion
(US$478 billion) as at December 31, 2010.
Manulife
Financial Corporation trades as Û÷MFCÛª on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and
under Û÷945Ûª on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet
at www.manulife.com.
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 life insurance, fixed and variable annuities,
fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance,
college savings, and other forms of business insurance.