John Hancock announces changes to the 2011 Boston Marathon elite field
BOSTON, MA, March 4, 2011�John 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 Men's Long Distance Runner of the Year, has not been able to train properly due to a stress fracture in the pelvis. Vega's doctors expect the athlete will be back racing in the summer.
�"Once I found out that I had a stress fracture, I was extremely disappointed that I would have to miss the Boston Marathon," said Vega. �"Last 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 year's race, I look forward to coming back and running the Boston Marathon in future years."
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.
Updated field list:
Men's 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
Women's 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
