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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

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