World Marathon Majors to conclude inaugural series with three fall races

With the conclusion of last week's IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Osaka, Japan, three races remain in the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series: the real,- Berlin Marathon on September 30; The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on October 7; and the ING New York City Marathon on November 4.

Jelena Prokopcuka, of Latvia, leads the women's series with 55 points, followed by Gete Wami, of Ethiopia, and Zhou Chunxiu, of China, both of whom have 40 points. Chunxiu moved into a tie for second place in the standings with her runner-up performance at last Sunday's marathon in Osaka. Other top marathoners who can conceivably tie or win the 2006-2007 women's series are Rita Jeptoo and Catherine Ndereba, both of Kenya, and both with 35 points, and Berhane Adere, of Ethiopia, with 30 points. With the conclusion of the IAAF World Track & Field Championships, the autumn World Marathon Majors races are expected to begin announcing their professional athlete fields, and the head-to-head match-ups which may decide the Series winner.

Among the men, Robert Cheruiyot, of Kenya, has a seemingly insurmountable lead. Cheruiyot has won three races during the two year period, and he heads into the autumn with 75 points (35 points ahead of his nearest threat). For Cheruiyot to be overtaken, one of the other marathoners among the top seven on the leaderboard likely would have to win two of the remaining autumn marathons. Below Cheruiyot on the 2006-2007 leaderboard are: Martin Lel, of Kenya, with 40 points; Felix Limo, of Kenya, with 35 points; Stephen Kiogora, of Kenya, with 25 points; Haile Gebrselassie, of Ethiopia, with 25 points; Marilson Gomes dos Santos, of Brazil, with 25 points; and Luke Kibet, of Kenya, with 25 points.

Over two year periods, the world's best marathoners compete against each other in five of the world's best marathons: the Boston Marathon, the Flora London Marathon, the real,- Berlin-Marathon, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon. In addition, the marathons at the IAAF World Track & Field Championships and Olympic Games count in the point totals during years when those events are contested. The World Marathon Majors awards points accordingly: 25 points for first place; 15 points for second place; 10 points for third place; 5 points for fourth place; and 1 point for fifth place.

The two-year spans of the World Marathon Majors Series overlap, and while the inaugural series (2006-2007) will conclude this November, the next series (2007-2008) will be at its midway mark. The directors of the World Marathon Majors have chosen to have an overlapping series so that World Marathon Majors Series champions can be designated each year. The inaugural series champions – the winning male and female – each will be presented with a $500,000 USD check in New York City at the series conclusion and they will be recognized as the world's top marathoners during the period.

Cheruiyot, Lel and Kibet lead the 2007-2008 leader board with 25 points, while Chunxiu – with her victory at this year's Flora London Marathon and second place at the World Championships – has 40 points and stands alone atop the women's series leaderboard.