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+---- Thread: Korir, Rotich to Defend B.A.A. Half Marathon Titles (/Thread-Korir-Rotich-to-Defend-B-A-A-Half-Marathon-Titles)
Korir, Rotich to Defend B.A.A. Half Marathon Titles - TheEd - 05-10-2011
BOSTON - (October, 2011) - The Boston Athletic Association has announced its field of elite athletes for the 11th B.A.A. Half Marathon on Sunday, October 9, 2011. The B.A.A. Half Marathon starts and finishes at White Stadium in Boston's Franklin Park beginning at 8:30am, and has been annually presented by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Jimmy Fund since 2003.
The men's field is highlighted by two past winners. Defending champion and 35-year-old John Korir of Kenya will square off against fellow Kenyan and 2007 champion Samuel Ndereba on Sunday. Korir's winning time of 1 hour, 2 minutes, 21 seconds in 2010 is tied with Ndereba's 2007 runner-up performance as the second fastest in event history. Also in the hunt will be 14-time NCAA All-American Sam Chelanga. The former standout at Liberty University made his professional debut in June at the B.A.A. 10K, where he finished third. This will be his debut half-marathon.
The women's field is highlighted by defending champion Caroline Rotich of Kenya. Her 2010 B.A.A. Half Marathon time of 1:10:23 set an event record by 34 seconds, surpassing Marie Davenport's 2003 time of 1:10:57. The second and third place finishers from 2010, Janet Cherobon-Bawcom of Georgia and Jane Kibii of Kenya are also in the mix. Cherobon-Bawcom is coming off of a strong summer on the roads, having won the USA 20K and 10 Mile titles within the past month.
"For elite athletes and recreational runners alike, the B.A.A. Half Marathon has grown into one of the most popular races of the season," said B.A.A. Executive Director Tom Grilk. "Since its beginning in 2001, it's been a priority of our organization to attract world class athletes and a wide range of competitive and recreational athletes to the beautiful Emerald Necklace park system for our event. With nearly 7,000 athletes ready to run on Sunday, we hope their experience is one they remember fondly."
In the past two editions of the B.A.A. Half Marathon, the men's race has come down to the final stretch. In 2009, Martin Fagan of Ireland held off Philemon Terer of Kenya to win by three seconds, and last year's photo finish between Korir and countryman Alan Kiprono remains the event's closest yet, with both men finishing less than a second apart.
Fernando Cabada of Boulder, Colo. enters the race as the top American male, while New Englanders Katie Dicamillo, Katie Bowser and Heather Cappello will vie for the top American position with Cherobon in the women's race. Top finishers in the Open and Masters divisions will vie for a total prize purse of $30,000.
In the Men's Wheelchair Division, defending champion Gary Brendal of Sterling, Massachusetts will face stiff competition from five-time race champion Tony Noguiera of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, who last won the race in 2009.
Elite Athletes - as of 10/03/11
MEN'S OPEN
Bib# / Name, CTZ / Personal Best
1 John Korir (KEN), 1:00:47 (2004), defending champion
2 Samuel Ndereba (KEN), 1:01:51 (2006)
3 Sam Chelanga (KEN), debut
4 John Itati (KEN), 1:02:04 (2004)
5 Ali Abdosh (ETH), 1:04:26 (2010)
6 Elkanah Kibet (KEN), 1:04:24 (2011)
7 Gilbert Okari (KEN), 1:01:26 (2009)
8 Fernando Cabada (USA / CO), 1:02:32 (2011)
10 Timothy Ritchie (USA / MA), 1:07:49 (2010)
WOMEN'S OPEN
Bib# / Name, CTZ / Personal Best
F1 Caroline Rotich (KEN), 1:08:52 (2011), defending champion
F2 Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (USA / GA), 1:10:59 (2010)
F3 Jane Kibii (KEN), 1:10:23 (2011)
F6 Heather Cappello (USA / MA), 1:15:04 (2010)
F7 Kathleen Dicamillo (USA / RI), debut
F8 Diana Bowser (USA / MA), 1:13:13 (2001)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running.