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+--- Thread: Mutai to Defend B.A.A. 10K Title (/Thread-Mutai-to-Defend-B-A-A-10K-Title)
Mutai to Defend B.A.A. 10K Title - TheEd - 02-06-2012
Geoffrey Mutai, World's Fastest Marathoner, to Defend Title at B.A.A. 10K
At the second edition on June 24, the women's race also features matchup of two most recent Boston Marathon champions; $30,000 prize purse
BOSTON - The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced that Geoffrey Mutai, the world's fastest marathoner, will defend his title at the second B.A.A. 10K on Sunday, June 24. Defending B.A.A. 10K champion, Caroline Kilel will square off with reigning Boston Marathon champion Sharon Cherop. The race starts and finishes on Charles Street between the Public Garden and historic Boston Common. A partial list of elite athlete biographies is attached to this release.
At the 2011 Boston Marathon, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya secured his place in Boston Marathon history by running the world's fastest marathon ever run under any conditions in a time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds. His time was nearly three minutes faster than the previous course record, and it was 57 seconds faster than anyone had ever run the distance. He returned to Boston two months later and won the inaugural B.A.A. 10K. With a time of 27:19 at the B.A.A. 10K, Mutai beat Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia by 52 seconds and ran one of the fastest 10K ever run in the United States. He started this year's Boston Marathon but did not finish the race.
In the women's race, the two most recent Boston Marathon champions will go head-to-head. Defending B.A.A. 10K champion Caroline Kilel, of Kenya, won the 2011 Boston Marathon in 2:22:36 with a thrilling sprint finish. She was just two seconds ahead of American Desiree Davila and six seconds ahead of Sharon Cherop, of Kenya.
At last year's 10K, Kilel went on to win in 31:58 over runner-up Kim Smith of New Zealand. Kilel and Cherop faced each other again in this year's Boston Marathon, but it was Cherop who prevailed, using a well-timed finishing kick to defeat Jemima Jelagat Sumgong of Kenya.
Also joining the B.A.A. 10K field from this year's Boston Marathon is men's runner-up Levy Matebo of Kenya. After the men's lead pack passed the 17-mile mark, Matebo and Mathew Kisorio of Kenya began to increase the pace, quickly opening up a gap on the pack. The two ran side-by-side through 20 miles, when Kisorio began to fall off the pace. Despite the 150-meter lead Matebo had established, he could not hold off a late charge by the eventual champion, Wesley Korir, also of Kenya. A bold front-runner, Matebo's racing style will add excitement to the B.A.A. 10K.
"We are excited to welcome back these great and gracious champions as they return to compete against some of the world's best runners," said Tom Grilk, Executive Director of the B.A.A. "Their displays of courage and sheer endurance inspire us all, and we are grateful that they have decided to take part in the newest addition to our calendar of world class road races: the B.A.A. 10K, the second race of the inaugural B.A.A. Distance Medley."