BAA field includes returning champs Ndereba, Cheruiyot
By Reid Laymance, Globe Staff, 3/17/2004
Catherine Ndereba, a two-time Boston Marathon champion, is back in the
field for this April's race after skipping the event last year.
Ndereba, who won Boston in 2000 and 2001, headlines a diverse women's field
that includes last year's runner-up, Lyubov Denisova of Russia, plus Elfenesh
Alemu of Ethiopia and Olympian Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia. Last year's
women's winner, Svetlana Zakharova of Russia, has not entered.
For the first time, the women's field will have a separate start, going off
at 11:31 a.m., 28 minutes before the men on April 19.
The men's elite field, also announced yesterday by John Hancock Financial
Services, is led by defending champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya.
Cheruiyot will have some familiar challengers this year: Benjamin Kosgei
Kimutai and Martin Lel, both of Kenya, are back after finishing second and
third in 2003.
Also in the men's elite field will be 2002 Boston champion Rodgers Rop of
Kenya and Mohamed Ouaadi, who is trying to become the first French runner to
win in Boston.
Men's elite field
Bib
Name
Age
Home
Best time
1
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot
25
Kenya
2:08:59
2
Benjamin Kosgei Kimutai
33
Kenya
2:07:26
3
Rodgers Rop
28
Kenya
2:08:07
4
Timothy Cherigat
27
Kenya
2:09:34
5
Martin Lel
25
Kenya
2:10:02
6
Mohamed Ouaadi
35
France
2:07:55
7
Hailu Negussie
24
Ethiopia
2:08:16
8
Laban Kipkemboi
26
Kenya
2:08:39
9
David Omiti Makori
30
Kenya
2:08:49
10
Elly Rono
33
Kenya
2:10:57
11
Grzegorz Gajdus
37
Poland
2:09:23
12
Dmitri Kapitonov
36
Russian Federation
2:09:32
14
Dawit Trfe
19
Ethiopia
2:10:38
15
Daniele Caimmi
31
Italy
2:08:59
16
Robert Cheboror
25
Kenya
2:11:06
17
Stephen Kiogora
29
Kenya
2:12:29
18
Andrew Letherby
30
Australia
2:12:45
19
Enos Keter
22
Kenya
2:13:44
20
Gudisa Shentama
23
Ethiopia
2:15:16
21
John Korir
28
Kenya
Debut
25
Hiroaki Takeda
29
Japan
2:12:02
26
Shinsuke Sato
23
Japan
27
Minoru Isono
30
Japan
2:19:02
Women's elite field
Bib
Name
Age
Home
Best time
F1
Catherine Ndereba
31
Kenya
2:18:47
F2
Jelena Prokopcuka
27
Latvia
2:24:01
F3
Elfenesh Alemu
28
Ethiopia
2:24:29
F4
Nuta Olaru
33
Romania
2:25:18
F5
Olivera Jevtic
26
Serbia and Montenegro
2:25:23
F6
Lyubov Denisova
32
Russian Federation
2:25:58
F7
Malgorzata Sobanska
34
Poland
2:26:08
F8
Ruth Jepkoech Kutol
30
Kenya
2:27:22
F9
Victoria Klimina
28
Russian Federation
2:28:30
F10
Irina Safarova
34
Russian Federation
2:29:20
F11
Leah Malot
31
Kenya
Debut
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