By David Wright
Start to the 2009 Boston Marathon. © www.photorun.net
It’s a long time since the enthusiastic Boston Marathon crowds have had the chance to cheer an American male winner on Patriots Day. Those lucky enough to have witnessed that day are at least in their thirties now, because you have to go back all the way to 1983, when 27-year-old Greg Meyer, a favorite son of Massachusetts, pulled away from the pack on the Newton hills then ran on alone to win the 87th race in 2:09:00. (It was a clean sweep for the U.S. with Joan Benoit running away from the women’s field to finish in 2:22:43 hours—two minutes faster than the previous world record). Little wonder then that a significant U.S. presence this year has many people wanting to believe that the men’s drought could end on Monday. Current New York Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi and last year’s third place Boston finisher Ryan Hall—neighbors in Mammoth Lakes, California—will join elite athletes from eleven countries on the starting line in Hopkinton. But the Americans face a formidable field: Seven of the top ten finishers from last year will be here. Those famous names will lead more than 25,000 other runners from around the world on the magical 26.2 mile run into downtown Boston.
Who’ll be the first to break the tape in the 114th running of one of the planet’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathons? Take The Magic Step® previews this year’s top contenders.
MEN:
Elite men on their way to Boston. © www.photorun.net
Abderrahim Goumri (Morocco/2:05:30): The fastest man in the race—but also the fastest marathoner in history never to win! Goumri’s career has been marked by a frustrating string of “always the bridesmaid” finishes: he’s come in second in three of the biggest marathons—London, New York, and Chicago. Now, at 33, he is making his Boston debut—and he has every incentive to put an end to the most heartbreaking streak in marathoning.
Ryan Hall (U.S./2:06:17): The charismatic “rock star” of marathoning, 27-year-old Ryan is the second fastest American marathoner ever. A year ago in Boston he thrilled spectators by fighting courageously to a third place finish. It’s an indication of his quiet determination to do even better this year that after preparing at altitude all winter he’s been training on the Boston Marathon course exclusively for the past three weeks. If he paces himself better than last year he will be a major threat.
Gilbert Yegon (Kenya/2:06:18): Gilbert, 21, is the second youngest runner in the race, yet despite his inexperience, he comes to Boston as one of the favorites after a sensational debut year in 2009. He won his first and only marathon at Amsterdam in October in a red hot 2:06:18—breaking the great Haile Gebrselassie’s course record—then set a half marathon PR of 61:26 in Berlin. If he can handle Boston’s hills, watch out for the “wunderkind!”
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (Kenya/2:06:23): Born just four days after his fellow countryman Yegon, the 21-year-old burst onto the world scene with a course-record win in his marathon debut in Frankfurt in 2008. He narrowly failed to defend his title last fall—yet boosted his PR by almost a minute. His trainer is the Seoul Olympic champion William Kiplagat and if Robert continues the steady improvement he’s shown he could be a Boston surprise.
Deriba Merga (Ethiopa/2:06:38): He says he once promised his mentor, legendary world record holder Haile Gebrselassie, that he would become the best marathoner in the world. Merga, 29, took a huge step in fulfilling that promise a year ago when he won Boston in 2:08:42. The reigning champion’s results have been less than spectacular since then, but don’t write off a repeat. Days before the race he told Take The Magic Step boldly, “My target is 2:07.”
Meb Keflezighi (U.S./2:09:15): If anyone has momentum it’s the popular 2004 Olympic silver medalist. Meb, 34, is coming off a stunning win in the New York Marathon last fall, when he ran his best-ever time to become the first American victor in the Big Apple classic since 1982. He says that a Boston win has always been his dream, he’s proved he can handle tough courses and if the conditions are right, look for a possible major-marathon “double.”
WOMEN:
Dire Tune (left) and Salina Kosgei less than 100 feet from their dramatic marathon finish. © Courtesy of Aisling Gilliland
Madai Perez (Mexico/2:22:59): She’s the fastest woman in the field on paper—but her PR dates back to the Chicago Marathon in 2006. Nevertheless 30-year-old Madai, who finished third at Boston in 2007, believes she can make a comeback after giving birth to a new baby daughter, and she could possibly be a factor if she can stay with the leaders with Boston in sight.
Salina Kosgei (Kenya/2:23:22): The reigning Boston champion, 33-year-old Salina works as a prison guard back home in Kenya—and she’ll be guarding her title against a strong field. She took a hard fall during last November’s New York Marathon, hurting her knee, and finished a disappointing fifth in 2:31:53. But as her Boston rivals learned a year ago, if she is anywhere close at the end she has the killer kick and the finishing power to win a sprint to the finish line.
Teyba Erkesso (Ethiopia/2:23:53): The 27-year-old comes to Boston ready to run her second marathon in three months. Her confidence should be high after a course record win and personal best of 2:23:53 at the Chevron Houston Marathon on January 17. She followed that triumph in February with a half marathon PR of 1:07:41. For many runners such an exhausting schedule might spell trouble—but Teyba has the strength to be very competitive over the difficult Boston course.
Dire Tune (Ethiopia/2:24:40): Dire came out on the losing end of history last year when she lost to Salina Kosgei by ONE SECOND in the closest women’s Boston Marathon ever. (The 24-year-old from a remote village in Ethiopia is no stranger to nailbiting finishes: in 2008 she won Boston by just two seconds!) But last year Salina and Dire faced strong headwinds that made for a slow pace and with conditions forecast to be better this year the speed they both possess at the end of 26.2 miles could set up a repeat of their epic battle.
Lidiya Grigoryeva (Russia/2:25:10): A woman for all seasons, she conquered a daunting Nor’easter to become the 2007 Boston champion, and won Chicago the next year in a heatwave! Lidiya, 36, comes into Boston following a third-place finish in Chicago (2:26:47) last October and with previous victories that include Paris, Los Angeles, and Austin her experience could give her an edge in Boston this year.
Weiwei Sun (China/2:25:15): At 25, Weiwei has already run an incredible 22 marathons—winning four of them—but she’s never before run in the United States. She recorded a 2:29:39 for 13th place in the IAAF World Championships in Berlin last August, helping China win the team gold medal. Her PR came in her debut marathon in Beijing in 2002 when she was only 17, but she’s proved she can produce surprises.
MASTERS:
In the men’s division, the favorite has to be last year’s winner James Koskei of Kenya, who beat his closest rival by an amazing seven-plus minutes and finished 11th overall in 2:14:52. The 41-year-old former soccer player who runs for KIMbia athletics, didn’t start running marathons until six years ago. He is trained by Dieter Hogen, who coached Uta Pippig to three Boston Marathon titles.
On the women’s side, Russia’s Alina Ivanova returns after taking second place (and 10th overall) last year in 2:36:50. Alina, 41, is a retired Olympic race walker turned marathoner. She has to be favored in the absence this year of Colleen DeReuck—the star masters runner who beat her last year.
