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Boston
Marathon Champions Geoffrey Mutai and Caroline Kilel returning to Boston for B.A.A. 10K on
June 26.
Reigning
champions will compete in the inaugural event.
BOSTON ÛÒ The Boston Athletic Association today
announced that 2011 Boston Marathon menÛªs and womenÛªs champions Geoffrey Mutai
and Caroline Kilel, both of Kenya, will return to Boston to compete in the
inaugural B.A.A. 10K on June 26.
At the 115th Boston Marathon on April 18,
the 29-year old Mutai ran the worldÛªs fastest marathon in 2:03:02. His
performance was 57 seconds faster than the world record time of 2:03:59 set by
Haile Gebrselassie at the 2008 Berlin Marathon. MutaiÛªs Boston performance bested
the previous course record of 2:05:52 held by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (2010).
Already having won several
international marathons prior to this yearÛªs Boston Marathon, MutaiÛªs new title
as ÛÏworldÛªs fastest marathonerÛ has instantly placed him among the sport of
runningÛªs top professionals.
KilelÛªs Boston Marathon performance also ranks among
the fastest ever recorded in BostonÛªs illustrious 115-year history. This yearÛªs winning time of 2:22:36 at
the Boston Marathon by the 30-year old Kilel was the fourth fastest in race
history. Only course record holder
Margaret Okayo, and legends Catherine Ndereba and Uta Pippig have run faster at
Boston. Kilel and American Desiree Davila dueled
to one of the most exciting finishes ever in the womenÛªs race and since an
official division was instituted in 1972.
Kilel edged Desiree Davila by two seconds with a perfectly-timed
finishing kick.
For Mutai and Kilel, who are both part of the Elite
Team which Boston Marathon principal sponsor John Hancock Financial Services recruited for this yearÛªs race,
winning at Boston represented their first World Marathon Majors victory.
ÛÏThe B.A.A. is pleased to welcome back to Boston
Geoffrey Mutai and Caroline Kilel for another B.A.A. event: this time the B.A.A.
10K,Û said Tom Grilk, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic
Association. ÛÏTheir winning
performances in the Boston Marathon were awe-inspiring, and they captivated the
sports world with their incredible races. The B.A.A. looks forward to launching
its newest event next month ÛÒ the B.A.A. 10K ÛÒ with the Boston Marathon
champions at the head of the field. The inclusion of Geoffrey and Caroline will
be an attraction not only for B.A.A. 10K participants, but also for all of those
who followed this yearÛªs Boston Marathon and marveled at their remarkable races
on PatriotsÛª Day.Û
The
inaugural B.A.A. 10K will provide runners the
opportunity to participate on an urban course through BostonÛªs Back Bay,
Kenmore Square and Boston University neighborhoods. The fast, flat
course begins and ends at Boston Common, with long stretches along
picturesque
Commonwealth
Avenue.
Online registration began on Wednesday, May 4 and the field is expected
to reach its field size limit of 5,000 entrants quickly.
Other top competitors in the B.A.A. 10K will be
introduced in May and June. The B.A.A. 10K includes a prize purse of $30,000
with $5,000 awarded to the winners and equally distributed among the top male
and female finishers.
With the Boston Marathon® as its premier
event, the B.A.A. has added the B.A.A. 10K in the summer which complements two
of its other races: the B.A.A. 5K in April and the B.A.A. Half Marathon in October. Also, the B.A.A. organizes the B.A.A.
Invitational Mile and youth programs and races, as well as other charitable and
community-based efforts.
About the
B.A.A.:
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. Each year the
Association manages a comprehensive schedule of youth-running events, distance
running training programs and large-scale races in the city of Boston. Most noteworthy is
the Boston Marathon, the world’s most prestigious and oldest
continually run marathon. Since the inaugural race in 1897, the Boston Marathon has been
the pinnacle for distance running worldwide, a position which was reinforced in
1986 with the help of principal sponsor John Hancock Financial Services. In 2006, the Boston Marathon joined the Bank of America Chicago
Marathon, the BMW Berlin Marathon, the Virgin
London Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon to form the World Marathon Majors.
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