Shalane Flanagan Out of Boston Marathon

to withdraw from the 2017 Boston Marathon due to a fracture in her back
that will require four to six weeks of rest and healing. “I’m extremely
sad at the loss of opportunity to run with the best and that I will not
be a part of my favorite race,” said Shalane. The four-time Olympian has
run Boston three times and recorded the fastest time ever run by an
American woman on the Boston course in 2014 (2:22:02). Shalane most
recently finished sixth in the marathon at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
She won the bronze medal in the 10,000m at the  2008 Olympics and the
bronze medal at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She holds
North and Central American records in the indoor 3,000m and 5,000m and
in the 10K, 15K, and 25K. (Photo by Victah/PhotoRun)

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Suguru Osako, a five-time national record holder on the track for Japan, will make his marathon debut at the 2017 Boston Marathon.

One of Japan’s most talented track athletes,
Osako holds five national records: 3,000m (7:40.09), 5,000m (13:08.40),
3,000m indoor (7:45.62, en route to the two-mile indoor record),
Two-Miles indoor (8:16.47) and 5,000m indoor (13:28). As a junior
runner, he finished eighth at the IAAF World Junior Championships
10,000m and 32nd at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The same
year, he won the Ageo City Half Marathon in 1:01:47, setting an Asian
junior record for the event. In 2011, Osako won the gold medal in the
10,000m at the Shenzen Summer Universiade. He is a national champion in
the 5,000m and 10,000m and competed in both events at the 2016 Rio
Olympic Games.  In February, he improved his half marathon best to
1:01:13, with a sixth place finish at the Marugame Half Marathon. Osako
currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and trains with the Nike Oregon
Project.