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When orgainzers of the Boston and Flora London Marathons announced some of the elite names that will contest their races in April, it wasn't too surprising that many of the world's finest racers over the 42.2 km distance have committed to two of the planet's finest races.
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya and Latvian Jelena Prokopcuka, the current leaders in the World Marathon Majors series, will be the headliners when Boston celebrates its 111th running on April 16. Kipkoech Cheruiyot is a two-time winner while Prokopcuka, the runner-up last year, is the two-time defending champion at the ING New York City Marathon.
Meanwhile, organizers of the 27th London running, scheduled for April 22, have announced most their men's field, one that yet again is shaping into the finest of the year.
Last year’s fastest marathoner, Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie, tops the men's field, which also includes world record holder Paul Tergat of Kenya, Italy's Olympic champion Stafano Baldini, Morocco's double world champion Jaouad Gharib, and reigning London winner Felix Limo of Kenya.
“We are delighted to have such a strong field for the men’s elite race again this year,” said Flora London Marathon Race Director David Bedford. “The presence of the world record holder, the world and Olympic champions, our reigning champion and the in-form Haile Gebrselassie will, I am sure, mean we have another hugely exciting race through London's streets.”
Gebrselassie, a double Olympic and four-time world 10,000m champion, will return to London 12 months after finishing a disappointing ninth last year. But he bounced back in the fall when he produced a personal best 2:05:56 performance at the real,- Berlin Marathon, making him the fifth fastest of all time.
Other major names include Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, the surprise winner of November's New York race; the U.S duo of Meb Keflezighi, the Olympic silver medallist, and former world record holder Khalid Khannouchi; Kenyan Martin Lel, the 2005 London champion, who lost to Limo last year by just two seconds; and South Africa’s Hendrick Ramaala, who was third last year. In all, the top five finishers from 2006 will return.
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