Runner's & Triathlete's Web Athletics:2008 World Marathon Majors Series Continues With Boston Marathon

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Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Dire Tune Earn First-Place Accolades

BOSTON – The 2008 World Marathon Majors (WMM) series continued today with the crowing of the men’s and women’s champions at the 112th running of the Boston Marathon. The inaugural WMM men’s champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya moved into second place in the 2007-08 series championship in becoming the youngest four-time Boston Marathon champion. Ethiopia’s Dire Tune added her name to the series leaderboard in the closest women’s finish in the history of the race.

Martin Lel of Kenya and Irina Mikitenko of Germany both earned 25 points in winning last week’s Flora London Marathon, the first of six races in the series in 2008. The next points races in the 2007-08 series will be the Olympic Marathons this August in Beijing. At the conclusion of the two-year series this fall, the male and female point leaders will each be awarded $500,000.

Cheruiyot closed the gap in winning the Boston Marathon for the second time in the 2007-08 WMM series, earning 25 points for the victory. Lel sits atop the standings with 75 points, while his fellow countryman Cheruiyot moves within 20 points of first-place with 55 overall. Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco drops to third place with 30 points.

The top three in the women’s standings remains the same following today’s race, as 2006-07 WMM women’s champion Gete Wami remains in the lead with a total 65 points. Mikitenko remains in a tie for second in the 2007-08 series with China’s Zhou Chunxiu as each woman has accumulated 40 total points.

The results of today’s top five male and female finishers will also impact the 2008-09 WMM leaderboard, which officially opened its two-year series last week in London. The updated 2007-08 and 2008-09 leaderboards follow. Athletes who earned points in today’s Boston Marathon are bolded.

2007-08 World Marathon Majors Leaderboard

MEN 1. Martin Lel (KEN), 75 pts. 2. Robert Cheruiyot (KEN), 55 pts. 3. Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), 40 pts. 4. Luke Kibet (KEN), 25 pts. 4. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH), 25 pts. 4. Patrick Ivuti (KEN), 25 pts. 7. Jaouad Gharib (MAR), 20 pts. 8. James Kwambai (KEN), 16 pts. 9. Sammy Wanjiru (KEN), 15 pts. 9. Mubarak Hassan Shami (ETH), 15 pts. 9. Abel Kirui (KEN), 15 pts. 9. Abderrahime Bouramdane (MAR), 15 pts. 13. Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), 11 pts. 14. Stephen Kiogora (KEN), 10 pts. 14. Felix Limo (KEN), 10 pts. 14. Victor Rothlin (SUI), 10 pts. 14. Salim Kipsang (KEN), 10 pts. 14. Daniel Njenga (KEN), 10 pts. 14. Khalid El Boumlili (MAR), 10 pts. 20. Emmanuel Mutai (KEN), 5 pts. 20. Stefano Baldini (ITA), 5 pts. 20. James Kosgei (KEN), 5 pts. 20. Yared Asmerom (ERI), 5 pts. 20. Philip Manyim (KEN), 5 pts. 20. Gashaw Asfaw (ETH), 5 pts. 26. Teferi Wodajo (ETH), 1 pt. 26. Ryan Hall ( USA), 1 pt. 26. Tsuyoshi Ogata (JPN), 1 pt. 26. Mesfin Adimasu (ETH), 1 pt. 26. Benjamin Maiyo (KEN), 1 pt. 26. Kasime Adillo (ETH), 1 pt.

WOMEN 1. Gete Wami (ETH), 65 pts. 2. Irina Mikitenko (GER), 40 pts. 2. Chunxiu Zhou (CHN), 40 pts. 4. Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS), 30 pts. 4. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT), 30 pts. 6. Catherine Ndereba (KEN), 26 pts. 7. Paula Radcliffe (GBR), 25 pts. 7. Berhane Adere (ETH), 25 pts. 7. Dire Tune (ETH), 25 pts. 10. Adriana Pirtea (ROU), 15 pts. 10. Svetlana Zakharova (RUS), 15 pts. 10. Alevtina Biktimirova (RUS), 15 pts. 10. Rita Jeptoo (KEN), 15 pts. 14. Kate O’Neill ( USA), 10 pts. 14. Madai Perez (MEX), 10 pts. 14. Constantina Tomescu-Dita (ROU), 10 pts. 14. Reiko Tosa (JPN), 10 pts. 14. Salina Kosgei (KEN), 10 pts. 19. Zhu Xiaolin (CHN), 5 pts. 19. Irina Timofeyeva (RUS), 5 pts. 19. Liz Yelling (GBR), 5 pts. 22. Naoko Sakamoto (JPN), 1 pt. 22. Lornah Kiplagat (NED), 1 pt. 22. Lidia Simon (ROU), 1 pt. 22. Benita Johnson (AUS), 1 pt. 22. Deena Kastor ( USA), 1 pt. 22. Ludmila Petrova (RUS), 1 pt. 22. Askale Tafa Magarsa (ETH), 1 pt.

2008-09 world marathon majors leaderboard

MEN 1. Martin Lel (KEN), 25 pts. 1. Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN), 25 pts. 3. Samuel Wanjiru (KEN), 15 pts. 3. Abderrahime Bouramdane (MAR), 15 pts. 5. Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), 10 pts. 5. Khalid El Boumlili (MAR), 10 pts. 7. Emmanuel Mutai (KEN), 5 pts. 7. Gashaw Asfaw (ETH), 5 pts. 9. Ryan Hall ( USA), 1 pt. 9. Kasime Adillo (ETH), 1 pt.

WOMEN 1. Irina Mikitenko (GER), 25 pts. 1. Dire Tune (ETH), 25 pts. 3. Svetlana Zakharova (RUS), 15 pts. 3. Alevtina Biktimirova (RUS), 15 pts. 5. Gete Wami (ETH), 10 pts. 5. Rita Jeptoo (KEN), 10 pts. 7. Salina Kosgei (KEN), 5 pts. 7. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT), 5 pts. 9. Ludmila Petrova (RUS), 1 pt. 9. Askale Tafa Magarsa (ETH), 1 pt.

WMM series points are collected for top five finishes with 25 points for first, 15 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth and 1 for fifth. The WMM series features a $1 million purse with $500,000 for the men’s and women’s champions. The full leaderboard and additional information about the World Marathon Major races on www.worldmarathonmajors.com.

This year’s WMM series will be staged for the first time at the Olympic Games men’s and women’s marathons in Beijing on August 17 and August 24, respectively, followed by the fall season beginning at the real- BERLIN-MARATHON, September 28, Bank of America Chicago Marathon , October 12 and the series finale at the ING New York City Marathon, November 2.

Website: WorldMarathonMajors.com.