L. MathekaChebet going for Boston Marathon three-peat
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 18.01.24. | 16:44
He won last year's race in 2:05:54 seconds to become the first man to win the Boston Marathon in back-to-back years since Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot won three straight in 2006 to 2008.
Evans Chebet and Gabriel Geay, the top two finishers at last year’s BAA Boston Marathon, will return to the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on 15 April to take on recent Valencia Marathon winner Sisay Lemma.
Chebet successfully defended his Boston title last year in 2:05:54. In fact, the Kenyan has won six of his past seven marathons.
In October last year, Chebet was expected to line up for his title defense in New York Marathon but he pulled out with three weeks to the race citing an injury, but, he was clear that his next race would be in April.
It, therefore, came as a surprise when he was left out of Team Kenya’s provisional squad to the Paris Olympics, named in December last year.
Lemma won in Valencia last month in 2:01:48, making him the fourth-fastest man in history. The Ethiopian, who also won the 2021 London Marathon, is the fastest man in this year’s Boston Marathon field, which features 20 men with sub-2:10 PBs.
Tanzania’s Geay, runner-up in Boston last year, has an identical PB to Chebet – 2:03:00 – and, like Chebet, it was also set in Valencia.
Other men in the field with sub-2:05 PBs are Kenya’s Joshua Belet (2:04:18), Ronald Korir (2:04:22), and Cyprian Kotut (2:04:34), as well as Ethiopians Haftu Teklu (2:04:43) and London and New York City runner-up Shura Kitata (2:04:49).
New York Marathon champion Albert Korir, former Japanese record-holder Suguru Osako, and Norwegian record-holder Sondre Moen are also in the field, as are Morocco’s Zouhair Talbi, winner of last week’s Houston Marathon in a course record 2:06:39, and multiple NCAA champion Edward Cheserek.
Elite field
Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:01:48
Evans Chebet (KEN) 2:03:00
Gabriel Geay (TAN) 2:03:00
Joshua Belet (KEN) 2:04:18
Ronald Korir (KEN) 2:04:22
Cyprian Kotut (KEN) 2:04:34
Haftu Teklu (ETH) 2:04:43
Shura Kitata (ETH) 2:04:49
John Korir (KEN) 2:05:01
Mohamed Esa (ETH) 2:05:05
Suguru Osako (JPN) 2:05:29
Sondre Moen (NOR) 2:05:48
Filmon Ande (ERI) 2:06:38
Zouhair Talbi (MAR) 2:06:39
Isaac Mpofu (ZIM) 2:06:48
Albert Korir (KEN) 2:06:57
Kento Otsu (JPN) 2:08:15
Ryoma Takeuchi (JPN) 2:08:40
Segundo Jami (ECU) 2:09:05
Tsegay Tuemay (ERI) 2:09:07
Matt McDonald (USA) 2:09:49
David Nilsson (SWE) 2:10:09
Tristan Woodfine (CAN) 2:10:39
CJ Albertson (USA) 2:10:52
Chris Thompson (GBR) 2:10:52
Edward Cheserek (KEN) 2:11:07
Yemane Haileselassie (ERI) debut
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