FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOHN HANCOCK ANNOUNCES RETURN OF DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
TO 2016 BOSTON MARATHON
Lelisa Desisa and Caroline Rotich Set To Defend Titles On April 18
2016 Marks 31st Year Of John Hancock's Sponsorship of
The Boston Marathon
BOSTON, MA, December, 16, 2015-John Hancock Financial today announced the
return of 2015 Boston Marathon champions Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia and
Caroline Rotich of Kenya for the 120th running of the race on April 18,
2016.
Last year the chase for the men's title was aggressive with a deep
international field of Olympic medalists, IAAF World Marathon champions,
and Abbott World Marathon Majors winners battling for the win in rainy and
windy conditions. Experience proved the deciding factor, however, as Desisa
broke away from Yemane Tsegay and Wilson Chebet in the closing mile to
secure his second Boston Marathon title.
After Desisa's first win in 2013, he gifted his champion's medal back to
the City of Boston to honor the victims and families affected by the April
15 race day tragedy. His sincere gesture earned him a place in the hearts
of all who respect what the sport of marathon running exemplifies, and his
repeat win has firmly placed him in the record books as the only Ethiopian
man to have won the Boston Marathon twice. Named the #1 marathoner in the
world by Track & Field News in 2013 for his Boston and Dubai Marathon wins
and silver medal at the IAAF World Championships Marathon, Desisa has also
finished second and third, respectively, at the TCS New York City Marathon
the past two years.
"I am so happy to return to Boston in 2016 to try to make history as a
three-time champion of the world's most historic race and to do my best to
represent Ethiopian running on the global stage," said Desisa. "Boston has
become more than a race to me; the city and its people are special and my
wins in Boston are the most important moments in my athletic career. I am
dreaming of crossing the finish line first for the third time."
In last year's women's race, there was another dramatic finish that
hundreds of thousands of fans have come to expect at the Boston Marathon.
In the final mile, three women pulled away from the lead pack: Caroline
Rotich, Mare Dibaba and Buzunesh Deba. All brought Boston experience to the
race and all were seeking their first Boston title. As Deba faded rounding
the historic right on Hereford and left on Boylston, Rotich and Dibaba
raced side-by-side down the finish stretch. Rotich called upon her inner
reserves for a final surge and prevailed over Dibaba by four seconds for
the win.
Rotich, two-time winner of the New York City Half Marathon and past winner
of the Las Vegas and Prague Marathons, said, "Winning the 2015 Boston
Marathon was my biggest and most treasured performance. For what Boston has
given me and what Boston has endured, I would like to give back by
defending my title on April 18. I cannot wait to line up with everyone else
and give it 100 percent."
"John Hancock is thrilled to celebrate the return of our defending Boston
Marathon champions Lelisa and Caroline," said Rob Friedman, head of
Sponsorship and Event Marketing at John Hancock. "When you become a
champion at Boston, you become part of the Boston community and part of a
tradition that is over a century in the making. We look forward to our
defending champions joining the rest of the elite athlete field from around
the world and the tens of thousands of runners who will line up at the
start line in Hopkinton on April 18 to participate in the world's most
historic marathon."
"Lelisa and Caroline are inspiring and popular champions of the streets of
Boston that our fans and followers will surely be eager to see again," said
Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. "They have not only proven
themselves at the Boston Marathon, but they have returned to run other
Boston road races, endearing themselves to our spectators and their fellow
participants. We are always particularly proud to be able to welcome back
our defending champions."
The 2016 Boston Marathon marks the 31st year of John Hancock's landmark
sponsorship of the legendary race. The complete elite international field
will be announced in January. For additional information about the elite
athlete program and sponsorship, please visit
www.johnhancock.com/bostonmarathon/sportspartnerships.html or follow us
@jhboston26 on Twitter.
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