FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Announces Elite Field
2008 Olympic Women's Marathon Gold Medalist
Constantina Tomescu-Dita Tops List
CHICAGO (September 9, 2008) - Bank of America today announced the elite
field of male and female athletes scheduled to compete for the 2008 Bank of
America Chicago Marathon® championship titles on Sunday, Oct. 12.
Topping the list is newly crowned Olympic women's marathon gold medalist
Constantina Tomescu-Dita of Romania and up-and-comer William Kipsang of
Kenya who currently holds the 11th all-time fastest marathon finish time,
fifth-fastest this year (2:05:49).
At age 38, Tomescu-Dita became the oldest woman to ever win the gold medal
in the 26.2-mile Olympic contest. Familiar to Chicagoans, Tomescu-Dita won
the 2004 ChicagoMarathon and her 2008 appearance will mark her fifth on the
notoriously fast and flat course. In her last two Chicago appearances,
Tomescu-Dita finished second to American Deena Kastor (2005) and led the
2006 women's field at course record pace (sub-2:17) through mile 16 before
being surpassed by eventual champion Berhane Adere (ETH) in the 22nd mile.
"I am delighted to be returning to Chicago. I have always felt great
running there and have been fortunate to have some of the best races of my
life there," said Tomescu-Dita from Romania shortly following her Olympic
victory in Beijing. "It will also be nice to return because I understand
Chicago is bidding for the 2016 Olympic Games and I think it would be a
wonderful place to have them."
Tomescu-Dita will be challenged by 2007 Chicago Marathon runner-up and
fellow Romanian Adriana Pirtea, 28, and up-and-comer Bezunesh Bekele, 25,
of Ethiopia. Chicago fans will recognize Pirtea who came into the final
stretch last year with a sizeable lead. As she pumped her arm in victory a
few hundred meters from the finish, returning 2006 Chicago champ Adere
streaked up behind her unnoticed until she was uncatchable in the final
strides to repeat her championship finish. Bekele will follow-up her
impressive debut at the Dubai Marathon entering the Chicago race with a
2:23:09 personal record, second in the field only to Tomescu-Dita.
On the men's side, William Kipsang, 31, is the man to beat arriving off a
2:05:49 first-place finish at the Rotterdam Marathon in April. Kenya's
Emmanuel Mutai, 30, will put some pressure on Kipsang considering his
fourth-place finish at the Flora London Marathon in April where he set a
personal record (2:06:15). Also expected to be in the mix is fellow
countryman Richard Limo who finished second to Mutai at last year's
Amsterdam Marathon, crossing the line only 16 seconds behind the champion.
"The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has a reputation for producing
historic efforts and breathtaking finishes and the quality of this year's
elite field is an extension of that tradition," said Executive Race
Director Carey Pinkowski of Chicago Event Management, now in his 19th year
overseeing the event. "This year's men's field features four men who have
run under 2:07:00, one who has run under 2:06:00 and champions from some of
the great marathons of the world which should produce another great day of
marathon running on Oct. 12."
Representing the United States in Chicago are Kate O'Neill and Colleen De
Reuck. O'Neill, 28, will return to the site of her 2007 debut at the
marathon distance, looking to best her time of 2:36:15 on the Chicago
course. Masters runner Colleen De Reuck, 44, will return for her sixth
Chicago Marathon.
The elite racers will start the 26.2-mile Bank of AmericaChicagoMarathon
course at 7:55 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12, five minutes in advance of the
massive field of 45,000 registered runners. Following is the current list
of elite athletes who will compete for the $125,000 first-place prize
distributed to the top male and female overall winners.
2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Elite Field
Name Citizenship Personal Record
Women
Bezunesh Bekele ETH 2:23:09
Alevtina Biktimirova RUS 2:25:12
Colleen De Reuck USA 2:26:35
Zoila Gomez USA 2:33:53
Lidiya Grigoryeva RUS 2:25:10
Kate O'Neill USA 2:36:15
Adriana Pirtea ROU 2:28:52
Kiyoko Shimahara JPN 2:26:14
Worknesh Tola ETH 2:25:37
Constantina Tomescu-Dita ROU 2:21:30
Men
Moses Arusei KEN 2:06:50
Christopher Cheboiboch KEN 2:08:17
Timothy Cherigat KEN 2:09:34
James Getanda KEN 2:11:50
Salim Kipsang KEN 2:07:29
William Kipsang KEN 2:05:49
Richard Limo KEN 2:06:45
Emmanuel Mutai KEN 2:06:15
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