FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hall, Wanjiru Join 2008 Flora London Marathon Field
Deep line-up includes Tergat, Baldini, Gharib, Limo, Keflezighi and
defending champion Lel
LONDON - (January 7, 2008) - Two of the world's brightest new marathon
stars have been added to the men's professional line-up for the 2008 Flora
London Marathon, boosting a field already regarded as one of the best ever
assembled.
World half-marathon record holder Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya and U.S. marathon
champion Ryan Hall join the reigning World and Olympic marathon champions
(Luke Kibet and Stefano Baldini), the former world record holder (Paul
Tergat) and the defending London and 2005 champion, Martin Lel, in the race
to become the 2008 Flora London Marathon champion on Sunday, April 13.
Hall and Wanjiru both made sparkling marathon debuts in 2007 and have
chosen London for their first major race of 2008 as they build up to the
Olympic Games in Beijing in August.
"I am delighted that these two highly talented young marathon runners will
be part of the London Marathon story in 2008," said Flora London Marathon
race director Dave Bedford. "We have assembled one of the best ever fields
for the race this year and the competition will be as fierce as ever, but I
am sure Sammy and Ryan will be among the main contenders as the athletes
approach the finish line in The Mall".
Wanjiru made the step up to marathon running in 2007 after a highly
successful career at the half-marathon. He broke Tergat's long-standing
world half-marathon record in 2005 and then, reclaimed it from Haile
Gebrselassie in March 2007 lowering it to 58 minutes, 33 seconds in The
Hague, The Netherlands.
After finishing a close second to Lel in the BUPA Great North Run, the
21-year-old went on to win the Fukuoka Marathon on December 2 in his debut,
breaking the course record with his 2:06:39, the third quickest in the
world in 2007. Wanjiru has said he hopes to run 2:05 in London as he
believes that's what it will take to be selected for the Kenyan Olympic
team.
Hall is already assured of his place in Beijing having won the U.S. Men's
Olympic Marathon Trials in New York on November 3, beating the likes of Meb
Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist and Team Running USA
teammate who is also in the London field, and former world record holder
Khalid Khannouchi. The 25-year-old made his marathon debut in London last
year when he finished seventh in 2:08:24, a U.S. debut record. The Stanford
grad burst onto the world distance running stage a year ago in Houston when
he smashed the North American half-marathon record that had stood for 21
years, crossing the line in 59:43.
These top competitors in 28th Flora London Marathon will also be fighting
for points towards the second World Marathon Majors (WMM) series. The other
WMM races this year are the Boston Marathon (April 21), real,- Berlin
Marathon (September 28), Bank of America Chicago Marathon (October 12) and
ING New York City Marathon (November 2), plus the Olympic Games marathon
races in Beijing (August 17 for women and August 24 for men).
The men's professional field for London is currently as follows in personal
record order:
ATHLETE / CTZ / PR / Comment
Paul Tergat (KEN), 2:04:55, former world record holder
Felix Limo (KEN), 2:06:14, 2006 race champion
Emmanuel Mutai (KEN), 2:06:29, 2007 ING Amsterdam Marathon champion
Sammy Wanjiru (KEN), 2:06:39, 2007 Fukuoka Marathon winner; half-marathon
world record holder
Martin Lel (KEN), 2:06:41, defending champion and 2005 race champion
Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), 2:06:55, 2004 ING New York City Marathon champion
Jaouad Gharib (MAR), 2:07:02, two-time world champion
Stefano Baldini (ITA), 2:07:22, 2004 Olympic Marathon gold medalist
Yonas Kifle (ERI), 2:07:34, 2005 World Half-Marathon Championship bronze
medalist
Abderrahim Goumri (MAR), 2:07:44, 2007 ING New York City Marathon runner-up
Ryan Hall (USA), 2:08:24, U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion
Luke Kibet (KEN), 2:08:52, 2007 world champion
Aleksey Sokolov (RUS), 2:09:07, 2007 adidas Dublin Marathon winner
Meb Keflezighi (USA), 2:09:53, 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist
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