Contact: Laurence Dean Cohen
(310)474-5116
2003 LOS ANGELES MARATHON ELITE FIELD TO BE LED BY RACE'S
FIRST-EVER BACK-TO-BACK MEN'S CHAMPION
2001 and 2002 L.A. Marathon winner Stephen Ndungu of Kenya is set to return
for the 18th running of the City of Los Angeles Marathon on March 2, 2003.
He not only is the race's first-ever back-to-back Men's Champion, he won the
2002 race with a personal record of 2:10:27. The Women's race will see the
return of 2001 winner Elena Paramanova of Russia.
In the women's wheelchair division, back-to-back champion Ariadne Hernandez
of Mexico is set to defend her title. In what will likely be a major
highlight of this year's race, the world's top three men's wheelchair
athletes will go head to head. Set to return are 2002 winner Ernst Van Dyk
of South Africa, who edged out 5-time L.A. Marathon winner Saul Mendoza of
Mexico in a statistical tie of 1:28:44 and a photo-finish with five
wheelchair athletes crossing the finish line in less than 2 seconds. They
will be challenged by world record holder Heinz Frei, who at the age of 44
beat both Mendoza and Van Dyk in Oita Japan 2002.
The Men's elite field, comprised primarily of Kenyans, will include a strong
Japanese presence and two Americans. Heading up the field and hoping to beat
Ndungu is 2000 L.A. Marathon winner Benson Mbithi, who will be joined by
fellow Kenyans including L.A. Marathon veterans Joseph Kariuki (pacesetter
with a PR of 2:12:56) and Mark Yatich (PR 2:10:55), along with L.A Marathon
newcomers David Rutto(PR 2:11:38), Clement Kipbor Koech (PR 2:13:10),
Ibrahim Kipkurui Mitei (PR 2:11:47) , David Kiptoo Kirui (PR 2:09:40),
Gabriel Muchuri (Marathon Debut NY 'O2 2:17:30) and Simon Wangai (Marathon
debut L.A. 2003). Rounding out the field are Andrew Sambu of Tanzania (PR
2:10:14), Japan's Toshiya Katayama (PR 2:11:22) and Takashi Horiguchi
(Marathon debut L.A. 2003); as well as Americans Ryan Bolton (PR 2:24) and
Ryan Jayes (PR half Marathon 1:08:04).
The Women's field includes Nuta Olaru of Romania (Boston '02 at 2:30:26),
who came in 2nd place at the both the 2000 and 2001 L.A. Marathon, who will
be joined by fellow Romanian Aurica Buia (PR 2:31:39), who placed 4th in the
2000 L.A. Marathon. Rounding out the Women's field are Russians Olga
Kovpotina (PR 2:27:37), Tatyana Pozdnyakova (PR 2:29), Lidia Vassilevskaia
(PR 2:29:23), and Irina Safarova (PR 2:29:20), Kenyan Anna Jelagat Kibor
(PR 2:32:18), Zivile Balciunaite of Lithuania (PR 2:33:36), Ludmila Pushkin
of the Ukraine (PR 2:28:23), and Kenyan Jackline Torori, who brings a
1:12:18 Half Marathon personal record to her marathon debut with the 2003
L.A. Marathon.
The City of Los Angeles Marathon is looking to build on a record year in
which 22,167 runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes participated in the
2002 race. The Acura L.A. Bike Tour attracted a record 16,392 cyclists. The
5K Run/Walk attracted a record 3,347 participants. The Official Charity
Program in 2002 raised $1,957,867.37 in contributions, nearly doubling the
previous record.
The 2003 City of Los Angeles Marathon Presented by Honda is sponsored by
American Airlines, City of Angels Medical Center, The Gas Company (A Sempra
Energy Utility), NBC4, Saucony and Sparkletts. The race will be broadcast
live on NBC 4 from 8am to noon and for the first-time in Spanish on KVEA 52,
Telemundo's flagship station. Detailed race information is available at
www.lamarathon.com.
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