Press Release - Boston Marathon - 12/16/15

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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