FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
John Hancock Financial Announces
Elite Athlete Ambassadors for 2016 Boston Marathon
Past Champions, Olympians, and Dick and Rick Hoyt Invited as Race Week
Ambassadors for the 120th Running of the Race on April 18
BOSTON, MA, March 24, 2016—John Hancock today announced their Elite Athlete
Ambassador Team for the 2016 Boston Marathon.
Past champions, Meb Keflezighi, Greg Meyer, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Bill
Rodgers, Amby Burfoot, and Roberta 'Bobbi' Gibb will join Uta Pippig, Dick
and Rick Hoyt, Ryan Hall, Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Linden and Amy Cragg as
ambassadors for this year's race.
Ambassadors will cheer on the 30,000 participants racing from Hopkinton to
Boston on Patriots' Day and attend media, community and race week events,
including making appearances at the John Hancock booth at the Sports and
Fitness Expo and surprising race participants at weekend "meet and greets"
near the finish line. All ambassadors will attend the John Hancock Elite
Athlete press conference on April 15 at 10 a.m. at the Fairmont Copley.
Additionally, Keflezighi, Cragg, Linden, and Flanagan will throw out the
first pitch at Fenway Park on April 16 for the Red Sox game, in celebration
of making the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon team.
"We welcome to Boston this exceptional group of John Hancock Elite Athlete
Ambassadors," said Rob Friedman, head of Sponsorship and Event Marketing at
John Hancock. "These past champions, Olympians and inspirational athletes
are role models for all of us. Their lives continue to center around a
journey of health and wellness, commitment, strength, and heart. They have
given back to the sport in so many positive ways and we welcome them into
our Boston Marathon community. Their presence here will create tremendous
excitement for participants and fans alike."
Meb Keflezighi: The 2014 Boston Marathon champion, Keflezighi is the only
U.S. male to have won the Boston and New York City Marathons and an Olympic
medal (silver, 2004). With his recent second-place finish at the U.S.
Olympic Marathon Trials, Keflezighi will compete on his fourth Olympic team
this summer.
Greg Meyer: The 1983 Boston Marathon champion, Meyer won the 1980 Detroit
Marathon and the1982 Chicago Marathon. Meyer set ten U.S. road racing
records and two world records (15K, Ten Mile) during his career. He is the
coach of the John Hancock Employee Running Program for the Boston Marathon.
Joan Benoit Samuelson: The first woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon,
Samuelson is a two-time Boston Marathon winner and Chicago Marathon winner.
In 1979, as a 21-year-old college senior, Samuelson won the Boston Marathon
and set an American Best (2:35:15). In 1983, she won again, setting a world
standard of 2:22:43.
Bill Rodgers: Four-time Boston Marathon (1975, 1978-80) and four-time New
York City Marathon champion (1976-79), Rodgers continues to inspire runners
of all ages and abilities. Rodgers also won the Fukuoka Marathon and is a
former world record holder in the 25K.
Amby Burfoot: The 1968 Boston Marathon champion, Burfoot is the
Editor-At-Large for Runner's World. His recent book, First Ladies of
Running highlights 22 inspiring female runners.
Roberta 'Bobbi' Gibb: The women's winner of the Boston Marathon during the
pre-sanctioned years of 1966, 1967, and 1968, Gibb is marking the 50th
anniversary of her initial win at this year's Boston Marathon. Gibb will be
the Boston Athletic Association's Grand Marshal for the race.
Uta Pippig: Coach of Team Hoyt, Pippig is a three-time Boston Marathon
(1994-96) and three-time Berlin Marathon champion (1990, 92, 95).
Dick and Rick Hoyt: The Hoyts have raced together in more than 1,100
sporting events, including 32 Boston Marathons. Over three decades they
have inspired race participants and fans with their determination and
willpower to defy all expectations.
Ryan Hall: American record holder in the 20K, 30K and half marathon, Hall
also owns the U.S. course record on the Boston Marathon course (2:04:58).
He won the 2007 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and finished runner-up at the
2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. At the 2008 Olympic Games Marathon, he
finished 10th.
Shalane Flanagan: Qualifying for her fourth Olympic team this year,
Flanagan holds the American course record at the Boston Marathon (2:22:02),
multiple U.S. track and road records, and earned the bronze medal in the
10,000m at the 2008 Olympics.
Desiree Linden: Runner-up at the 2011 Boston Marathon, Linden recently
finished second at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. She won the silver
medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games, finished second at the 2012 U.S. Olympic
Marathon Trials, placed second at the 2010 Chicago Marathon and was fourth
in Boston last year.
Amy Cragg: The 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials champion, Cragg finished fourth at
the 2014 Chicago Marathon and second at the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon. In
2012, she finished 11th in the 10,000m at the London Olympics.
The 2016 Boston Marathon marks the 31st year of John Hancock's landmark
sponsorship of the legendary race.
For additional information about this year's elite team running the race,
please visit www.bostonmarathonmediaguide.com.
For more information about the elite athlete program and sponsorship,
please visit www.johnhancock.com/bostonmarathon/sportspartnerships.html or
follow us @jhboston26 on Twitter.
About John Hancock and Manulife
John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based
financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the
United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as
John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a
diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management
services through its extensive network of employees, agents and
distribution partners. Assets under management and administration by
Manulife and its subsidiaries were C$935 billion (US$676 billion) as at
December 31, 2015. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the
TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on
the Internet at manulife.com.
The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of
the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and
administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance,
annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college
savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information
about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.
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