FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
127th Boston Marathon Men's Field to Feature
Abbott World Marathon Major Champions, Olympic & Paralympic Stars
BOSTON - The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today the men's
professional field for the 127th Boston Marathon, featuring 15 men who've
run under 2:07 for the marathon distance, as well as multiple Abbott World
Marathon Major race champions, Olympic and Paralympic stars.
Today's announcement expands upon four previously announced men's entrants
including world record holder and double Olympic gold medalist Eliud
Kipchoge, reigning Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, 2021 winner
Benson Kipruto, and two-time victor Lelisa Desisa. A total of 109 men's
athletes from 21 countries are in this year's professional field across the
men's Open, Wheelchair, and Para Athletics Divisions.
"The Boston Marathon is known for its competitiveness, with many races
decided in the final meters on Boylston Street," said Mary Kate Shea,
B.A.A. Director of Professional Athletes. "This year's field brings
together athletes who've excelled at both speed and championship-style
racing. Combined with the women's professional field announced on Monday,
this will be the fastest and most decorated Boston Marathon across all of
our divisions in race history."
Behind Kipchoge and Chebet, the fastest man in the field will be Tanzanian
national record holder Gabriel Geay, who finished runner-up at the Valencia
Marathon last month in 2:03:00. Geay has had success racing on the roads of
Boston, winning the 2018 B.A.A. 10K, placing fourth at last year's Boston
Marathon, and finishing in second and third at the B.A.A. Half Marathon in
2019 and 2018, respectively.
"I am excited to be returning to the Boston Marathon this year," said Geay.
"I fulfilled a dream by racing in Boston last year, but my goal is to one
day win the race, and I hope that 2023 will be my year. Thank you, Boston
for the opportunity!"
Joining Geay will be past Abbott World Marathon Majors winners including
Albert Korir of Kenya (2021 New York City champion), Ghirmay Ghebreslassie
of Eritrea (2015 World Championships gold medalist and 2016 New York City
champion), and Shura Kitata of Ethiopia (2020 London Marathon champion).
Brazilian Olympian and national record holder Daniel Do Nascimento will
make his Boston debut, as will Ethiopia's Herpasa Negasa, a 2:03:40
marathoner.
Last year's seventh-place finisher and top American, Scott Fauble, returns
for his fourth Hopkinton-to-Boston race, and will be joined by 50K world
record holder CJ Albertson. After a 2:08:16 marathon debut in Chicago last
year, Conner Mantz will take on the Boston course for the first time. He is
coached by Olympic marathoner Ed Eyestone.
"I love the Boston Marathon. It's one of the greatest sporting events in
the world," said Fauble. "It has a way of bringing the best out of people."
"Boston is such a historic marathon, and I want to be a part of that
history," said Mantz. "I love the aspect of racing with no pacers and hills
that break up rhythm, and Boston has both of those. When you add in the
competition Boston is bringing this year with Eliud Kipchoge and many
others, it makes the race so exciting!"
Ben True, a Maine native and four-time winner of the B.A.A. 5K, also is
part of the American field. B.A.A. High Performance Team members Matt
McDonald, Paul Hogan, and Jonas Hampton will have the hometown edge;
McDonald set a new B.A.A. club record and lifetime best of 2:09:49 in
Chicago last fall.
American Daniel Romanchuk will return as defending champion in the
wheelchair division, coming off a 1:26:58 victory last April. Romanchuk
also won Boston in 2019 (1:21:36), though he looks to be challenged by
wheelchair marathon world record holder and reigning Paralympic marathon
gold medalist Marcel Hug. Hug returns in search of his sixth Boston
Marathon title and holds the Boston course record of 1:18:04. In 2022 the
Swiss 'Silver Bullet' won the B.A.A. 5K in 10 minutes, 5 seconds, a course
record time.
"Nothing can compare with the excitement and anticipation at the Boston
Marathon," said Romanchuk. "I'm incredibly excited and honored to be part
of what should be a great race through the hills and all the way to
Boylston Street."
Aaron Pike, last year's wheelchair division runner-up, and Ernst van Dyk, a
ten-time Boston winner, are also racing. A $50,000 course record bonus is
available to any open division or wheelchair division athlete who breaks a
course record.
Paralympians Matthew Felton and Atsbha Gebre Gebremeskel lead the Para
Athletics Division in the T46 classification (upper-limb impairment).
American record holder and Massachusetts native Chaz Davis will look to
defend his T12 (vision impairment) Para title.
Headlining the T62 and T63 classification are Marko Cheseto Lemtukei and
Brian Reynolds. Cheseto Lemtukei earned a victory in 2:37:01 last year,
while Reynolds set a pending T62 world record of 1:25:46 at the B.A.A. Half
Marathon in November.
"A perfect society is one that sees diversity of its members as her
strength," said Cheseto Lemtukei, who returns as a two-time Boston Marathon
Para Athletics Division champion.
The 127th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023 –
Patriots' Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts-and will feature 30,000
participants. The complete men's professional field can be found below,
while the complete women's profession field can be found here. Since 1986,
John Hancock has served as principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon.
BOSTON MARATHON PROFESSIONAL FIELD – MEN'S OPEN DIVISION
^ signifies Boston Marathon Champion
*signifies Masters (40+) athlete
NAME COUNTRY PERSONAL BEST
Eliud Kipchoge Kenya 2:01:09 WR
Evans Chebet^ Kenya 2:03:00
Gabriel Geay Tanzania 2:03:00 NR
Herpasa Negasa Ethiopia 2:03:40
Benson Kipruto^ Kenya 2:04:24
Lelisa Desisa^ Ethiopia 2:04:45
Shura Kitata Ethiopia 2:04:49
Daniel Do Nascimento Brazil 2:04:51 NR
John Korir Kenya 2:05:01
Nobert Kigen Kenya 2:05:13
Ghirmay Ghebreslassie Eritrea 2:05:34
Andualem Belay Ethiopia 2:05:45
Mark Korir Kenya 2:05:49
Filmon Ande Eritrea 2:06:38
Andamlak Belihu Ethiopia 2:06:40
Isaac Mpofu Zimbabwe 2:06:48 NR
Hamza Sahli Morocco 2:07:15
Michael Githae Kenya 2:07:28
Albert Korir Kenya 2:08:03
Conner Mantz USA 2:08:16
Scott Fauble USA 2:08:52
Melikhaya Frans South Africa 2:09:24
Matt McDonald USA 2:09:49
Nico Montanez USA 2:09:55
Mick Iacofano USA 2:09:55
Mustafa Mohamed* Sweden 2:10:03 NR
Hendrik Pfeiffer Germany 2:10:18
CJ Albertson USA 2:10:23
Nathan Martin USA 2:11:05
Colin Mickow USA 2:11:22
Wilkerson Given USA 2:11:44
Turner Wiley USA 2:11:59
Jonas Hampton USA 2:12:10
Ben True USA 2:12:53
Mick Clohisey Ireland 2:13:19
Brian Shrader USA 2:13:27
Mike Sayenko USA 2:13:46
Paul Hogan USA 2:14:55
JP Flavin USA 2:14:55
Sam Chelanga USA 2:15:02
Pardon Ndhlovu USA 2:15:04
Joe Whelan USA 2:15:36
Connor Weaver USA 2:15:49
Zachary Ornelas USA 2:16:01
Fernando Cabada* USA 2:16:52
Edward Mulder USA 2:16:55
Matt Lenehan USA 2:17:02
Andrew McCann USA 2:17:07
Jon Mott USA 2:17:20
Jack Mastandra USA 2:17:28
Brian Harvey USA 2:17:40
Eduardo Garcia USA 2:17:44
Adam Wollant USA 2:17:53
Mark Messmer USA 2:17:56
Jason Ayr USA 2:18:14
Luis Carlos Rivero Guatemala 2:18:30
Eric Ashe USA 2:18:42
Austin O’Brien USA 2:18:43
Gilles Rubio* France 2:18:53
Sergio Reyes* USA 2:19:51
Prescott Leach* USA 2:19:57
Augustine Choge Kenya 2:20:53
Markus Ploner* Italy 2:22:39
Simon Poulin* Canada 2:22:55
Dave Archer* Great Britain 2:25:04
Steven Lawrence* USA 2:25:22
Chip O’Hara* USA 2:25:36
Anthony Bruns* USA 2:25:45
Miguel Morone* Brazil 2:25:54
Iain Hunter* USA 2:26:06
Dennis Mbelenzi* Canada 2:26:07
Zouhair Talbi Morocco Debut
BOSTON MARATHON PROFESSIONAL FIELD – MEN'S WHEELCHAIR DIVISION
^ signifies Boston Marathon Champion
NAME COUNTRY PERSONAL BEST
Marcel Hug^ Switzerland 1:17:47 WR
Ernst van Dyk^ South Africa 1:18:04
Josh Cassidy^ Canada 1:18:25
Aaron Pike USA 1:20:02
Johnboy Smith Great Britain 1:20:05
Hiroki Nishida Japan 1:20:28
Kota Hokinoue Japan 1:20:54
Daniel Romanchuk^ USA 1:21:36
Rafael Botello Spain 1:22:18
Patrick Monahan Ireland 1:22:23
Sho Watanabe Japan 1:24:00
Hermin Garic USA 1:24:18
James Senbeta USA 1:24:27
Simon Lawson Great Britain 1:25:06
David Weir Great Britain 1:26:17
Brian Siemann USA 1:26:46
Evan Correll USA 1:27:19
Jason Robinson USA 1:29:01
Phillip Croft USA 1:30:14
Jetze Plat Netherlands 1:30:44
Wyatt Willand USA 1:31:50
Sean Frame Great Britain 1:36:19
Hitoshi Matsunaga Japan 1:36:27
Valera Jacob Allen USA 1:43:59
Dustin Stalberg USA 1:44:28
Aidan Gravelle USA 1:49:05
Jake Lappin Australia 1:56:21
Mark Millar Great Britain 1:58:48
BOSTON MARATHON PROFESSIONAL FIELD – MEN'S PARA ATHLETICS DIVISION
NAME COUNTRY PERSONAL BEST CLASSIFICATION
Matthew Felton Australia 2:41:02 T46 (Upper-Limb Impairment)
Atsbha Gebre Gebremeskel Ethiopia Debut T46 (Upper-Limb Impairment)
Chaz Davis USA 2:31:48 NR T12 (Vision Impairment)
Alexander France USA 2:48:17 T12 (Vision Impairment)
Ary Carlos Santos Brazil 2:43:39 T13 (Vision Impairment)
Andrew Thorsen USA 2:49:46 T13 (Vision Impairment)
Marko Cheseto Lemtukei USA 2:35:55 WB T62 (Lower-Limb Impairment)
Brian Reynolds USA 3:03:21 T62 (Lower-Limb Impairment)
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through
sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and
supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The
Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with
international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York
City. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been
John Hancock. The 127th Boston Marathon is scheduled to take place on
Monday, April 17, 2023. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit
www.baa.org.
###
|