John Hancock Announces Changes to the 2011 Boston Marathon Elite Field

BOSTON, MA, March 4, 2011—John Hancock Financial today announced American talent Brett Gotcher has been added to the elite field for the 115th running of the Boston Marathon on April 18.

Brett Gotcher ran the fourth fastest American marathon debut in Houston in 2010 and the 2:10:36 he recorded is his personal best. Gotcher represented the United States at the 2009 World Half Marathon Championships and the 2009 World Cross Country Championships.

Accomplished at the national level, Gotcher won the 2009 USATF 20K Championships in 58:57, placed third in the USATF Half Marathon Championships with a personal best 1:02:09, and finished seventh in the USATF Cross Country Championships. As a junior he won the 2003 Pan American 10,000m and the U.S. Junior Nationals 10,000m.

Gotcher ran for Stanford University as a teammate of Ryan Hall for several years. He was a three-time Pac-10 All Academic selection and an All American in the 10,000m before graduating with a BS in psychology in 2007. Gotcher trains with the McMillan Elite team in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Antonio Vega, the USATF Men’s Long Distance Runner of the Year, has not been able to train properly due to a stress fracture in the pelvis. Vega’s doctors expect the athlete will be back racing in the summer.

“Once I found out that I had a stress fracture, I was extremely disappointed that I would have to miss the Boston Marathon,” said Vega. “Last year I considered the Boston Marathon one of my breakthrough races, and was looking forward to coming back again this year and bettering my performance. As tough as it is to have to sit out this year’s race, I look forward to coming back and running the Boston Marathon in future years.”

Vega won the 2010 U.S. Half Marathon Championships last year in 1:01:54 and then finished 12th at the Boston Marathon. He trains with Team USA Minnesota.

An updated field list follows.

Men’s Open Field	Citizenship	Personal Best

Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot	Kenya	2:05:52 (Boston, 2010) CR
Geoffrey Mutai	Kenya	2:04:55 (Rotterdam, 2010)
Ryan Hall	USA	2:06:17 (London, 2008)
Gilbert Yegon	Kenya	2:06:18 (Amsterdam, 2009)
Evans Cheruiyot	Kenya	2:06:25 (Chicago, 2008)
Tadese Tola	Ethiopia	2:06:31 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Sylvester Teimet	Kenya	2:06:49 (Seoul, 2010) CR
Bekana Daba	Ethiopia	2:07:04 (Houston, 2011) CR
Philip Kimutai Sanga	Kenya	2:07:11 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Shadrack Kiplagat	Kenya	2:07:53 (Amsterdam, 2007)
Tekeste Kebede	Ethiopia	2:07:23 (Boston, 2010)
Abreham Cherkos	Ethiopia	2:07:29 (Amsterdam, 2010)
Deressa Chimsa	Ethiopia	2:07:54 (Dubai, 2009)
Stephen Kibiwot	Kenya	2:07:54 (Praha, 2009)
Robert Kipchumba	Kenya	2:08:07 (Xiamen, 2011) CR
Gebregziabher Gebremariam	Ethiopia	2:08:14 (New York City 2010)
Moses Kigen Kipkosgei	Kenya	2:10:12 (Nairobi, 2009) CR
Brett Gotcher	USA	2:10:36 (Houston, 2010)
Peter Kamais	Kenya	2:14:58 (New York City, 2010)
Alistair Cragg	Ireland	Debut
Moses Mosop	Kenya	Debut

Women’s Open Field	Country	Personal Best

Teyba Erkesso	Ethiopia	2:23:53 (Houston, 2010) CR
Catherine Ndereba	Kenya	2:18:47 (Chicago, 2001) NR
Galina Bogomolova	Russia	2:20:47 (Chicago, 2006)
Sharon Cherop	Kenya	2:22:43 (Toronto, 2010) CR
Tirfi Tsegaye	Ethiopia	2:22:44 (Toronto, 2010)
Merima Mohammed	Ethiopia	2:23:06 (Toronto, 2010)
Salina Kosgei	Kenya	2:23:22 (Berlin, 2006)
Caroline Kilel	Kenya	2:23:25 (Frankfurt, 2010) CR
Dire Tune	Ethiopia	2:23:44 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Alice Timbilili	Kenya	2:25:03 (Amsterdam, 2010)
Kim Smith	New Zealand	2:25:21 (London, 2010) NR
Kara Goucher	USA	2:25:52 (New York, 2008)
Tatyana Pushkareva	Russia	2:26:14 (Boston, 2010)
Desiree Davila	USA	2:26:20 (Chicago, 2010)
Misiker Mekonin Demissie	Ethiopia	2:26:20 (Los Angeles, 2010)
Silvia Skvortsova	Russia	2:26:24 (Berlin, 2009)
Werknesh Kidane	Ethiopia	2:27:15 (Dubai, 2011)
Hellen Mugo	Kenya	2:27:16 (Carpi, 2010)
Yuliya Ruban	Ukraine	2:27:44 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Woynishet Girma	Ethiopia	2:27:51 (Amsterdam, 2010)
Blake Russell	USA	2:29:10 (Chicago, 2005)
Florence Kiplagat	Kenya	Debut