Past Boston Marathon champions to defend titles in April

Boston Marathon sponsor John Hancock Financial announced today that the 2009 male and female Boston Marathon champions Deribe Merga and Solina Kosgei will participate in the 114th running of the race on April 19, 2010. Other elite entries were announced for the 2010 Boston Marathon, including past champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya for the men--and don't forget American's Meb Keflezighi and Ryan Hall-- and Catherine Nderba, Dire Tune and Lidiya Grigoryeva for the women.

The 2010 Boston Marathon lineup truly showcases a global spectrum of champions. In 2009, Deribe Merga of Ethiopia stole four-time winner and 2:07:14 course record holder Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot's thunder. The women's race could be a repeat of last year's closest finish in history as Kenyan Kosgei and Ethiopian Dire Tune will once again go head-to-head for the 26.2.

Cheruiyot placed second at the 2009 ING New York City Marathon to Meb Keflezighi and should put up a strong fight for Merga. Besides Kosgei (who was also a NYC Marathon favorite but suffered a fall mid-race) and Tune, Nderba of Kenya is a four-time Boston Marathon winner--the only woman to do so in the 114 year history of the race.-- a two-time Olympic silver medalist and two-time World Champion.

John Hancock Financial released an official Boston Marathon Twitter page this year in honor of their 25th year of sponsorship. The Boston Marathon is scheduled for April 19, 2010, but event registration closed early this year due to high demand. The winning prize purse this year--provided by John Hancock Financial-- is $806,000 and the Boston Marathon brings approximately $110 million each year to the city of Boston and its surrounding communities.

Source: National