Kastor, Jeptoo and Prokopcuka to square off in Boston – Boston, USA – American Deena Kastor, Jelena Prokopcuka and defending champion Rita Jeptoo will headline a compelling women\’s battle at the 111th running of the Boston Marathon on 16 April, organisers announced

Kastor, the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist and last year\’s fastest marathoner after her 2:19:36 victory at the Flora London Marathon last spring, will be making her first appearance in the Boston race, where her chief rivals have already not only acquired experience with the course, but also achieved considerable success.

Jeptoo, still only 25 and regarded as a rising star in the event, will return to defend her 2006 title, when she clocked her personal best of 2:23:28. After winning her first two Marathons – Stockholm and Milan in 2004 – she was seventh at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki. Following her victory in Boston, she took the bronze medal for Kenya at the inaugural IAAF World Road Running Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, in October, before concluding her season with a strong fourth place finish at the ING New York City Marathon in November.

Prokopcuka, who holds multiple national records for Latvia, is a two-time Olympian and two-time New York City Marathon winner. This will be her third appearance in Boston: last year she was second to Jeptoo, reaching the finish 20 seconds behind the Kenyan, and in 2004 finished fourth. Her career best and national record of 2:22:56 came after her victory at Osaka in 2005. The 30-year-old currently leads the women\’s standings in the World Marathon Majors series.

All eyes on Kastor
But most eyes will be focused on Kastor, currently the biggest distance running star in the U.S.

“Five and a half years after my first marathon, I am finally running Boston,” Kastor said. “Tradition, sponsors and fans make this the greatest and most well respected marathon in the world.\“ Her impressive racing CV includes a pair of silver medals at the World Cross Country Championships, 18 national titles, and several national records on the track and on the roads.

Kastor, who lives and trains in California but has roots in the Boston area, added, \“I am hoping the crowds will be especially loud as I pass the Newton-Wellesley Hospital as that is where I was born 34 years ago.\“

\“As the American record holder and an Olympic medalist, Deena now headlines Boston playing host to the USA Women\’s Marathon Championship,” said Guy Morse, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association, which organises the Marathon. “More important, she could become Boston\’s first American champion in more than 20 years, but she\’ll have to defeat one of the strongest fields ever.
Rita proved herself here last year, winning the closest women\’s race in Boston history over Jelena. And with all three women competing in April, the 111th Boston Marathon is already shaping up to be one for the ages.\“