2008 B.A.A. Half Marathon Elite Athlete Field – Top Athletes Racing for $30,000 and Course Records

Boston, Mass. – An event-record 5,061 entrants are preparing for the October 12 B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Leading the charge on race day will be one of the strongest elite fields in the event's eight-year history.

The race is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 12 at Roberto Clemente Field in Boston's Back Bay Fens neighborhood. The route will take runners out to the Franklin Park Zoo, and back again, along Boston's Emerald Necklace park system. The field of elite men and women will be competing for a total prize purse of $30,000 ($5,000 each to the male and female champions). The B.A.A. course records are 1:02:20 (Tom Nyariki, 2007) and 1:10:57 (Marie Davenport, 2003).

The men's field boasts a mix of veterans and newcomers who could challenge Nyariki's record. Charles Munyeki (KEN) is just 22 years of age, but already a veteran of the half marathon distance. Consistently a sub-1:04:00 performer around the globe, Munyeki had a major breakthrough when he ran 59:44 in Rotterdam just two weeks ago. That time makes him the 10th-fastest man in the world for 2008.

Munyeki will be challenged by a group of seasoned road racers, including 2003 and 2005 Running Times Road Racer of the Year John Korir (KEN), who holds a half marathon best of 1:01:00. Though less experienced in the half marathon, Gilbert Okari (KEN) is one of Korir's top rivals on the U.S. road circuit, and has won such races as the World's Best 10K, Falmouth Road Race, and Beach to Beacon 10K. Okari has raced the half marathon distance just once and looks poised for a breakthrough at the distance.

Returning from last year's field are Stephen Koech (KEN), who placed fourth in 2007, and Robert Wade (IRL), who finished 10th. James Koskei (KEN) enters the B.A.A. Half Marathon for the first time, though he is familiar with the B.A.A.'s other event: Koskei was fourth in the 2007 Boston Marathon. A newcomer to the roads is Iona College alum Abraham Ng'etich (KEN). He's coming off of a senior year that saw him earn NCAA All-America honors in cross country and post a 5,000m best of 13:51.68. This will be just his second half marathon.

The top returning woman from 2007 is third-place finisher Kathy Newberry (VA), who will be challenged by a deep field. Irene Limika (KEN) will be racing the half marathon distance for just the third time in her career. The second time, however, was a third-place finish at the Philadelphia Distance Run on September 21, where she posted a 1:10:51 personal best. Neriah Asiba (KEN), who races primarily in Mexico, is a veteran of the half marathon and finished just seconds behind Limika in Philadelphia, setting a new personal best of 1:10:58.

Lioudmila Kortchaguina (CAN) holds the fastest half marathon PR in the field, a 1:10:50 run in 2003. She is a three-time Canadian marathon champion (2005-2007), and was runner-up in the 2003 B.A.A. Half Marathon (1:11:27).

Jane Gakunyi (KEN) was a 2004 Olympian at 5,000m and placed third at the World Cross Country Championships in 2003. She boasts a half marathon best of 1:13:40. Janet Kogo Cherobon (KEN) was a three-time NCAA Division II national champion at Harding University who has moved on to road racing since her 2005 graduation. Alemtseshay Misganaw (ETH), who will be making her first appearance in Boston, ran sub-1:15 twice this past summer.

Though just 20 years of age, Azalech Masresha (ETH) ran a personal-best 1:11:29 last year. Twenty-one-year-old Jane Murage (KEN), winner of the Broad Street Run 10-mile earlier this year, will be making her half marathon debut.

ELITE FIELDS
Top Men # Age Citizenship Hometown PR

Charles Munyeki 1 22 KEN Nyahuru, KEN / Boulder, CO 59:44

James Koskei 2 39 KEN Iten, KEN / Boulder, CO 1:02:07

Stephen Koech 3 31 KEN Kenya / Westchester, PA 1:02:19

John Korir 4 32 KEN Nyahuru, KEN / Boulder, CO 1:01:00

Gilbert Okari 5 30 KEN Nyahuru, KEN / Boulder, CO 1:04:17

Abraham Ng'etich 6 27 KEN Eldoret KEN / Bronx, NY 1:05:52

Robbie Wade 7 26 IRL Arlington, VA 1:07:47

James Gale 10 23 USA Allendale, MI 1:06:23

Top Women # Age Citizenship Hometown PR

Lioudmila Kortchaguina F1 37 CAN Toronto, ON, CAN 1:10:46

Irene Limika F2 29 KEN Ngong, KEN / Philadelphia 1:10:51

Neriah Asiba F3 27 KEN Ngong, KEN / Toluca, MEX 1:10:58

Azalech Masresha F4 20 ETH Ethiopia 1:11:29

Kathy Newberry F6 30 USA Williamsburg, VA 1:12:59

Jane Gakunyi F7 29 KEN Nyahuru, KEN / Boulder, CO 1:13:40

Janet Kogo Cherobon F8 30 KEN Lawrenceville, GA 1:13:47

Jane Murage F9 21 KEN Philadelphia, PA Debut

Alemtseshay Misganaw F10 25 ETH Ethiopia / New York, NY 1:12:48

Masters Women # Age Citizenship Hometown PR

Maria Luisa Servin F21 46 MEX Mexico 1:13:20

Zola Pieterse F25 42 RSA Myrtle Beach, SC 1:12:39

PRIZE MONEY
Athletes in the elite, wheelchair, and masters division fields will be competing for a total of $30,000 in prize money, to be awarded equally to men and women. The complete prize purse is as follows:

Place Overall Masters (40+) Wheelchair
1st $5,000 $500 $750
2nd $3,000 $300 $500
3rd $1,500 $100 $250
4th $1,000
5th $600
6th $500
7th $400
8th $300
9th $200
10th $100

PAST CHAMPIONS
Men
2001 Wayne Levy (JAM/MA) 1:10:57
2002 David Hinga (KEN/MA) 1:09:47
2003 Laban Kipkemboi (KEN) 1:03:04
2004 Luke Metto (KEN) 1:02:57
2005 Celedonio Rodriguez (CO) 1:04:09
2006 Samuel Ndereba (KEN) 1:03:03
2007 Tom Nyariki (KEN) 1:02:20 (course record)

Women
2001 Sarah Nixon (MA) 1:21:16
2002 Sarah Nixon (MA) 1:22:34
2003 Marie Davenport (IRL/CT) 1:10:57 (course record)
2004 Lornah Kiplagat (NED) 1:12:05
2005 Nataliya Berkut (UKR) 1:12:21
2006 Marie Davenport (IRL/CT) 1:12:10
2007 Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 1:13:36

Men's Wheelchair
2001 Tim Kelly (MA) 1:06:46
2002 Tim Kelly (MA) 1:06:51
2003 Tony Nogueira (NJ) 57:43
2004 Tony Nogueira (NJ) 53:07 (course record)
2005 Mark Ledo (CAN) 57:18
2006 Mark Ledo (CAN) 56:48
2007 Tony Nogueira (NJ) 54:19

Women's Wheelchair
2001 Jane Raymond Hall (MA) 1:31:06
2002 Nanci Cahalane (MA) 1:30:13
2003 Laurie Stephens (MA) 1:10:43
2004 Laurie Stephens (MA) 1:09:44 (course record)
2005 April Coughlin (NY) 1:22:50
2006 April Coughlin (NY) 1:15:17
2007 Jacqui Kapinowski (NJ) 1:22:17