Boston, April 15- Reigning champions Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot and Teyba Erkesso will defend their titles at the 115th running of the Boston marathon race on Monday.
The Boston Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.
Cheruiyot and Teyba Erkesso will be challenged by one of the fastest and deepest men’s and women’s fields ever assembled for the Boston Marathon.
Geoffrey Mutai leads the line-up as the second fastest man in the world last year with a 2:04:55 best. Joining him are 2:06 men including top American Ryan Hall, Gilbert Yegon, Tadese Tola, and Evans Cheruiyot.
On the women’s side, the historic race in Boston has been decided over the past three years by three seconds or less. Last year Teyba Erkesso maintained a three second lead to the finish as she held off a charging Tatyana Pushkareva. This year’s race likely will prove just as competitive with 15 women in the field holding times of 2:26:30 or better.
Past champion Dire Tune and four-time winner Catherine Ndereba join Erkesso and Pushkareva.
Challenging the group are top Americans Kara Goucher, who finished third in Boston in 2009, Desiree Davila, the fastest American of 2010 with her fourth place finish in Chicago, and Olympian Blake Russell.
