From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Sat Apr 17 2010 - 19:15:43 EDT
US men hoping to end 27-year Boston marathon drought
(AFP) – 5 hours ago April 17, 2010
BOSTON, Massachusetts — Deriba Merga of Ethiopia is back to defend his
Boston Marathon title, with a string of US runners - led by Meb Keflezighi -
hoping to end America's title drought in the venerable race on Monday.
Keflezighi, who makes his home in California, is the reigning New York City
Marathon title holder. He and fellow Californian Ryan Hall give the US a
real chance to claim a first men's victory in 27 years.
The way may have been made easier when four-time Boston winner Robert
Cheruiyot pulled out with a hip injury.
However, nine Kenyans remain in the field hoping to give the country its
sixth title in eight years.
Kenya's Salina Kosgei is the defending champion and women's favorite. Her
compatriot Catherine Ndereba, a four-time winner, withdrew last week with a
muscle tear.
It has been 24 years since an American woman won in Boston - when Lisa
Larsen-Wiedenbach triumphed in 1985.
Greg Meyer, whose victory in 1983 was the seventh for a US man in nine years
- and the most recent - would like to lose the tag of last American man to
win here.
"We thought it would keep going on. ... I thought I'd do it again," Meyer
said. "But for American marathoners, that was the high-water mark."
"By me winning New York, it's an example that it can happen," said
Keflezighi, who lives near Hall and trains with him in Mammoth Lakes,
California. "We both badly want to win - not for our individual goals only,
but for the USA."
Keflezighi says he's 95 percent recovered from a left knee injury he
suffered in training in January.
The 2004 Olympic silver medallist, Keflezighi finished third in Boston in
2006.
Hall ran 2hr 6min 17secs in London in 2008. Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri is
the only runner in the field with a faster personal best, at 2:05:30.
"They are at the top of the list - up there with the Kenyans and
Ethiopians," Boston race director Guy Morse said. "Having the two top
American men participate, head-to-head, is a little bit more insurance that
you could have a US winner."
Hall led early in Boston last year, but faded in the last 10 miles. He has
put in significant training time in the area to prepare for the demanding
course - especially the notorious Heartbreak Hill.
"I think I've learned more from the last three weeks than I did from last
year," he said. "I don't remember much from last year. I remember hurting
really bad. This time, I feel prepared."
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