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GREAT stars and champions of Boston are eager to face off in the 128th Boston Marathon, presented by Bank of America, set to take place on April 15, 2024, with over one million dollars in prizes.
The 128th Boston Marathon, presented by Bank of America, features the defending champion, Evans Chebet, the wheelchair record holder, Marcel Hug, and the fourth fastest man in the world, Sisay Lemma.
The event also showcased athletes who have won marathons around the world, as well as rising stars competing as part of the Bank of America Professional Athlete Team.
In the capital of Massachusetts, there are big prizes to be won by athletes who achieve sporting suc-cess. More than US$1 million in prizes are up for grabs in the Open, Wheelchair and Paralympic catego-ries. In addition, a US$50 000 course record bonus is available to athletes in the Open and Wheelchair categories, with cash prizes offered in the Paralympic Division.
Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association, praised the mix of nationalities, ages, and the quality of athletes competing.
“The men’s professional field includes athletes from 28 countries and combines combining Boston vet-erans with high-profile debutants. We are expecting great competition in the Open, Wheelchair, and Paralympic Athletics divisions. National and world record holders will be competing for the laurel wreath on Patriots’ Day,” he said.
Some notable participants include:
Evans Chebet: Defending champion who made history in 2023 when he crossed the finish line in 2:05:54 to become the first male winner to repeat since Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot won three consec-utive titles between 2006 and 2008.
Sisay Lemma: A memorable winner of the Valencia Marathon (Spain) in 2:01:48 to become the fourth-fastest marathoner in history. He is the 2021 London Marathon champion and leads a field of 20 men with personal bests under 2:10:00.
Gabriel Geay: The Tanzanian-born 2023 runner-up and national record-holder. His lifetime best is 2:03:00, the same time as Chebet. A fixture on the Boston road racing scene, he is also a two-time winner of the B.A.A. 10K and a two-time podium finisher in the BAA Half Marathon.
Suguru Osako: The Japanese, and former national marathon record holder, knows what it takes to be on the podium at events such as Boston, Chicago and Tokyo.
Matt McDonald: A member of the B.A.A. High-Performance Team, Matt represents the United States and has a marathon time of 2:09:49.
Marcel Hug: The Swiss and reigning Paralympic gold medallist dominated in 2023 with a course record of 1:17:06 to claim his sixth Boston Marathon wheelchair title.
Daniel Romanchuk: The American is a two-time Boston Marathon champion (2019 and 2022).
Josh Cassidy: The Canadian won Boston in 2012 and held the world record at the time (1:18:25).
ElAmin Chentouf: The 42-year-old Moroccan was the T11/T12 winner (visually impaired) and finished 50th in 2023 with a time of 2:31:35. He has won four medals at the Summer Paralympics in his illustrious career.
Brian Reynolds: World record holder in the half marathon and 10km.
Atsbha Gebre Gebremeskel: The Ethiopian is the reigning T46 winner (upper limb impairment), clocking 2:43:57 last year. — insidethegames/Sports Editor
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