BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association has announced that the second- and third-place finishers of the 2011 Boston Marathon, Moses Mosop of Kenya and Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia will return to Boston to compete in the inaugural B.A.A. 10K on Sunday, June 26.
The addition of Mosop and Gebremariam pares the men in a rematch against the only person to run faster than them in this year’s marathon, 2011 Boston Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai. Mosop ran the second-fastest marathon ever recorded on April 18. His time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 6 seconds was just four seconds off of Mutai’s winning time, and 53 seconds ahead of the world record time of 2:03:59 set by Haile Gebrselassie at the 2008 Berlin Marathon. It was Mosop’s first attempt the marathon distance, and is the fastest debut ever. Gebremariam, of Ethiopia, finished his first Boston Marathon in a 2:04:53, and improved his personal best of 2:08:14 – a stunning debut performance in which he won the 2010 ING New York City Marathon.
Gebremariam was the IAAF World Cross Country champion in 2009.
Earlier this month, Mutai and Boston Marathon women’s champion Caroline Kilel of Kenya committed to compete in the new B.A.A. 10K, which begins and ends at Boston Common.
"The excitement of this year’s Boston Marathon is fresh in our minds, and we’re pleased to announce that Moses and Gebre will return to Boston and compete on June 26 in the B.A.A. 10K," said Tom Grilk, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association. "That they’ll compete against Geoffrey Mutai is an added bonus for spectators, and it’s a rematch we’re greatly anticipating. The B.A.A. 10K could be the fastest 6.2 mile race that Bostonians have witnessed in quite some time."
Though from different countries, the similarities between Mosop, 25, and Gebremariam, 26, are extensive. Both come from cross country backgrounds and have only recently made the transition to road racing. Both men grew up on farms in their native countries, and are married to successful distance runners. (Mosop to Florence Kiplagat, who dropped from the 2011 Boston Marathon after 30K, and Gebremariam to Werknesh Kidane, who finished seventh at the Boston Marathon in 2:26:15.)
Mosop, Gebremariam, Kiplagat, Kidane, Mutai and Kilel were all part of the Elite Team which Boston Marathon principal sponsor John Hancock Financial Services recruited for this year’s race.
The inaugural B.A.A. 10K includes a prize purse of $ 30,000 with $ 5000 awarded to the winners and equally distributed among the top male and female finishers.
Leave a Reply