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John Hancock Announces Changes To The 2011 Boston Marathon Elite FieldPublished by
John Hancock Announces Changes To The 2011 Boston Marathon Elite Field American Brett Gotcher Added to the Field, Antonio Vega Withdraws Due to Injury BOSTON, MA, March 4, 2011-John Hancock Financial today announced American talent Brett Gotcher has been added to the elite field for the 115th running of the Boston Marathon on April 18. Brett Gotcher ran the fourth fastest American marathon debut in Houston in 2010 and the 2:10:36 he recorded is his personal best. Gotcher represented the United States at the 2009 World Half Marathon Championships and the 2009 World Cross Country Championships. Accomplished at the national level, Gotcher won the 2009 USATF 20K Championships in 58:57, placed third in the USATF Half Marathon Championships with a personal best 1:02:09, and finished seventh in the USATF Cross Country Championships. As a junior he won the 2003 Pan American 10,000m and the U.S. Junior Nationals 10,000m. Gotcher ran for Stanford University as a teammate of Ryan Hall for several years. He was a three-time Pac-10 All Academic selection and an All American in the 10,000m before graduating with a BS in psychology in 2007. Gotcher trains with the McMillan Elite team in Flagstaff, Arizona. Antonio Vega, the USATF Men's Long Distance Runner of the Year, has not been able to train properly due to a stress fracture in the pelvis. Vega's doctors expect the athlete will be back racing in the summer. "Once I found out that I had a stress fracture, I was extremely disappointed that I would have to miss the Boston Marathon," said Vega. "Last year I considered the Boston Marathon one of my breakthrough races, and was looking forward to coming back again this year and bettering my performance. As tough as it is to have to sit out this year's race, I look forward to coming back and running the Boston Marathon in future years." Vega won the 2010 U.S. Half Marathon Championships last year in 1:01:54 and then finished 12th at the Boston Marathon. He trains with Team USA Minnesota. An updated field list follows.
About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com. The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds,401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found atwww.johnhancock.com.
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