SEVEN OF THE LAST EIGHT MEN'S CHAMPIONS TO RUN 2022 BOSTON MARATHON
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2022 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - Used with permission.

(13-Jan) -- Organizers of the Boston Marathon announced a men's elite field today which was breathtaking in both breadth and depth.  Seven of the last eight race winners have been secured to compete, plus the second-fastest man of all-time, Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, will compete in Boston for the first time.  The race, which is the world's oldest marathon founded in 1897, will be held on Patriots' Day, Monday, April 18, returning to its traditional date after being held in October of 2021 due to the pandemic.

"The world's best athletes come to Boston every year aiming to join the family of Boston Marathon champions," said Boston Athletic Association president and CEO Tom Grilk through a statement.  "This year we're anticipating one of the best competitions in history as Olympic medalists, Boston Marathon champions, Abbott World Marathon Majors winners, and up-and-coming talents square off on the roads leading to the famed Boylston Street finish line."

Fifty-nine men from 14 countries make up the open division elite field, including 11 who have broken 2:06 (five sub-2:04:15). Seven of the last eight open champions will return to the race's starting line in Hopkinton: Benson Kipruto, KEN (2021), Lawrence Cherono, KEN (2019), Yuki Kawauchi, JPN (2018), Geoffrey Kirui, KEN (2017), Lemi Berhanu, ETH (2016), and Lelisa Desisa, ETH (2013 & 2015).  Berhanu was also the race's runner-up in 2021.

But the fastest man, Bekele, has never run Boston.  The 39 year-old, three-time Olympic gold medalist is the second-fastest marathoner of all-time (2:01:41), and ran two marathons in 2021: 2:06:47 in Berlin last September (third place) and 2:12:52 in New York last November (sixth place).

"I recognize the tradition of the Boston Marathon, the world's most historic marathon, and look forward to racing in April," Bekele said through a statement.  "For many years Ethiopia has had a strong tradition in Boston, and I am excited to join that legacy. I have long looked forward to racing the Boston Marathon."

Also making his Boston debut will be Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor, the five-time world champion in cross country and the half-marathon who won the TCS New York City Marathon in 2017 and 2019.  Dealing with an injury last year caused by a road accident, Kamworor only ran one marathon in 2021, finishing fourth in Valencia last December in a career best 2:05:23.  Kamworor, 29, is particularly good in championship-style races (like Boston) which do not use pacemakers.

Titus Ekiru, the tall and lanky Kenyan who ran the fastest marathon of 2021 (2:02:57), will also be running Boston for the first time.  Evans Chebet, the third-fastest man in the field with a personal best of 2:03:00, has yet to finish at the Boston Marathon; he was a DNF in 2018.

The United States will also be well-represented led by 2016 Olympian Jared Ward, who finished sixth in the Rio Olympic Marathon.  Ward does well on hilly courses like Boston's and New York's and finished eighth in Boston in 2019 when he ran a personal best 2:09:25.  The other top Americans are Scott Fauble (2:09:09), Colin Bennie (2:09:38), Olympian Jake Riley (2:10:02), and Elkanah Kibet (2:11:15).  Kibet was the top American at the TCS New York City Marathon last November where he finished fourth and earned a spot on Team USATF for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore.

In the wheelchair competition, Switzerland's Marcel Hug leads the entry list.  The world record holder (1:17:47) is a five-time Boston champion and also the course record holder.  His top challenger is American Daniel Romanchuk who first competed in Boston when he was only 14.  Now 23, Romanchuk won the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon and was third in 2021 last November.

Boston's elite field gets its financial backing from John Hancock Financial which has supported the race for 37 years.

The compete elite fields are below.

OPEN DIVISION -

Kenenisa Bekele, ETH, 2:01:41 NR (Berlin, 2019)
Titus Ekiru, KEN, 2:02:57 (Milan, 2021)
Evans Chebet, KEN, 2:03:00 (Valencia, 2020)
Lawrence Cherono, KEN, 2:03:04 (Valencia, 2020)
Bernard Koech, KEN, 2:04:09 (Amsterdam, 2021)
Lemi Berhanu, ETH, 2:04:33 (Dubai, 2016)
Lelisa Desisa, ETH, 2:04:45 (Dubai, 2013)
Gabriel Geay, TAN, 2:04:55 NR (Milan, 2021)
Benson Kipruto, KEN, 2:05:13 (Toronto, 2019)
Geoffrey Kamworor, KEN, 2:05:23 (Valencia, 2021)
Eric Kiptanui, KEN, 2:05:47 (Apugnano, 2020)
Bethwell Yegon, KEN, 2:06:14 (Berlin, 2021)
Geoffrey Kirui, KEN, 2:06:27 (Amsterdam, 2016)
Eyob Faniel, ITA, 2:07:19 NR (Seville, 2020)
Yuki Kawauchi, JPN, 2:07:27 (Otsu, 2021)
Albert Korir, KEN, 2:08:03 (Ottawa, 2019)
Amanuel Mesel, ERI, 2:08:17 (Valencia, 2013)
Bayelign Teshager, ETH, 2:08:28 (Los Angeles, 2020)
Tsegay Tuemay Weldibanos, ERI, 2:09:07 (Daegu, 2019)
Scott Fauble, USA, 2:09:09 (Boston, 2019)
Colin Bennie, USA, 2:09:38 (Chandler, 2020)
Trevor Hofbauer, CAN, 2:09:51 (Toronto, 2019)
Jared Ward, USA, 2:09:25 (Boston, 2019)
Ian Butler, USA, 2:09:45 (Chandler, 2020)
Mick Iacofano, USA, 2:09:55 (Chandler, 2020)
Jake Riley, USA, 2:10:02 (Atlanta, 2020)
Jerrell Mock, USA, 2:10:37 (Chicago, 2019)
Jemal Yimer, ETH, 2:10:38 (Boston, 2021)
Juan Luis Barrios, MEX, 2:10:55 (Tokyo, 2018)
Matt McDonald, USA, 2:11:10 (Chicago, 2019)
Matt Llano, USA, 2:11:14 (Berlin, 2019)
Elkanah Kibet, USA, 2:11:15 (New York City, 2021)
C.J. Albertson, USA, 2:11:18 (Chandler, 2020)
Diego Estrada, USA, 2:11:54 (Chicago, 2019)
Jonas Hampton, USA, 2:12:10 (Atlanta, 2020)
Andrew Colley, USA, 2:12:15 (Duluth, 2019)
Tyler Pennel, USA, 2:12:34 (Atlanta, 2020)
Mike Sayenko, USA, 2:12:59 (Valencia, 2021)
Jason Lynch, USA, 2:13:05 (Huntsville, 2021)
Josh Izewski, USA, 2:13:16 (Sacramento, 2018)
Joe Stilin, USA, 2:13:19 (Sacramento, 2018)
Nico Montanez, USA, 2:13:55 (Chicago, 2021)
John Tello Zuniga, COL, 2:14:19 (Lima, 2021)
Reed Fischer, USA, 2:14:41 (Chicago, 2021)
Harvey Nelson, USA, 2:14:47 (Boston, 2021)
Tyler Pence, USA, 2:15:06 (Moline, 2021)
Bashash Walio, USA, 2:15:07 (Huntsville, 2021)
Craig Hunt, USA, 2:15:29 (Chandler, 2020)
Daniel Ortiz Perez, MEX, 2:15:39 (Valencia, 2020)
Paul Hogan, USA, 2:15:51 (Boston, 2021)
Clayton Young, USA, 2:16:07 (Chicago, 2021)
Ben Payne (40+), USA, 2:16:42 (Atlanta, 2020)
Markus Ploner (40+), GER, 2:19:43 (Milan, 2021)
Chip O'Hara (40+), USA, 2:21:20 (Phoenix, 2020)
Gilles Rubio (40+), FRA, 2:21:40 (Valencia, 2019)
Recio Alvarez (40+), DOM, 2:25:17 (Berlin, 2021)
Sam Krieg (40+), USA, 2:25:59 (Chicago, 2019)
Thomas Chapman (40+), USA, 2:26:02 (Sacramento, 2019)
Joost De Raeymaeker (40+), BEL, 2:26:10 (Berlin, 2019)

PROFESSIONAL WHEELCHAIR DIVISION

Marcel Hug, SUI, 1:17:47 WR (Oita, 2021)
Ernst van Dyk (45+), RSA, 1:18:04 (Boston, 2017)
Josh Cassidy, CAN, 1:18:25 (Boston, 2012)
Masazumi Soejima, JPN, 1:18:50 (Boston, 2011)
Hiroki Nishida, JPN, 1:20:28 (Boston, 2017)
Kota Hokinoue, JPN, 1:20:54 (Seoul, 2013)
Aaron Pike, USA, 1:20:59 (Duluth, 2019)
Daniel Romanchuk, USA, 1:21:36 (Boston, 2019)
Tomoki Suzuki, JPN, 1:21:52 (Tokyo, 2020)
Rafael Botello Jimenez, ESP, 1:22:09 (Boston, 2017)
Patrick Monahan, IRL, 1:22:23 (Duluth, 2019)
Krige Schabort (55+), 1:23:44 (Boston, 2012)
Simon Lawson, GBR, 1:25:06 (Boston, 2017)
David Weir, GBR, 1:26:17 (Boston, 2016)
Sho Watanabe, JPN, 1:26:22 (Seoul, 2017)
Johnboy Smith, GBR, 1:29:44 (Berlin, 2017)
Hermin Garic, USA, 1:32:27 (Duluth, 2019)
Valera Jacob Allen, USA, 1:44:20 (Honolulu, 2021)
Santiago Sanz, ESP, 1:46:12 (Boston, 2014)
Jason Robinson, USA, 1:52:46 (Chicago, 2021)
Dustin Stallberg, USA, 1:53:34 (Honolulu, 2021)
Phillip Croft, USA, 1:58:14 (Chicago, 2021)


PHOTO: Benson Kipruto wins the 2021 Boston Marathon (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)