Tag Archives: Jared Ward

Athletics

World’s Fastest ever men’s field assembled for Boston Marathon

The organisers of the 126th edition of the Boston Marathon, which is the World Athletics Platinum Elite Label Road Race, have released their fastest ever elite list for men that will be held on Monday April 18, 2022 in Boston.

Three time Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele from Ethiopia leads the elite list of 12 men who have gone under the 2:06 mark. Bekele is the second fastest marathon runner in history with a personal best of 2:01.41.

“I recognise the tradition of the Boston Marathon and look forward to racing in April,” said Bekele. “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.”

Seven of the past eight winners will also return to Boston, including 2021 champion Benson Kipruto of Kenya. Lawrence Cherono (2019), Yuki Kawauchi (2018), Geoffrey Kirui (2017), Lemi Berhanu (2016), and two times winner Lelisa Desisa (2015 and 2013) are the other six former winners.

The 2021 fastest man in marathon, Titus Ekiru, who holds a personal best of 2:02.57 that he got in Milan, will be battling for the top honors too. “I am happy to announce that I’ll be lining the street of Boston Marathon for my first time next April in the Boston Marathon]. Can’t wait for it!”

The 2020 world leader Evans Chebet, New York City Marathon winner Albert Korir, and three-time world half marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor.

LEADING RESULTS

42KM MEN

  1. Kenenisa Bekele      (ETH) 2:01.41
  2. Titus Ekiru               (KEN) 2:02.57
  3. Evans Chebet           (KEN) 2:03.00
  4. Lawrence Cherono  (KEN) 2:03.04
  5. Bernard Koech         (KEN) 2:04.09
  6. Lemi Berhanu          (ETH) 2:04.33
  7. Lelisa Desisa            (ETH) 2:04.45
  8. Gabriel Geay             (TAN) 2:04.55
  9. Benson Kipruto        (KEN) 2:05.13
  10. Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:05.23
  11. Eric Kiptanui             (KEN) 2:05.47
  12. Bethwell Yegon         (KEN) 2:06.14
  13. Geoffrey Kirui            (KEN) 2:06.27
  14. Eyob Faniel                 (ITA) 2:07.19
  15. Yuki Kawauchi           (JPN) 2:07.27
  16. Albert Korir                (KEN) 2:08.03
  17. Amanuel Mesel          (ERI) 2:08.17
  18. Bayelign Teshager     (ETH) 2:08.28
  19. Tsegay Weldibanos    (ERI) 2:09.07
  20. Scott Fauble                (USA) 2:09.09
  21. Colin Bennie               (USA) 2:09.38
  22. Trevor Hofbauer         (CAN) 2:09.51
  23. Jared Ward                   (USA) 2:09.25
  24. Ian Butler                     (USA) 2:09.45
  25. Mick Iacofano             (USA) 2:09.55
  26. Jake Riley                     (USA) 2:10.02
  27. Jerrell Mock                 (USA) 2:10.37
  28. Jemal Yimer                (ETH) 2:10.38
  29. Juan Luis Barrios       (MEX) 2:10.55
  30. Matt McDonald          (USA) 2:11.10
  31. Matt Llano                   (USA) 2:11.14
  32. Elkanah Kibet              (USA) 2:11.15
  33. CJ Albertson                (USA) 2:11.18
  34. Diego Estrada              (USA) 2:11.54
Athletics

Ben True beats Leonard Korir at the USATF 20km Championships

The 2013 World Cross Country silver medallist Champion, Ben True beat a strong field that included Kenyan-born American long-distance runner Leonard Korir at the USATF 20 km Championships that was held on Monday (6) in New Haven, Connecticut

A conservative early pace left a massive contingent of runners in the lead pack of the men’s field. True and fellow veterans Korir, Emmanuel Bor, Clayton Young and Abbabiya Simbassa led the charge, along with Nico Montanez and Brian Shrader.

The field would slowly dwindle, but still have more than a dozen runners, as the men passed through the 10 km mark in 30:30, with True, Shrader, and Korir leading the charge.

Korir, fellow Olympian Jared Ward, Young, Montanez and Shrader started to push the pace around mile nine, as the lead pack started to diminish even more. Ward would eventually drop back, while Reid Buchanan would jump to the front with Young and True.

As the finish line came into view, True, Simbassa and Montanez started a mad dash to the finish. As spectators cheered wildly in the final stretch, True pulled ahead ever so slightly in the last few strides, winning his eighth USATF Running Circuit title and first since 2015.

True crossed the finish in 59:53, one second ahead of both Simbassa in 59:54 and Montanez, also pulling the same time. Korir tried valiantly to maintain pace with the lead trio over the final stretch but faded ever so slightly back to finish in fourth place in 59:58.

Athletics

Kipyego looks for History at Mattoni Usti nad Labem Half Marathon

Kenya’s Barselius Kipyego will defend his title at the 8th edition of the Mattoni Usti nad Labem Half Marathon that will be jeld on Saturday in Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic.

The 25 year-old smashed his own course record of 59:15 that he had set in 2016 with a new course of 59:14.

Kipyego battled with Joseph Tanui from Kenya and the late Ismail Juma from Tanzania who passed on after this race through a tragic road accident in his home of Tanzania.

The Kenyan who ran the fifth fastest time and is also targeting to write history as the first man to win the race three times, but he will not have it easy as he will face Ethiopia’s finest Guye Adola and  Kenyans Josephat Tanui and Albert Kangogo.

Adola who came to the lime light at the 2014 IAAF world Half Marathon where he won an individual bronze medal with a personal best of 59:21 and went on to lower his time at the 2014 Delhi Half Marathon in 59:06 will also be chasing his first title in Czech.

The 27 year-old Ethiopian is remembered when he debut at the 2017 Berlin Marathon challenging Eliud Kipchoge as he came second with a finishing time of 2:03.46 that made him the fastest marathon-debut ever.

Tanui on his part carries a personal best of 59:22 that he got at this race last year when he finished second behind Kipyego, will also be battling to unseat kipyego and the Ethiopian as he seeks to lift his first title over the distance.

Another title contender is Kangogo who carries on his shoulder a personal best of 59:25 that he got at the 2017 Kobenhavn in Denmark.

Japan will also bring along a strong team to Ústí nad Labem headed by Kenji Yamamoto who has a a personal best of 1:01.47 that he got at Yamaguchi, while the United States will be represented by Jared Ward,30, who comes to this race with a personal best of 1:01.42.

Athletics

Daniel Wanjiru joins the star-studded line-up for New York Marathon

Kenya’s Daniel Wanjiru has been added to the 48th edition of the New York City Marathon that will be held on Sunday (4) November in New York, United States.

The 2017 London Marathon champion has been added to star-studded field that includes five-time world champion Bernard Lagat of the United States who will also be making make his highly anticipated marathon debut.

Lagat retired from track racing after placing fifth in the Rio Olympic 5000m, where he was briefly a bronze medalist before two disqualifications were overturned. Lagat previously earned Olympic 1500m silver and bronze competing for Kenya in 2000 and 2004.

If Lagat continues racing marathons through 2020, he could try to tie Angolan João N’Tyamba‘s record for Olympic participation’s by a male runner at six and become the fourth-oldest Olympic male runner.

“My mind isn’t going that far yet,” Lagat said, according to SI.com. “I’m just going to take this one at a time. My training partners have asked me, ‘If you are successful in New York, will you run the marathon for 2020?’ and I say, ‘I don’t know.’

“I want to get ready for New York City first, and whatever happens there will determine 2020.”

Lagat finished 31st in the world half marathon championships on March 24.

Wanjiru goes to the race with a personal best of 2:05.21 that he got at the 2016 Amsterdam Marathon, will face defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor, Ethhiopia’s 2013 and 2015 Boston Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa, 2018 London Marathon runner-up Shura Kitata and four-time U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman.

Others on the start list include Mexico’s two-time Olympian Juan Luis Barrios, Rio 2016 Olympian Jared Ward and 2018 Boston Marathon third-place finisher Shadrack Biwott.