Kenya: Geoffrey Mutai, Korir Return to Boston Marathon

Boston — Kenyans Geoffrey Mutai and Wesley Korir have announced their return to this year’s Boston Marathon scheduled for April 18 2016

Following last month’s announcement that Lelisa Desisa will defend his title, 2011 winner Mutai and 2012 champion Korir will confirmed participation, forming an elite men’s field that includes 10 runners with PBs faster than 2:06.

Following his 2011 win in 2:03:02 on Boston’s record-ineligible course, Mutai won the New York City Marathon later that year in 2:05:06, smashing the course record by nearly three minutes.

He recorded an official PB of 2:04:15 when winning in Berlin in 2012 and then regained his New York City Marathon title in 2013.

Before winning the Boston Marathon in 2012, Korir had twice won the Los Angeles Marathon. He also has five top-five finishes at the Chicago Marathon.

Yemane Tsegay and Wilson Chebet will also be returning to Boston, hoping to improve on their respective second and third-place finishes from last year.

Tsegay is the world silver medallist and has won marathons in Rotterdam, Ottawa, Daegu and Eindhoven. Chebet is a three-time winner in Amsterdam and a winner in Rotterdam.

After finishing second in Chicago for the past two years, Sammy Kitwara hopes that Boston will be the scene of his first marathon victory. His PB of 2:04:28 makes him the second-fastest man in the field.

Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Mekonnen ran 2:04:32 on his debut at the distance to win the 2014 Dubai Marathon while still a teenager. The Boston Marathon will be Mekonnen’s first race on US soil.

Getu Feleke is the sixth and last of the sub-2:05 men in the field. The 2010 Amsterdam winner set his PB of 2:04:50 when finishing second in Rotterdam in 2012.

Others in the field include 2015 Dubai champion Hayle Lemi Berhanu, Stephen Chebogut and Deribe Robi, the winner and runner-up respectively of last year’s Eindhoven Marathon, 2012 Tokyo Marathon winner Michael Kipyego, and Uganda’s Jackson Kiprop, the 10th-place finisher at the past two World Championships marathons.