Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2010Preview

Racemates Racing Team, RCC will be racing this weekend at the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, 10-10-10 here we come!!!

Friends and fellow Racemates competing in the race:

Stanley Lau

Traci Prevost

Becky Signoretti

Andrew Cawood (Me)

The elite men's and women's field at the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon is  the most talented in the 33-year history of the event.  "The stage is set for a historic race on 10-10-10,” said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski.

Adding to the excitement, the  men's and women's World Marathon Majors (WMM) title for 2009/2010 could be decided in Chicago. 

Last week American marathoner Ryan Hall announced he was dropping out of the race due to fatigue.  Hall's best time was a 2:06:17 run in London in 2008.  Five of the top men signed up to compete on Sunday have run faster than 2:06.

Here's a look at the top six men at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon:

Sammy Wanjiru, 23, Kenya
Wanjiru is the defending Chicago Marathon champion, winning last year in 2:05:41.  He's also the fastest in the field, with a PR of 2:05:10 set at the 2009 London Marathon.   Wanjiru won gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, setting a new Olympic record of 2:06:32. 

Vincent Kipruto, 23, Kenya

Kipruto won the 2009 Paris Marathon in 2:05:47.  He holds a marathon PR of 2:05:13, set at the 2010 Rotterdam Marathon where he placed third.  Kipruto was also third in Chicago last year, running 2:06:08. 

Tsegaye Kebede, 23, Ethiopia
Kebede won the 2010 London Marathon in 2:05:18, his PR at the distance.  He won the 2008 Paris Marathon and the 2009 Fukuoka Marathon.  He was also the bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympics. 

Feyisa Lilesa, 20, Ethiopia
At 20, Lilesa is the youngest man in history to run below 2:06 in the marathon.  He ran a PR of 2:05:23 at the Rotterdam Marathon in April, but the field was so strong it was only good enough for fourth place. 

Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, 22, Kenya
Cheruiyot may only hold the fifth fastest time of the Chicago field, but his 2:05:52 PR was set on one of the most difficult courses in the country.  Cheruiyot ran it at the 2010 Boston Marathon, winning the event and shattering the course record by over a minute.  The Boston route is so hilly, no one thought a runner would ever go below 2:06 at the event.  He even laid down a 4:37 for the mile that included the famed Heartbreak Hill. 

Deriba Merga, 29, Ethiopia
Merga won the 2009 Boston Marathon and the 2009 Chevron Houston Marathon.  He set a course record at the Bogota Half Marathon back in August, beating the defending half-marathon world-record holder Zersenay Tadese.  

"These athletes are hungry to compete against one another and this year’s field will bring a new level of excitement to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski.

Here's a look at the top 6 elite women in the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon:

Liliya Shobukhova, 32, Russia
Shobukhova is the defending Chicago Marathon champ, winning the 2009 race in 2:25:56.  She also won the 2010 London Marathon in 2:21:59, a PR.  She's the current WWM leader with 60 points.  The only way she can lose the title at this point is if she places out of the top three in Chicago and Mikitenko wins.
Shobukhova was third in the 2008/2009 WMM standings.  She is a two-time Russian national champion in the 5k and is notorious for her strong finishing kick.

Irina Mikitenko, 38, Germany
Mikitenko is one of the most dominating and consistent marathoners in the world.  She was second to Shobukhova in Chicago in 2009.  She won the London Marathon in 2008 and 2009.  She also won the WMM title in 2007/2008 and again in 2008/2009.  She currently sits in second place in the WMM standings with 40 points. 

Astede Baysa, 23, Ethiopia
Baysa won the 2009 and the 2010 Paris Marathon, where she set a new course record and a PR of 2:22:04.  Her time makes her the fifth fastest in the Chicago women's field.  She also has wins at the 2007 Istanbul Marathon and the 2010 Xiamen International Marathon.

Mamitu Daksa, 26, Ethiopia
Dakasa won the 2010 Dubai Marathon in 2:24:19.  She also holds a 1:08:07 PR in the half.  She won the famed BolderBoulder 10k in both 2009 and 2010.

Askale Tafa Magarsa, 26, Ethiopia
Magarsa had an amazing year in 2007, winning the Dubai Marathon, the Paris Marathon and the Milan Marathon.  She holds a PR of 2:21:31, set when she placed 2nd in Berlin in 2008.   She holds the second fastest time in the field.

Naoko Sakamoto, 29, Japan
Sakamoto is the third fastest marathoner in the Chicago field, a 2:21:31 set in her marathon debut in Osaka back in 2003.  She also won the Osaka Marathon in 2004.

Hope to you see you guys out there!!

Go Get'em!!!