JOHN HANCOCK ANNOUNCES TOP AMERICAN TEAM
FOR 2013 BOSTON MARATHON
Team USA: Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila, and Kara Goucher
Commit To Run 2013 Boston Marathon
BOSTON,
MAÛÓJune 13, 2012 ÛÓJohn Hancock Financial, Principal Sponsor of the
Boston Marathon, has recruited elite American marathoners Shalane
Flanagan, Desiree Davila and Kara Goucher to run the 117th Boston
Marathon on April 15, 2013. All three women will represent the U.S. in
the Olympic Marathon this summer and the 2013 Boston Marathon will be
their first post Olympic marathon.
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For Ms. Flanagan, who grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, this will mark her Boston debut.
“I
watched the Boston Marathon religiously growing up and always dreamed
about running from Hopkinton to Boston, racing down Boylston Street to
the finish,” said Flanagan. “I finally get the chance to fulfill this
dream next April. I can’t wait to give Boston everything I have. I know
the love and support will be overwhelming andÛÓin typical Boston
styleÛÓloud. I’m thrilled to become part of this rich Patriots’ Day
tradition.”
Flanagan won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials this
past January in an event record of 2:25:38. She holds American records
in the indoor 3,000m and 5,000m and in the outdoor10,000m. The indoor
records were set in Boston, while the 10,000m record was earned during
her bronze medal performance at the 2008 Olympics.
Ms. Davila returns to Boston after finishing runner up in 2011 in an American course record of 2:22:38.
“I’m
honored and excited to be invited back to Boston as part of the John
Hancock elite team,” said Davila. “After coming so close to the Û¢W’ in
2011, I’ve been anxious and excited about returning to Boston and
taking another crack at it.”
Davila is now the third fastest
American marathoner of all time, following Deena Kastor and Joan Benoit
Samuelson. She recently placed second at the U.S. Olympic Marathon
Trials, where she qualified for her first Olympic team.
“I no
longer consider myself a beginner at the marathon; I’ve competed in a
number of major races, and have slowly become more comfortable with a
wide variety of racing tactics,” said Davila. “The experience from the
2011 Boston Marathon was a big turning point. I now believe I have the
tools and the ability to compete and contend for the title at a major
marathon. To have that confidence along with a team of coaches that
really know how to prepare athletes for the Boston Marathon should pay
huge dividends come spring 2013.”
Ms.
Goucher returns to Boston for the third time after making her second
Olympic Team with a third place finish at the U.S. Olympic Marathon
Trials. At Boston in 2009, she shared the lead until the final meters
and finished third.
“The city of Boston captured my heart when
I ran my first Boston Marathon in 2009,” said Goucher. “The support for
the Marathon in Boston is incredible. I didn’t meet my goal of winning
in 2009, but the entire city embraced me for trying.”
In 2011,
shortly after giving birth to her son, Colt, Goucher finished fifth at
Boston in a personal best 2:24:52, becoming the fourth fastest American
marathoner of all time.
“The Boston Marathon is an historical
gem,” said Goucher. “To be a part of this history excites me and drives
me to train harder. I absolutely love the city of Boston and its
Marathon. They have embraced me as one of their own. This will be my
third trip to Boston and I will use my past experiences to help me get
it right this time. I’m hoping that the third time will be the charm.”
Flanagan,
Davila and Goucher are the first elite athletes announced as part of
the John Hancock international team for the 2013 Boston Marathon. The
Company has been principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon for 27 years.
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“Shalane, Desiree, and Kara have competed against the most
talented women in the world with amazing results,” said Rob Friedman,
head of Sponsorship and Event Marketing at John Hancock. “The Olympics
and the 2013 Boston Marathon should be no different. As individuals
these women are fierce competitors, and as a team they prove themselves
relentless. With Desiree and Kara previously making the podium in
Boston and Shalane winning the Trials, they are sure to provide the
millions of Boston Marathon fans with a race to remember.”
“Thanks
to John Hancock Financial, which assembles the elite athlete field for
us, next year’s Boston Marathon will have a decidedly American feel to
it,” said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. “All of us at the
B.A.A. and in Boston will be watching the Olympic Marathon this summer,
and we’re anxious to see how the Americans fare in London. We wish them
luck, and we are already eagerly anticipating the heightened exposure
and attention these women will receive as members of Team USA, and the
added interest they will bring to the 2013 Boston Marathon next
spring.”