John Hancock's 2014 Elite Field
Top Contenders: Women
Rita Jeptoo, Kenya: Now twice a Boston Marathon champion, Jeptoo would like the three-peat. She had a banner year in 2013 by winning Boston and then following with a sub 2:20 win at the Chicago Marathon. Jeptoo has also won in Eldoret, Stolkholm and Milan.
Sharon Cherop, Kenya: Cherop has finished on the podium at Boston the past three years. In 2012 she won the race by two seconds over Jemima Sumgong. In 2011 she finished third, behind Caroline Kilel and Desiree Linden and in 2013 she was third behind Rita Jeptoo and Meseret Hailu. Cherop won the bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships Marathon and has won marathons in Singapore, Turin, Toronto and Hamburg.
Jemima Jelagat Sumgong, Kenya: Sumgong had a banner year in 2013 with a win Rotterdam and a sub-2:21 runner-up finish in Chicago to her teammate Rita Jeptoo. In 2012, Sumgong was runner-up in Boston to Sharon Cherop.
Caroline Kilel, Kenya: The 2011 Boston Marathon champion, Kilel beat Desiree Linden to the tape that year by two seconds. Linden did not make the win easy for Kilel as they battled back and forth down the home stretch. Kilel won the Frankfurt marathon last year in a new personal best 2:22:34, and she has eight career marathon wins.
Desiree Linden, United States: Linden (née Davila) holds the American course record of 2:22:38 on the Boston Marathon course. She set that mark in 2011, when she narrowly missed winning by two seconds. In 2012 Linden finished second at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. She returns after recovering from injury and is intent on making the podium again.
Shalane Flanagan, United States: Flanagan is a three-time Olympian and was runner-up in her marathon debut at the New York City Marathon before winning the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon is an event record. Last year in Boston, Flanagan stayed with the Jeptoo, Hailu and Cherop until the final stretch before finishing fourth. She has been training on the Boston course regularly and is ready to race.
Mare Dibaba, Ethiopia: A 2012 Olympian, Dibaba holds the fastest time in the field (2:19:51), but has never run Boston, so will have to rely on her ability to adapt to the lead pack surges over the challenging route. Earlier this year, Dibaba proved her fitness with a course record win in Xiamen.
Buzunesh Deba, Ethiopia: Deba is an eight-time marathon champion on U.S. soil and has finished runner-up at the New York City Marathon in 2011 and 2013. She is a quiet competitor with a fierce desire to win. Deba will run her own race and may go for the win in the early miles.
Tatiana Petrova Arkhipova, Russia: Winner of the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games Marathon, Arkhipova is past champion of the Los Angeles Marathon. Recently returning from maternity leave, Arkhipova is a pure strategist and one to watch when races get tactical.