Catherine Ndereba wins the women's race at the 108th Boston Marathon (© Getty Images)
Catherine Ndereba and Timothy Cherigat of Kenya the reigning Boston Marathon champions will return to contest the 109th running of the race on Monday, 18 April 2005.
World champion and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba returns to Boston in an attempt to claim an unprecedented fourth title in the city. She has run the course five times: winning in 2004, 2001, and 2000; finishing second in 2002, and sixth in her 1999 debut. The first Kenyan woman to win Boston and a World Championship Marathon, Ndereba is the second fastest marathoner in the world of all time, and has won or placed second in 12 of her 13 career marathons including Chicago, New York City, and London.
Timothy Cherigat returns as the defending men's champion. Last year, racing against past winners Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Rodgers Rop, he had something to prove coming off a fourth place finish in 2003. As his competitors were faltering in the high temperatures, Cherigat surged off the Newton hills and finished uncontested by nearly a minute. He has placed in the top three spots in four international marathons including New York City and Monaco, and his 2:09:34 win at the San Sebastian Marathon in 2002 remains the fastest time ever run in Spain.
Joshua Milne (John Hancock) for the IAAF
