John Hancock Financial Announces Top Americans Meb Keflezighi and Ryan Hall to Run 2010 Boston Marathon and Seek American Win
December 18 2009 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
BOSTON, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In celebration of its
25th anniversary as the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon,
John Hancock Financial today announced the signing of top
Americans, Meb Keflezighi and Ryan Hall, for the 114th running of
the race on April 19, 2010. Keflezighi and Hall have proven
themselves as two of the best distance runners of all time. They
have the talent and credentials to challenge Boston's world-class
field as they each seek to become the first male American winner
since Greg Meyer in 1983. At previous Boston Marathons, each has
placed third: Hall in 2009 and Keflezighi in 2006. Fresh from his
historic marathon win in New York City is Keflezighi, a two-time
Olympian and American record holder in the 10,000m. Keflezighi won
the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Marathon and holds
multiple national titles. "Boston has a great tradition not only to
the running community but also to the rest of the world," said
Keflezighi. "It has always been my ultimate goal to win the Boston
Marathon." This has been a banner year for Keflezighi who improved
his personal best to 2:09:15 with his New York City win and also
claimed national titles in cross country, seven miles, half
marathon and the marathon. "Winning in New York was a huge personal
triumph and the victory belongs to my family and support team,"
said Keflezighi. "I am glad I can help move the continued
resurgence of U.S. distance running to the next level. I am living
the American dream and feel blessed." Hall carries his own
impressive qualifications as the second fastest American marathoner
of all time with a 2:06:17 personal best. Only former world record
holder Khalid Khannouchi has posted a faster U.S. mark. Hall holds
American records in the 20K and half marathon. He was first at the
2007 U.S. Olympic Trials, shattering the event record by more than
a minute, and went on to place 10th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic
Marathon. "As soon as I finished the 2009 Boston Marathon, I knew I
wanted to be back for the 2010 race," said Hall. "The energy of the
crowds far exceeded my expectations, the course was even more
challenging than I anticipated, I hurt more than I have hurt in any
other race, yet participating in the Boston Marathon was thrilling
beyond my greatest expectations." Last year Hall was the aggressive
early leader taking a seasoned field through 5K in world record
pace. He stayed with the leaders throughout the race, but Deriba
Merga of Ethiopia prevailed as the winner. "I'm thankful for the
opportunity to come back as part of the John Hancock Elite team and
try to master the course that mastered me last year," added Hall.
"I will be one year stronger this April and more importantly one
year smarter." Both men train with Mammoth Track Club in Mammoth
Lakes, California, and have been longtime residents of the state.
Hall is originally from Big Bear Lake and graduated from Stanford
as a three-time All American in cross country and NCAA champion in
the 5,000m. Keflezighi is from San Diego and graduated from UCLA as
a four time NCAA champion. In head-to-head marathon competition,
Hall has out run Keflezighi 2-1. In their respective third place
finishes at Boston, Hall ran a 2:09:40 in 2009 and Keflezighi ran a
2:09:56 in 2006. With necessary experience on the course and plenty
of motivation to become the first American champion in 27 years,
the Keflezighi-Hall match up should prove exciting. "Meb and Ryan
are among the very best and brightest stars in U.S. distance
running," said Guy Morse, executive director of the B.A.A. "Meb has
led the resurging American men since he won the silver medal at the
Athens Olympics in 2004, and Ryan's full potential at the marathon
distance is yet to be realized. We look forward to providing the
stage for both of them to continue their success and development."
"John Hancock is committed to securing the strongest fields of
runners from around the world for the Boston Marathon each year. It
is an added bonus to have Meb and Ryan, two outstanding U.S.
runners, as top contenders in the field for the 2010 race," said
Jim Boyle, President of John Hancock Financial Services. "We know
they will only add excitement to what is always a thrilling race.
Marathoning is a global sport and the prominence of U.S. runners
among the world's elite is a terrific development for fans and for
the sport." About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial
Corporation Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based
financial services group serving millions of customers in 22
countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife
Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in
the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of
financial protection products and wealth management services
through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution
partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its
subsidiaries were Cdn$436.5 billion (US$407.1 billion) as at
September 30, 2009. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC'
on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife
Financial can be found on the Internet at http://www.manulife.com/.
The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises
one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock
offers a broad range of financial products and services, including
life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products,
mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college
savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional
information about John Hancock may be found at
http://www.johnhancock.com/. DATASOURCE: John Hancock Financial
CONTACT: Brian Carmichael of John Hancock Financial,
+1-617-663-4748, Web Site: http://www.johnhancock.com/
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