By David Monti

(c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

(15-Jan) — Organizers of the Boston Marathon, one of the six events of the World Marathon Majors, released their full elite fields for the 2013 race on Monday, April 15, and the contest will be stronger and more diverse than ever. Forty elite athletes from 14 countries have been contracted to run by race patron John Hancock Financial.

Not surprisingly, African athletes make up the bulk of the elite field with 21 of the 40 spots. Amongst those are defending champions Wesley Korir and Sharon Cherop, both of Kenya. Other top African stars include Kenyans Moses Mosop, Levy Matebo, Dickson Chumba, Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, Micah Kogo (debut), and Lucas Rotich (debut) for the men, and Rita Jeptoo for the women. The Ethiopian squad will be led by Gebre Gebremariam, Markos Geneti, Shami Abdullah Dawit, and Raji Assefa for the men, and Aselefech Mergia, Meseret Hailu and Mamitu Daska for the women. African men have won in Boston the last 11 consecutive years; African women have won the last five.

Two of Europe’s top women, Ana Dulce Félix of Portugal and Sabrina Mockenhaupt of Germany, will both compete in Boston for the first time. The last European woman to win the race was Lydia Grigoryeva of Russia in 2007.

Organizers had previously announced their group of American athletes, including five of the six runners who competed for the United States in last summer’s London Olympics.

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A complete athlete list is presented, below, with career best times and the nations they represent. Course and national records have been noted.

More: Boston Press Release on 2013 Field

LRC Update: The field has changed: Ryan Hall and Moses Mosop Both Pull Out of 2013 Boston Marathon

MEN –

Moses Mosop 2:03:06 (Boston, 2011) Kenya

Lelisa Desisa 2:04:45 (Dubai, 2013)

Gebre Gebremariam 2:04:53 (Boston, 2011) Ethiopia

Markos Geneti 2:04:54 (Dubai, 2012) Ethiopia

Ryan Hall 2:04:58 (Boston, 2011) US A

Levy Matebo 2:05:16 (Frankfurt, 2011) Kenya

Shami Abdullah Dawit 2:05:42 (Dubai, 2012) Ethiopia

Dickson Chumba 2:05:46 (Eindhoven, 2012) CR Kenya

Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot 2:05:52 (Boston, 2010) Kenya

Wesley Korir 2:06:15 (Chicago, 2011) Kenya

Raji Assefa 2:06:24 (Paris, 2012) Ethiopia

Abdi Abdirahman 2:08:56 (Chicago, 2006) USA

Meb Keflezighi 2:09:08 (Houston, 2012) USA

Jeffrey Hunt 2:11:00 (Beppu, 2010) Australia

Jason Hartmann 2:11:06 (Chicago, 2010) USA

Eric Gillis 2:11:28 (Toronto, 2011) Canada

Fernando Cabada 2:11:53 (Houston, 2012) USA

Guor Marial 2:12:55 (San Diego, 2012) NR South Sudan

Robin Watson 2:13:37 (Rotterdam, 2012) Canada

Debuts

Micah Kogo, debut 59:07 (South Shields, 2012)

Lucas Rotich, debut 59:44 (Den Haag, 2011)

WOMEN –

Aselefech Mergia 2:19:31 (Dubai, 2012) CR Ethiopia

Meseret Hailu Debele 2:21:09 (Amsterdam, 2012) CR Ethiopia

Mamitu Daska 2:21:59 (Frankfurt, 2011) Ethiopia

Rita Jeptoo 2:22:04 (Chicago, 2012) Kenya

Sharon Cherop 2:22:39 (Dubai, 2012) Kenya

Madai Pérez 2:22:59 (Chicago, 2006) NR Mexico

Alemita Abera Begna 2:23:14 (Houston, 2012) Ethiopia

Tetiana Gamera-Shmyrko 2:24:32 (London, 2012) Ukraine

Kara Goucher 2:24:52 (Boston, 2011) USA

Shalane Flanagan 2:25:38 (Houston, 2012) USA

Ana Dulce Félix 2:25:40 (NYC, 2011) Portugal

Yolanda Caballero 2:26:17 (Boston, 2011) Colombia

Sabrina Mockenhaupt 2:26:21 (Berlin, 2010) Germany

Diana Chepkemoi Sigei 2:26:53 (Dubai, 2011) Kenya

Karolina Jarzynska 2:27:16 (Yokohama, 2011) Poland

Serena Burla 2:28:27 (Seoul, 2012) USA

Stephanie Rothstein Bruce 2:29:35 (Houston, 2011) USA

René Kalmer 2:29:59 (Yokohama, 2011) RSA

Diane Nukuri-Johnson 2:30:13 (London, 2012) NR Burundi

Alissa McKaig 2:31:56 (Houston, 2012) USA