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CONTACT: Robin Monsky
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Chicago - TANUI & JIFAR JOIN THE LASALLE BANK CHICAGO MARATHON FIELD

Race To Feature Six Sub-2:07 Runners in Historic Match-Up

Chicago (August 31, 2000) - The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon continued to fashion the fastest men's field ever assembled by signing Moses Tanui and Tesfaye Jifar to run the October 22, 2000 race, according to Carey Pinkowski, the executive race director. With Tanui's PR of 2:06:33 (the world's second best all-time mark) and Jifar's 2:06:49 (8th best all-time mark), the Chicago Marathon boasts a half dozen men with established bests below 2:07. The two athletes will join Khalid Khannouchi (2:05:42 #1 in the World), Gert Thys (2:06:33, #4), Josephat Kiprono (2:06:44, #6) and Fred Kiprop (2:06:47, #7) who had previously been announced. The six men hold down six of eight of the world's all-time fastest marathon clockings and account for half of the men to ever run under 2:07.

No other race in history has ever featured as many men with those credentials. Chicago's 1999 field was the first ever to offer a head-to-head match up of two sub-2:07'ers when Ondoro Osoro and Ronaldo da Costa met last fall and London subsequently introduced three runners below that mark at their start line in April of this year when Khannouchi, Thys and William Kiplagat faced off.

"The speed Tanui and Jifar bring to the race is awesome in and of itself," said Pinkowski, "but that's not the only reason I recruit these athletes. If you only recruit for speed, you wind up with a time trial, not a real race. You need to create a chemistry of aggressive competitors with blazing speed. I bring in fast athletes who want to mix it up, be in the middle of things and who want to be challenged by the best in the world. Speed alone can not create drama, only true competitors do and our field is chock full of them - with Moses Tanui being the latest great example."

The 35-year old Tanui has finished in the money in six of the eight marathons he's completed since 1995 with his lowest finish in that stretch being 5th place. It was the two-time Olympian's scorching surge between miles 18 and 24(4:38; 4:38 4:40; 4:49; 4:45; 4:57; 4:46) last year in Chicago that triggered Khannouchi's drive to catch up and led to the subsequent assault on the world record. Tanui was passed at the 24-mile mark but still claimed the fastest runner-up time ever recorded - and the knowledge that he was instrumental in the record being set.

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Tanui followed up that performance with a determined effort in Boston this spring where he stayed with the front-runners throughout the race, then pushed into the lead as he made the last turn onto Boylston. He was subsequently passed again at the end to finish in third place in the closest top-three finish in Boston history. Originally a track star, the Kenyan is a two-time winner of the Boston Marathon and also took top honors at the Chunchon (KOR) Marathon. Tanui owns two IAAF World Championship gold medals and four silvers at varying distances.

While the veteran Tanui has run 135 certified races in his career, Jifar represents the opposite end of the spectrum with just four major races in the books. In fact, due to injury, the 24-year old Ethiopian has not run a major race since his impressive 2:06:49 second place finish in Amsterdam on October 17, 1999. His marathon debut came in August of 1998 when he got his feet wet at the distance with a 2:22:13 at the Konmarathon in The Hague (HOL).

Pinkowski also announced that Linda Somers-Smith had withdrawn from the field due to injury.

Elite athletes will be vying for a total purse of $450,000 at The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in October, with $75,000, plus possible time bonuses, going to the two winners. The 2000 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon begins Sunday, October 22, 2000, at 7:30 a.m., starting and finishing in Chicago's Grant Park. For more information or to register online visit chicagomarathon.com or call 312/904-9800 or 888/243-3344 toll-free. Marathon runners will not be allowed to sign up for the event on Race Weekend, a notable change from previous years. Mail registration will close Sept. 22 -- one month before the event -- while online registration at chicagomarathon.com will remain open until Oct. 1. As a bonus, all online registrants will receive a $5 discount. After Oct. 1, no applications will be accepted.

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The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon Elite List As of 8/31/00

MEN (Marathon PR)

Jeff Campbell (2:19:18)
Mark Coogan (2:13:05)
Peter De La Cerda (2:16:18)
Eddy Hellebuyck (2:11:50)
Tesfay Jifar (2:06:47)*
Khalid Khannouchi (2:05:42)
Joseph Kimani (2:25:32)
Josphat Kiprono (2:06:44)
Fred Kiprop (2:06:47)
Samuel Otieno (2:09:12)
Teddy Mitchell (2:20:33)
David Morris (2:09:32)
Gary Stolz (2:18:46)
Moses Tanui (2:06:16)*
Gert Thys (2:06:33)
WOMEN

Libbie Hickman (2:28:34)
Kristy Johnston (2:29:05)
Lornah Kiplagat (2:25:29)
Catherine Ndereba (2:26:11a)
Margaret Okayo (2:26:00)
Ann Schaefers-Coles (2:38:25)

* - New additions to roster Withdrawn due to injury - Scott Larson, Susannah Beck, Gwynn Coogan, Linda Somers-Smith, Liz Wilson

Robin Monsky
Media Relations Director
LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon
(312) 337-3790
[email protected]

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