The selectors still foolishly left off Kenenisa Bekele, but they took our advice with the women's squad and added Tirfi Tsegaye and Tigist Tufa to join Mare Dibaba.
*LRC 2016 Ethiopian Olympic Marathon Team Announced - Ethiopians Leave Off World's Fastest Woman And Arguably The World's Greatest Distance Runner Ever

Dibaba faces Berlin/Tokyo champ Tirfi Tsegaye while Koech is up against 2011 world 10,000 champ Ibrahim Jeilan and Alex Oloitiptip (59:28).

Eshetu coaches young runners in the tiny town of Bekoji, Ethiopia. He coached this year's Berlin winner, Tirfi Tsegaye as well as others including Olympic champ Tiki Gelana and all-time greats Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba.
*LRC Archives: Move Over Iten, Kenya - Bekoji, Ethiopia Lays Claims To Be The Cradle Of Running

Ethiopia's 2:21 runners Feyse Tadese and Tirfi Tsegaye will face Shalane Flanagan on the women's side.

2:04 man Tadesse Tola and two-time World champion Abel Kirui lead a men's field that has 5 others who have gone 2:06 or better including 2011 World Junior XC champ Geoffrey Kipsang. 2012 Olympian Arata Fujiwara leads the Japanese charge. The women's favorite is 2:19 runner Lucy Kabuu who will face Tirfi Tsegaye (2:21:19).