We just received an email from John Hancock, who handles the elite athletes at the Boston Marathon, which said that Shalane Flanagan will not be running Boston 2017 " due to a fracture in her back that will require four to six weeks of rest and healing."
"I'm extremely sad at the loss of opportunity to run with the best and that I will not be a part of my favorite race," said Flanagan.
Certainly a bummer. Flanagan is a Massachusetts native and winning Boston has long been on her bucket list, but she's running out of chances. She turns 36 in July.
In other news, Suguru Osako of the Nike Oregon Project and Japan has been added to the field and will make his debut. He's Japan's 3k (7:40) and 5k (13:08) national record holder and ran 61:13 at the Marugame Half Marathon two weeks ago.