Defending Champions Daniel Salel And Mary Wacera Lead Strong Field For Sunday’s BAA Half-Marathon
BAA Press Release
October 4, 2016
BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association announced today the elite field for the 16th annual B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Headlining the professional field are both B.A.A. Half Marathon defending champions Daniel Salel and Mary Wacera. The B.A.A. Half Marathon will be run on Sunday, October 9, 2016, beginning and finishing in Boston’s Franklin Park.
A native of Kenya, Mary Wacera won last year’s B.A.A. Half Marathon in 1:10:21 to claim the race title and secure the 2015 B.A.A. Distance Medley crown. Wacera also won the 2015 B.A.A. 10K, and owns two medals from the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships: a silver from 2014 and a bronze from earlier this year. Wacera’s lifetime best for the half marathon is1:06:29, set in Houston in January.
Leading the American charge are Heather Cappello and Madeline Duhon, both of whom run as part of Team B.A.A. Diane Nukuri, a 2016 Olympian for Burundi who placed fourth at this year’s B.A.A. 5K, is also racing.
For the men, Salel comes into the B.A.A. Half Marathon riding a hot streak in Massachusetts. In addition to winning last year’s B.A.A. Half Marathon, B.A.A. 10K, and B.A.A. Distance Medley title, Salel placed third at this year’s B.A.A 10K and fifth at August’s Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod. The native of Kenya finished second at both the 2013 and 2014 B.A.A. Half Marathons as well.
Joining Salel among the men’s contenders from East Africa are this year’s B.A.A. 10K champion Daniel Chebii; current 10K world leader Abraham Kipyatich; and Silas Kipruto, the fastest man in the field with a 59:49 half marathon lifetime best. Salel, Chebii, Kipyatich, and Kipruto are all from Kenya.
Craig Leon and Trent Lusignan are the fastest Americans entered. Leon was the top American finisher at last year’s TCS New York City Marathon, and also placed tenth and twelfth at the 2013 and 2014 Boston Marathons. Lusignan is a member of the Hansons Brooks Distance Project based out of Michigan.
Since first being run in 2001, the B.A.A. Half Marathon has seen winners from eight different countries. The winner of the B.A.A. Half Marathon will earn $10,000, plus an additional $10,000 if the winner’s time is under the event records of 1:00:34 for men and 1:08:20 for women. In 2015, more than 6,380 athletes participated in the B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. This year’s field has 9,000 participants.
MEN’S ELITE FIELD (as of October 4, 2016)
| NAME | CITIZENSHIP | PERSONAL BEST |
| Daniel Salel | KEN | 1:00:41 |
| Silas Kipruto | KEN | 59:39 |
| Daniel Chebii | KEN | 59:49 |
| Abraham Kipyatich | KEN | 1:00:03 |
| Tsegay Tuemay | ERI | 1:01:39 |
| Pius Nyantika | KEN | 1:01:46 |
| Akihiko Tsumurai | JPN | 1:01:58 |
| Eliud Ngetich | KEN | 1:02:40 |
| Harbert Okuti | UGA | 1:03:52 |
| Craig Leon | USA (OR) | 1:04:02 |
| Trent Lusignan | USA (MI) | Debut |
WOMEN’S ELITE FIELD (as of October 4, 2016)
| NAME | CITIZENSHIP | PERSONAL BEST |
| Mary Wacera | KEN | 1:06:29 |
| Diane Nukuri | BDI (AZ) | 1:09:12 |
| Mary Davies | NZL (TX) | 1:11:07 |
| Nancy Nzisa | KEN | 1:11:09 |
| Valentine Kibet | KEN (CO) | 1:11:34 |
| Heather Cappello | USA (MA) | 1:13:07 |
| Natasha LaBeaud | CAN (CA) | 1:13:31 |
| Madeline Duhon | USA (MA) | 1:17:22 |
OPEN DIVISION PRIZE STRUCTURE (Men and Women)
| PLACE | AMOUNT (USD) |
| 1 | $10,000 |
| 2 | $6,000 |
| 3 | $4,000 |
| 4 | $2,500 |
| 5 | $1,200 |
| 6 | $1,000 |
| 7 | $600 |
| 8 | $500 |
| 9 | $300 |
| 10 | $200 |
BONUSES
| BONUS INCENTIVES FOR TOP OVERALL FINISHES IN 2016 B.A.A. EVENTS* | |
| Win three of the four events | $50,000 |
| Win two of the four events | $20,000 |
| Place among the top two in three of the four events | $10,000 |
| Place among the top three in three of the four events | $5,000 |
* Includes the Boston Marathon.
EVENT RECORD BONUSES
| B.A.A. 5K | B.A.A. 10K | B.A.A. HALF MARATHON | BOSTON MARATHON |
| $5,000 | $7,500 | $10,000 | $25,000 |