Last year was an aberration. It was not a typical Boston Marathon. The pace was unusually slow on a good day for racing, and the winning time - 2 hours, 11 minutes, 6 seconds - reflected it.
It won't happen again this year, promises defending champion Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya, unless the weather conditions dictate otherwise."This year, the people here want to run fast," said Hussein, also the Boston champion in 1988 when he became the first African winner in the race's storied history.
"An Olympic year is always fast. This race is the Olympic qualifier for a lot of countries and the runners want to impress the selectors.
"My goal is to run a fast race. It's good going into the Olympics to run a fast time.
"I hope we will have the 1990 pace with the 1988 result."
Two years ago, the pace was unrealistic. About a half-dozen Africans bolted in front quickly and maintained their frenetic pace through 20 miles, with Juma Ikangaa and Simon Robert Naali, both of Tanzania, combining to break nine of the 12 course checkpoint records through that stage.
After that, they wilted, and 1988 Olympic gold medalist Gelindo Bordin of Italy, who had remained within striking distance while running a controlled race, caught and passed them at 21 miles, and won in 2:08:19, second-fastest Boston time ever, behind only Rob de Castella's 2:07:51 in 1986.
This time, with a lot at stake, and a slew of young, inexperienced African runners competing, the pace could be fast again.
"I don't think some of the Kenyans will be looking around," Hussein said. "They're novices, and they want to go.
"But I don't think it will be too crazy, because we also have a lot of runners who now understand the marathon."
Those runners include Hussein, who outkicked Ikangaa in the final 100 yards and won the closest Boston Marathon ever, by one second four years ago; Ikangaa, the second-place Boston finisher from 1988-90 and the 1989 New York City Marathon champion in a course-record 2:08:01; Abebe Mekonnen of Ethiopia, the 1989 Boston champion and 1991 runner-up, and Steve Jones of Wales, the former world record-holder and two-time Chicago Marathon winner.
Other strong contenders are expected to be Alejandro Cruz, Martin Pitayo, Jesus Herrera and Andres Espinosa of Mexico, Carlos Grisales of Colombia, Tesfaye Tafa of Ethiopia, Toru Mimura of Japan, Manuel Matias and Joaquim Pinheiro of Portugal, and Naali.
While the men were running relatively slow last year, the women produced the fastest overall finish in marathon history, with the first six finishers under 2:30:00.
Leading the way was Poland's Wanda Panfil in 2:24:18, the second-fastest Boston ever, behind only Joan Benoit Samuelson's 2:22:43 in 1983, and the fastest in the world in 1991.
Panfil, also the world champion and ranked No. 1 in the world last year, is back to defend her title. Trying to unseat her as champion will be Germany's Uta Pippig, third last year, and Olga Markova of Russia, the second-place finisher in the New York City Marathon in November.
Other challengers include Conceicao Ferreira and Manuela Machado of Portugal, Ritva Lemettinen and Tuija Toivonen of Finland, Irina Bogacheva of Russia and Yoshiko Yamamato of Japan.
The race is devoid of top-class Americans, because the U.S. women's Olympic trials were held in late January and the men's trials were conducted last weekend.
For many foreigners, however, the race carries great significance. It is the Olympic trials for the men's teams of Kenya and Tanzania, and the men's and women's teams of Finland. In addition, the men's runners from Mexico and the men's and women's runners from Portugal can earn berths on their respective teams with fast finishes at Boston, and the race is the final qualifier for the Russian women.
Ikangaa, who failed to finish last year's race because of a leg injury, foresees an intriguing 96th Boston Marathon.
"I think it will be a tactical race, but I also think it will be a fast race," he said.
"That's because of the strong field. Everyone will be trying to qualify for the Olympics.
"This race will be like 1988, 1989 and 1990 - fast. The time should be good, about 2:08 or 2:09."
If it's in that range, Ikangaa's chances are excellent. No marathoner in history has run more sub-2:10 clocking than Ikangaa, who has eight, and no marathoner has more sub-2:09 clocking than Ikangaa, who has six.
"I would like to win this year so I can say that somebody from Tanzania won this race ... the second-oldest marathon except for the Olympics," Ikangaa said.
Prize money has been increased to $418,000, with $60,000 each to the first-place men's and women's finishers aznd $30,000 apiece for the runner-ups, with money distributed to the top 15 in each division.
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(Additional information)
Facts & figures for Monday's Boston Marathon:
Starting time - Noon EDT.
Starting field - approximately 9,800.
1991 men's champion - Ibrahim Hussein, Kenya.
1991 women's champion - Wanda Panfil, Poland.
Course record-holder (men) - Rob de Castella, Australia, 2 hours, 7 minutes, 51 seconds, 1986.
Course record-holder (women) - Joan Benoit Samuelson, United States, 2:22:43, 1983.
World record-holder (men) - Belayneh Densimo, Ethiopia, 2:06:50, 1988.
World record-holder (women) - Ingrid Kristiansen, Norway, 2:21:06, 1985.
Prize money - $418,000, with $60,000 to the first-place men's and women's finishers; prizes will be awarded to the first 15 men's and women's finishers in the open division, the first five men's and women's finishers in the masters division, and the first three men's and women's finishers in the wheelchair division. There also will be bonuses for world and course records.