Above: Dire Tune of Ethiopia running in the Boston Marathon
2008 at Wellesley Square. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Associated Press
Published: January 27, 2009

BOSTON: Kenyan runner Robert Cheruiyot will compete for his fourth consecutive Boston Marathon title and Dire Tune of Ethiopia will return to defend the women’s title on April 20.

Cheruiyot won his first Boston Marathon title in 2003, then won the race for three consecutive years from 2006-2008. His time of 2:07:14 in 2006 established a new course record.

Dire won in Boston by two seconds over Alevtina Biktimirova of Russia, the closest finish ever in the women’s division.