[Note: I serve as assistant editor for Race Results Weekly---BR]

Race Results Weekly (RRW), the wire service of distance running, announced that American Deena Kastor and Kenyan Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot were the top-ranked marathon runners of 2006. RRW produced for the second time an annual top-10 marathoner ranking based on key victories, head-to-head competition, fast times, consistent performances in multiple races and, in some cases, heroic efforts.

"Bob and I really struggled with these rankings because the top three women and the top two men all had terrific years," said Editor & Publisher, David Monti, referring to Assistant Editor Bob Ramsak. "Deena Kastor, Jelena Prokopcuka and Berhane Adere had one big victory each, and both Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Haile Gebrselassie had two big wins. We had to make some difficult choices."

Kastor, 33, of Mammoth Lakes, CA, defeated a top-class field at the Flora London Marathon last April in 2:19:36, the eighth-fastest performance of all-time, a North American record, and the 2006 world leader. Although she finished sixth at the ING New York City Marathon some seven months later --soundly defeated by Prokopcuka-- Kastor was given the #1 rank over the Latvian star, who was ranked #2.

"Despite a bad day in New York, her world leader in London against the best field of the year gives her the edge," explained Ramsak, who also publishes the Track Profile News Service.

The Ethiopian Adere was given the #3 rank for winning the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and finishing fourth at London. Prokopcuka,s second place at April's BAA Boston Marathon gave her a slight edge over Adere in the rankings.

Two Kenyans, Rita Jeptoo and Catherine Ndereba, were ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. Jeptoo won at Boston and finished fourth at New York. Ndereba won at Osaka and was third at New York.

Cheruiyot by a Whisker Over Gebrselassie
Cheruiyot, 28, who won both the BAA Boston and The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathons, got the #1 ranking over Ethiopian legend Gebrselassie because the fields he beat in Boston and Chicago were stronger and larger than those which Gebrselassie defeated at the real,- Berlin and Fukuoka Marathons. Gebrselassie ran the world-leading time at Berlin (2:05:56), but finished ninth at London. He and Cheruiyot did not face each other during the year.

"Cheruiyot was the first man ever to win Boston and Chicago in the same year, a historic feat," said Monti. "He also ran the fastest time ever at Boston: 2:07:14."

Felix Limo, also of Kenya, was given the #3 ranking based on his memorable victory at the Flora London Marathon. ING New York City Marathon Champion, Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, was the #4 ranker, while Kenyan Martin Lel (second at London) was ranked #5. Limo, Gomes dos Santos and Lel only ran one marathon each.

The complete rankings follow, including our exclusive Honorable Mention section where we recognize additional athletes who had strong years at the marathon distance. The rankings only consider performances by these athletes at the marathon distance during 2006.

2006 Race Results Weekly Marathoner Rankings - Women

1. Deena Kastor (USA):
(1) Flora London 2:19:36 AR/WL
(6) ING New York City 2:27:54

2. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT):
(2) BAA Boston 2:23:48
(1) ING New York City 2:25:05

3. Berhane Adere (ETH):
(4) Flora London 2:21:52 NR*
(1) LaSalle Bank Chicago 2:20:42 NR

4. Rita Jeptoo (KEN):
(1) BAA Boston 2:23:28 PB
(4) ING New York City 2:26:59

5. Catherine Ndereba (KEN):
(1) Osaka 2:25:05
(3) ING New York City 2:26:58

6. Zhou Chunxiu (CHN):
(1) Seoul 2:19:51 PB/CR
(DNF) Xiamen
(1) Asian Games 2:27:03

7. Galina Bogomolova (RUS):
(5) Flora London 2:21:58
(2) LaSalle Bank Chicago 2:20:47 NR

8. Gete Wami (ETH):
(2) Los Angeles 2:25:26
(1) real,- Berlin 2:21:34 NR*

9. Tatiana Hladyr (UKR):
(1) Roma 2:25:44 NR/CR
(2) ING New York City 2:26:05

10. Ludmila Petrova (RUS):
(2) London 2:21:29 NR*
(8) Chicago 2:27:08
*Surpassed later in the year

Honorable Mention (alphabetical order):
Susan Chepkemei (KEN): (3) Flora London 2:21:46 PB; (10) ING New York City 2:32:45.

Rose Cheruiyot (KEN): (2) Conenergy Hamburg 2:27:09 PB; (1) ING Amsterdam 2:28:26.

Lyubov Denisova (RUS): (3) Los Angeles 2:26:18; (1) Honolulu 2:27:19 CR.

Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS): (1) Los Angeles 2:25:10 PB/CR; (5) ING New York City 2:27:21.

Harumi Hiroyama (JPN): (1) Nagoya 2:23:26; (2) Shanghai 2:32:33.

Benita Johnson (AUS): (3) LaSalle Bank Chicago 2:22:36 NR.

Salina Kosgei (KEN): (8) Flora London 2:28:40; (2) real,- Berlin 2:23:22 PB; (1) Standard Chartered Singapore 2:31:55 CR.

Tomo Morimoto (JPN): (5) Osaka 2:27:46; (1) Vienna 2:24:33 PB.

Kayoko Obata (JPN): (2) Osaka 2:25:52; (3) Asian Games 2:30:38.

Madai Perez (MEX): (4) LaSalle Bank Chicago 2:22:59 NR.

Yoko Shibui (JPN): (2) Nagoya 2:23:58.

Kioko Shimahara (JPN): (3) Osaka 2:26:47; (5) Boston 2:26:52; (2) Asian Games 2:30:34.

Robe Tola (ETH): (1) Conenergy Hamburg 2:24:35 PB; (7) Messe Frankfurt 2:39:18.

Constantina Tomescu-Dita (ROM): (7) Flora London 2:27:51; (5) LaSalle Bank Chicago 2:24:25.

Reiko Tosa (JPN): (3) BAA Boston 2:24:11; (1) Tokyo 2:26:15.

Sun Weiwei (CHN): (1) Xiamen 2:26:32; (2) Ford Koln 2:29:45; (1) ANA Beijing 2:34:41.

2006 Race Results Weekly Marathoner Rankings - Men

1. Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot (KEN):
(1) BAA Boston 2:07:14 CR/PB
(1) LaSalle Bank Chicago 2:07:35

2. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH):
(9) Flora London 2:09:05
(1) real,- Berlin 2:05:56 NR/WL
(1) Fukuoka 2:06:52

3. Felix Limo (KEN):
(1) Flora London 2:06:39

4. Marilson Gomes dos Santos (BRA):
(1) ING New York City 2:09:58

5. Martin Lel (KEN):
(2) Flora London 2:06:41 PB

6. Stefano Baldini (ITA):
(5) Flora London 2:07:22 NR
(1) Euro Champs 2:11:32
(6) ING New York City 2:11:33

7. Julio Rey (ESP):
(1) Conenergy Hamburg 2:06:52 CR/NR
(3) Euro Champs 2:12:37

8. Hendrick Ramaala (RSA):
(3) Flora London 2:06:55 PB
(9) ING New York City 2:13:04

9. Daniel Njenga (KEN):
(2) LaSalle Bank Chicago 2:07:40

10. Sammy Korir (KEN):
(1) Fortis Rotterdam 2:06:38
(3) Tokyo 2:10:07
(DNF) real,- Berlin

Honorable Mention (alphabetical order):

Dmytro Baranovsky (UKR): (3) Vienna 2:10:56; (2) Fukuoka 2:07:15 NR.

Robert Cheboror (KEN): (2) Conenergy Hamburg 2:07:37; (5) LaSalle Bank Chicago 2:09:25.

Benson Cherono (KEN): (1) Los Angeles 2:08:40; (1) Samsung Milano 2:07:58 PB/CR.

Jaouad Gharib (MAR): (8) Flora London 2:08:45; (3) Fukuoka 2:07:19.

Khalid Khannouchi (USA): (4) London 2:07:04.

Charles Kibiwott (KEN): (3) Fortis Rotterdam 2:06:52 PB; (13) LaSalle Bank Chicago 2:15:00.

Stephen Kiogora (KEN): (3) Rock 'n' Roll San Diego 2:11:45; (2) ING New York City 2:10:06.

Paul Kirui (KEN): (2) Fortis Rotterdam 2:06:44 PB; (2) Joon Ang Seoul 2:09:05.

Jason Mbote (KEN): (2) Seoul 2:11:40; (1) Joon Ang Seoul 2:08:13 PB/CR.

Jimmy Muindi (KEN): (5) Seoul 2:12:20; (3) LaSalle Bank Chicago 2:07:51; (2) Honolulu 2:14:39.

Rodgers Rop (KEN): (6) Flora London 2:07:34 PB; (5) ING New York City 2:11:24.

Ambesse Tolossa (ETH): (1) Tokyo 2:08:58; (1) Rock 'n' Roll San Diego 2:10:08; (1) Honolulu 2:13:42.

For more information, visit www.trackprofile.com (c) 2006 TRACK PROFILE Report