Masazumi Soejima Hometown: Fukuoka, Japan Age: 39 Personal best: 1:21:23 (Padova, 2008) Career notes: Soejima blew away the field in 2007 in his first Boston Marathon, beating second place finisher Krige Schabort by seven minutes and 11 seconds and denying Ernst Van Dyk his seventh consecutive victory. He finished third in 2008, and second in 2009. In 2009 he won the Honolulu Marathon and finished fourth at London, second at Chicago, and seventh at New York. He set course records at the Honolulu Marathon in 2005 and 2006, winning in 1:30:32 then 1:29:22, respectively. His personal best of 1:25:29 from the 2006 Oita Marathon would have given him a top-three finish at all but one Boston Marathon over the last 14 years. Personal notes: Soejima lives with his wife Miyuki in Fukuoka, Japan, but considers Nagasaki his hometown. He trains and races full-time and would like to try an Ironman triathlon some day. -- Courtesy BAA [ Close window ]