The 66th Fukuoka International Open Marathon, happening 12/2 (Sun.) has expanded its field with elite athletes who had originally planned to run the ING New York City Marathon. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the New York race was cancelled for the first time in history. Fukuoka Marathon organizers revealed that Martin Lel of Kenya; Scott Overall of Great Britain; Ryan Vail, Tim Nelson and Brent Vaughn of the United States; and Simon Bairu of Canada had all been added to the field. From a competitive point of view, the Fukuoka Marathon is one of the most important marathons in the world. However it is very small, with just 436 finishers in 2011 and 331 finishers in 2010. With an invited field numbering 41, the race is the most top-heavy commercial marathon for men in the world. The full invited field is listed here. Source: http://running.competitor.com/2012/11/news/nyc-marathon-elites-head-to-fukuoka_62098
Official Fukuoka International Open Marathon HP: http://www.fukuoka-marathon.com/en/
