Deriba Merga Late Addition To 117th Boston Marathon Field

BOSTON (CBS) - Another former Boston Marathon champion will be back for the 117th running of the famous race in April.

2009 winner Deriba Merga of Ethiopia is joining this year's field, John Hancock Financial announced on Thursday.

Merga, who also placed third in 2010, came in fourth in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Marathon. Last year he finished second at the New York City Half Marathon -- one of the eight half marathons he's completed in under an hour.

Read: Former Champ Samuellson Joins Marathon Fiel

This year, Merga finished second in the Houston Half Marathon in January and fourth at the Paris Half Marathon in March.

John Hancock also announced that Guor Marial, a dual citizen of South Sudan and the U.S., has dropped out of the April 15 race due to a foot injury sustained in a recent race.

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Tune in to WBZ-TV for complete coverage of the 117th Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013.