Sports Digest

April 16, 2008

The Boston Marathon is breaking with a 112-year tradition, putting corporate ads on the start and finish lines to help its two main sponsors extract more value from ties with the world's oldest marathon.

Race organizers also announced yesterday that they were increasing its purse by more than 38 percent, from $575,000 to $796,000, making it the richest of the World Marathon Majors events.

The arrangements were made under terms of existing contracts with John Hancock Financial Services and German sports equipment and apparel maker Adidas AG.

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• Olympics // Joan Benoit Samuelson, 50, who will run in her fourth and final Olympic trials in Boston on Sunday, is one of nine individual athletes who will be part of this year's U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame class. The class will be inducted June 19. Joining Samuelson are: Karch Kiraly, a three-time Olympian in volleyball; wrestler Bob Baumgartner; figure skater Brian Boitano; boxer Oscar de La Hoya; original Dream Team member David Robinson, a former basketball star at Navy; swimmer Amy Van Dyken; J. Michael Plumb, an eight-time Olympian who has marched in more opening ceremonies than any other U.S. athlete; Lones W. Wigger Jr., a double gold medalist in shooting; and paralympic swimmer John Morgan.

• College football // Duke offensive tackle Cameron Goldberg of Lutherville has been suspended from the team for violating team policy.

• Tennis // No. 1 seed Roger Federer rallied to defeat Olivier Rochus, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round of the clay-court Estoril Open in Oeiras, Portugal. ... Unseeded Igor Kunitsyn beat No. 2 seed Tommy Haas, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, in a first-round match at the U.S. Clay Court Championship in Houston.

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Related topic galleries: John Morgan, Athletics, Track and Field, Financial and Business Services, David Robinson, Brian Boitano, Tommy Haas, Roger Federer

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