FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Champions Shine and History Made from Start to Finish
at 128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America
BOSTON (15-April) - A course record, an historic pace at halfway, possible
Olympic berths on the line, and the largest pack of women at 20 miles the
race has ever seen: The 128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America
offered drama at every turn as 26,596 starters made their way from
Hopkinton to Boston, cheered by huge crowds on a dry, sunny spring
Patriots' Day.
In the professional races, Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia triumphed on Boylston
Street in 2:06:17; Hellen Obiri of Kenya repeated her win of last year,
this time in 2:22:37; Eden Rainbow-Cooper of Great Britain was a surprise
wheelchair winner in 1:35:11, and Switzerland's Marcel Hug won for the
seventh time here, breaking his own course record when he broke the tape in
1:15:33 despite a frightening mid-race crash.
Lemma and Obiri each took home $150,000 for their victories and likely
elevated their chances of being selected by their respective countries to
compete in the Olympic marathon this summer.
For a while, it looked as if the 33-year-old Lemma - with a personal best
of 2:01:48, the fastest man in the field - might break Geoffrey Mutai's
2011 course record of 2:03:02. Lemma finished 30th in his Boston debut in
2019 and failed to finish in 2017 and 2022 but he nonetheless said he felt
confident from the start.
"Since there was no pacesetter, I decided that I wanted to start fast
early," he said. "I said I was going to redeem myself. I ran very hard,
started very fast, so I was able to win."
By the Mile 5 mark, he was 6 seconds ahead of course-record pace and
gapping the field. He hit halfway in 1:00:19, 1:39 ahead of Mutai's halfway
split and 1:49 ahead of a large pack. For a while, he was even on pace to
set a world best.
But a lead that at one point reached around 2 minutes, 20 seconds began to
dwindle with the help from Kenyans John Korir and Evans Chebet, who was
seeking his third-consecutive win here, and from the brutal course itself.
"After the 30K mark, that was very hard," he said. "Not the hills. The
[Boston College] downhill after."
His early confidence, however, would be rewarded: Lemma hung on in the
final miles to win by 41 seconds, with Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa finishing
second (2:06:58) and Chebet third (2:07:22). Top American was C.J.
Albertson, seventh in a personal best 2:09:53.
The women's race could not have played out more differently from the men's,
with a pack of 17 still together at 20 miles. Soon after, two-time Boston
winner Edna Kiplagat helped decide it was time to move things along.
Suddenly, five women had separated themselves, and around Mile 23 it was
three: 44-year-old Kiplagat, defending champion Obiri, and 2022 TCS New
York City Marathon winner Sharon Lokedi of Kenya.
Kiplagat fell back soon after, and the race became a duel between Obiri and
Lokedi until Obiri took command in Kenmore Square, with about a mile to go.
She would kick on to win by 7 seconds over Lokedi (2:22:45), with the
ageless Kiplagat third - and the masters champion for the third time - in
2:23:21.
"The Boston Marathon has been like my second home," said Obiri, who in 2023
won not only the marathon but also the Boston 10K presented by Brigham and
Women's Hospital in late June. "The Boston Marathon has opened my way to
win the New York Marathon [last fall] and I'm sure it opened my way to win
the Olympics, so next year [I will come here] as Olympic champion."
In winning, Obiri became only the sixth woman to defend her Boston Marathon
title, and the first since Catherine Ndereba in 2005.
"I am so happy, because defending the title was not easy. Since Boston
started, only six women have done it. People will look back and say Hellen
was one of them."
Finishing as first American for the second year in a row was Emma Bates,
this year in 12th position in 2:27:14.
The women's wheelchair race might have introduced a new star: Eden
Rainbow-Cooper, the first woman from Great Britain to win the division
here. Rainbow-Cooper, just 22, began racing marathons only two years ago,
and wept with joy after breaking the tape.
"It's beyond my wildest dreams," she said. "I just can't believe it."
Rainbow-Cooper's first major victory came over none other than Manuela
Schär, who was seeking her fifth win here. Schär finished second in
1:36:41.
For the men, Hug was on course-record pace as soon as the starter's horn
sounded. "It was a time trial from the beginning," he said. "I think I even
had a speed record downhill."
His only serious challenger was the barricade opposite the Newton firehouse
at the turn onto Commonwealth Avenue: Hug lost steering just as he rounded
the turn, crashing into the barricade and tipping over.
"It was my fault," he said. "Luckily nothing happened with the tires, so I
could go forward."
In the Para Athletics Divisions, the following champions were crowned:
T11/T12 (Vision impairment)
- Irwin Ramirez, 3:24:21 / Joyce Cron, 4:27:46
T13 (Vision impairment)
- Andrew Thorsen, 3:02:23 / Lisa Thompson, 4:00:58
T45/T46 (Upper-limb impairment)
- Atsbha Gebremeskel, 2:54:14 / Adrienne Keane, 4:44:26
T61/T63/T43 (Lower-limb impairment)
- Adam Popp, 3:11:56 / Tatsiana Khvitso-Trimborn, 4:00:04
T62/T64; T42/T44 (Lower-limb impairment)
- Marko Cheseto Lemtukei, 2:46:45 / Kelly Bruno, 3:31:30
T35-T38 (Coordination impairment)
- Joseph Drake, 4:32:44 / Cristina Burbach, 3:41:17
T20 (Intellectual impairment)
- Thomas Cantara, 2:35:23
Medical volunteers help support from start to finish.
A team of 1,900 medical volunteers served at this year's race from start to
finish. With temperatures climbing into the upper-60s as expected, the
medical team provided care across 30 medical stations. As of 6:00 p.m. ET,
77 athletes had been transported to local hospitals.
The medical team continues to tally treatment counts for participants, and
will provide an update at tomorrow's press conference.
Results search, athlete tracking and leaderboards are available here.
Live tracking for participants and live leaderboards can be found at both
www.baa.org and within the Boston Marathon Racing App presented by TCS.
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through
sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and
supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The
128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America is scheduled to take
place on Monday, April 15, 2024. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott
World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London,
Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. For more information on the B.A.A.,
please visit www.baa.org.
###
|
