FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Yuki Kawauchi Comes From Behind to Win Boston Marathon
By James O'Brien
Japan's Yuki Kawauchi won the men's race at the 122nd Boston Marathon in
such dramatic fashion that it will surely be recalled alongside such epics
as the Duel in the Sun of 1982 and the Johnny Kelley/Ellison Brown battle
of 1936. A customarily deep field ensured that the mano a mano competition
would always be the focus of the day; but, with conditions ranging from
consistently heavy rain to a veritable monsoon, it was undeniable that the
weather was enormously significant in the outcome.
Even Kawauchi assented. "I think the conditions were instrumental in
pulling off this victory," he stated after crossing the Boylston Street
finish line in a time of 2:15:58, the slowest winning time since 1976 (when
it was blazing hot), but still almost two and a half minutes up on second
placed Geoffrey Kirui, the defending champion (2:18:23) and a further
twelve seconds ahead of third placed Shadrack Biwott (2:18:35).
The race may have been slow, but the manner of Kawauchi's victory was
enthralling. As he conceded, "I bet there's not a single person in Boston
who thought that I would win today." Saliently, he added, "But, in the
marathon anything can happen."
It wasn't just the fact of the upset, it was the manner in which the win
was earned. Always in Boston, a runner bolts off the start line, into a
sizeable lead, only to fade and never be seen again. Kawauchi was that
runner this year, defying the torrential rain and blustery winds and
blasting through the first mile in 4:37 with a 13 second lead over a pack
of 25 runners that included Kirui (KEN), 2016 winner Lemi Berhanu (ETH),
2013 and 2015 winner Lelisa Desisa (ETH) and 2017 Chicago champ (and Boston
second placer) Galen Rupp. One mile later (9:30), the gap was down to eight
seconds, and the inevitable seemed about to happen. Except that it didn't.
The miles rolled by and gradually others joined Kawauchi. Felix Kandie was
the aggressor as the group pushed through 10 miles in 49:51, with the rain
coming down in torrents. Still, the leaders appeared unfazed.
The first move of consequence came just past 16 miles. Kawauchi had been
biding his time among the lead pack. As the severe climb over Route 128
rose before him, Kawauchi surged to the forefront, opening an immediate
five meter lead and inflicting the first significant damage on this field.
"I just wanted to take it out at an honest pace so I could get rid of some
people," commented Kawauchi, who contested 12 marathons in 2017, plus a
bitterly cold New Year's Day marathon in Marshfield, MA in freezing
temperatures.
Among the casualties at this stage was Rupp, who lost an immediate 15
meters and progressively fell from the fray. Not so for Kirui; the
defending champ appeared poised, composed and comfortable, covering the
move and surging back alongside Kawauchi together with a handful of others.
Almost immediately after the famed Newton Firehouse turn, the defending
champion in Kirui surged into the lead, taking the right turn like a
sprinter. To mile 18, Kirui clocked a 5:02 mile. Then came a 4:51; then a
5:03, and there was nobody in sight. Wilson Chebet was engaged in a silver
medal tussle with Berhanu and, remarkably, Kawauchi; but, for all intents
and purposes, the victor had been decided.
The subtleties told a different story. Having forged a seemingly
insurmountable lead, Kirui repeatedly looked over his shoulder. His form
looked immaculate, but the strain of battling the severe headwinds was
evident on his face. With every meter precious at this stage, he failed to
run the tangents. And, at a time when focus was key, he lost precious time
going out of his way to seek water from the roadside tables. On their own,
the signs meant little. Together, they told a tale.
Ninety seconds down, Kawauchi could have seen none of this; but, with three
kilometers remaining, he must have sensed the sea change.
"I told myself to just keep going forward, forward, forward," he explained.
"To run my own race and keep going."
At 40K, the man who had led through the first mile assumed that position
again. Kirui, having had the laurel wreath within his grasp, clocked a 6:29
split to mile 25, a depth from which there was no returning. As the
defending champion struggled to keep going, Kawauchi surged past and on to
a glorious win, the first by a Japanese since Tosihiko Seko in 1987 - the
year Kawauchi was born.
Shadrack Biwott was the top American in third, timing 2:18:35. "Man, it was
a tough one," said Biwott. "During the race I kept reminding myself to
relax. It was a struggle to find all breaks… Even on a tough race, I just
relax and run my race and don't panic."
In the master's division, four-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman (Tucson, AZ)
dominated the competition, taking the $10,000 first place prize with a
2:28:18.
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