FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lawrence Cherono Wins 2019 Boston Marathon Title
With Last Second Surge
In one of the most exciting finishes in Boston Marathon history, three men
took the famous turn on Hereford Street in tandem, setting the stage for a
memorable sprint down Boylston Street. The 123rd Boston Marathon would turn
out to be a kicker's classic, as Kenya's Lawrence Cherono edged Ethiopia's
Lelisa Desisa by two seconds at the line, 2:07:57 to 2:07:59, using every
ounce of energy to break the tape. Kenneth Kipkemoi finished third in
2:08:07.
Although Cherono came into the race as the fastest man in the field,
courtesy of his 2:04:06 course record in Amsterdam last year, he could
never have been deemed a demonstrative favorite given the depth of
assembled talent that included five Boston champions. After splits of
15:10, 30:21 and 64:28 for 5K, 10K and half way, more than 20 men still
were in contention at the midway point. The rolling hills and steadily
increasing humidity could have been expected to take a progressive toll as
the race transitioned into Newton, but no one relented.
On the first of the three infamous Newton hills, Geoffrey Kirui took the
initiative, then a mile later it was American Scott Fauble moving towards
the front. Fauble later commented: "It was such a surreal experience to
lead a race that I grew up watching."
The gloves finally came off at 21 miles, when the leaders had been trimmed
to seven: Fauble, Kirui, Desisa, Cherono, Kipkemoi, Philemon Rono, and
Felix Kandie. Kirui appeared particularly comfortable, as did Kipkemboi,
despite having lost 100 meters earlier in the race when he was forced to
stop to adjust his shoe. With five miles still to run, the outcome remained
impossible to determine.
With the Newton hills behind them, Kirui assumed control. Increasing the
tempo gradually, the 2017 champion covered mile 23 to 24 in a withering
4:31. Talam was dropped; ironically, it was a move that also proved Kirui's
undoing.
Passing Fenway Park and entering Kenmore Square, the group was down to
three: Kipkemoi, Cherono and Desisa. As Kipkemoi and Cherono battled
shoulder to shoulder, Desisa held his favored position -- tucked in behind,
waiting to unleash the kick that has proved so effective so often.
Making the right turn onto Hereford Street in unison, Desisa injected an
increase in pace that brought him from third to first inches ahead of the
battling Kenyans. Swinging left onto Boylston Street with the finish line
visible in the distance, Desisa surged again with hopes of solidifying his
third title.
Shoulder to shoulder along the finishing straight, Desisa reached out as if
to claw his way to the crown. Yet with mere feet remaining, Cherono found a
reserve of speed that Desisa just could not match. Desisa almost stumbled
across the line, but Cherono forged ahead, opening a two second margin and
claiming the gold olive wreath in 2:07:57.
"I am so grateful, so happy," stated the newly crowned winner, whose
victory was his first in an Abbott World Marathon Majors event. "To me, I
am poor in finishing races. But today, I did a fantastic job. It was very
nice for me."
Cherono's effort showed, as he had to be held on each side as he made the
champion's walk to the awards platform. Despite the pain, Cherono couldn't
help but smile and laugh as he clutched the winner's trophy.
"[At] 40K we were two and three people. So it was no man's race to win," he
recounted. "But to me I keep on forecasting and the end I matched the
winner. So I am grateful and so happy."
Desisa took second in 2:07:59, with Kipkemoi rounding out the podium in
2:08:07. When asked if he was surprised he lost in a sprint, Desisa shook
his head and said "For me it is the first time."
Top American honors went to Fauble, finishing in 2:09:09 just ahead of
Jared Ward (2:09:25). The masters division title was earned by Abdi
Abdirahman in 2:18:56.
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