128th Boston Marathon with Bank of America
On Patriots’ Day, the 128th Boston Marathon saw a lot of excitement! Over 26,000 runners started the race from Hopkinton to Boston. It was a sunny day, and the crowds were big and loud. Some runners set new records, and others were hoping to qualify for the Olympics. At the halfway point, the pace was faster than ever before. And when the runners reached the 20-mile mark, there was a huge group of women together, which was a first for the race.
In the recent professional races, Sisay Lemma from Ethiopia finished first on Boylston Street with a time of 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 17 seconds. Hellen Obiri from Kenya won again, completing the race in 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 37 seconds, just like last year. It was a surprise victory for Eden Rainbow-Cooper from Great Britain in the wheelchair category, finishing in 1 hour, 35 minutes, and 11 seconds. Marcel Hug from Switzerland clinched his seventh victory here, setting a new course record despite a scary crash during the middle of the race. He crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 15 minutes, and 33 seconds.
Lemma and Obiri each won $150,000 for their victories. This boosts their chances of being picked by their countries to run in the Olympic marathon this summer.
Lemma, aged 33 and holding the title of the fastest man in the field with a personal best of 2 hours, 1 minute, and 48 seconds, seemed poised to break Geoffrey Mutai’s 2011 course record of 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 2 seconds. Despite finishing 30th in his Boston debut in 2019 and facing setbacks in 2017 and 2022 where he couldn’t finish, Lemma expressed confidence right from the beginning of the race.
“I didn’t see anyone leading, so I took the lead myself. I wanted to make up for before. So, I pushed myself from the start, went really fast, and ended up winning.”
At the 5-mile mark, he was 6 seconds ahead of the record pace for the course and pulling away from the other runners. By the halfway point, he reached it in 1 hour, 19 seconds, which was 1 minute and 39 seconds faster than Mutai’s time at halfway, and 1 minute and 49 seconds ahead of the main group of runners. At one point, he was even on track to break the world record.
As the race progressed, a significant lead of about 2 minutes and 20 seconds started to shrink. This was thanks to the efforts of Kenyan runners John Korir and Evans Chebet. Chebet was aiming for his third straight victory in this race. The challenging course also played a part in closing the gap.
“After hitting 30,000 steps, it got tough,” he explained. Contrary to expectations, it wasn’t the uphill sections, but rather the downhill stretch by Boston College.
His initial confidence paid off: Lemma held on in the last few miles and won by 41 seconds. Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa came second with a time of 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 58 seconds, while Chebet finished third with a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 22 seconds. The top American runner was C.J. Albertson, who finished seventh with a personal best time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 53 seconds.
The women’s race unfolded in stark contrast to the men’s. At the 20-mile mark, a group of 17 runners remained bunched together. Then, Edna Kiplagat, a two-time Boston Marathon champion, took charge and spurred some action. In no time, the pack split, leaving five women in the lead. By Mile 23, the trio at the front comprised Kiplagat, the defending champion Obiri, and Sharon Lokedi, who had won the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon.
After Kiplagat dropped back, the race turned into a two-person showdown between Obiri and Lokedi. Obiri surged ahead near Kenmore Square, just a mile from the finish line. She held onto her lead, crossing the finish line 7 seconds ahead of Lokedi, who finished in 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 45 seconds. Kiplagat, despite falling behind, still managed to secure third place and clinch the masters championship for the third time, completing the race in 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 21 seconds.
“Obiri once said that the Boston Marathon feels like a second home to her. She’s not just won the marathon, but also the Boston 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in June. She believes that success in Boston paved the path for her victories in the New York Marathon last fall and the Olympics. So, she plans to return next year as an Olympic champion.”
Obiri’s victory made her just the sixth woman ever to retain her Boston Marathon crown, marking the first time since Catherine Ndereba’s win in 2005 that a woman has defended her title.
“I’m thrilled because keeping my title was tough. Since Boston began, only six women have managed it. People will remember me as one of them.”
Emma Bates finished as the top American for the second consecutive year, placing 12th with a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 14 seconds.
The women’s wheelchair race possibly showcased a rising star: Eden Rainbow-Cooper. She’s the first British woman to clinch victory in this category. At just 22, Rainbow-Cooper started racing marathons just two years back. Tears of joy streamed down her face as she crossed the finish line.
“I can’t believe it! It’s more than I ever dreamed of.”
Rainbow-Cooper clinched their debut major victory by defeating the formidable Manuela Schär, who was aiming for her fifth win. Schär ultimately secured second place with a time of 1:36:41.
Right from the start, Hug was racing at a record-breaking pace. “It felt like a time trial from the very start,” he remarked. “I might have even set a speed record going downhill.”
The biggest obstacle he faced was the barricade across from the Newton firehouse where Commonwealth Avenue begins. Just as he was turning onto Commonwealth Avenue, Hug lost control of the steering, crashing into the barricade and tipping over.
“He admitted, ‘I messed up, but thankfully nothing went wrong with the tires, so I could keep going.'”
Also Read: Second Masters Victory
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 provide support throughout the entire event.
This year’s race had a team of 1,900 medical volunteers who were there from beginning to end. They set up 30 medical stations along the route. The temperatures got up into the upper-60s as predicted. By 6:00 p.m. ET, 77 athletes had to be taken to nearby hospitals for medical care.
The medical team is still counting the treatments given to participants. They’ll share the latest count at tomorrow’s press conference.
You can find results, track athletes, and view leaderboards right here.
You can keep up with participants and see live leaderboards on both www.baa.org and the Boston Marathon Racing App presented by TCS. Find transcripts, results, and more event info on our Boston Marathon Media Resources page at https://bstnmar.org/Media.
CHAMPIONS MEDIA AVAILABILITY – TUESDAY, APRIL 16
128TH BOSTON MARATHON PRESENTED BY BANK OF AMERICA CHAMPIONS’ PRESS CONFERENCE | 10:00 A.M. | FAIRMONT COPLEY PLAZA
This conference will be held in the Grand Ballroom at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. It’ll have Boston Marathon champs like Hellen Obiri, Sisay Lemma, Eden Rainbow-Cooper, and Marcel Hug, along with B.A.A. President and CEO Jack Fleming. Just a heads up, media folks, please refrain from taking photos with the athletes to respect their space and the work of your fellow media colleagues.
