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≡ BOSTON MARATHON ≡
It’s springtime and Monday is Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts, which means it’s time for the 129th Boston Marathon.
Beyond the 30,000 runners who will line up in Hopkinton and try to make it to Boston are the elite stars, notably Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, who will be trying for her third win in a row in the women’s division, done only four times, and twice in the “unofficial era” from 1966-71, and not since the 1999 race.
She will face a talented field, where she is far from the fastest marathoner:
● 2:14:58 ‘22: Amane Beriso (ETH) ~ 2023 World Champion, 2023 Boston runner-up
● 2:16:52 ‘24: Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) ~ 2022 London champ
● 2:17:51 ‘24: Irine Cheptai (KEN) ~ 2024 Hamburg champ, Chicago third
● 2:19:12 ‘22: Keira D’Amato (USA) ~ American Record win at Houston ‘22
● 2:19:33 ‘24: Rahma Tusa (ETH) ~ 2024 Houston champ
● 2:19:50 ‘12: Edna Kiplagat (KEN) ~ 2021, 2021 Boston champ
● 2:20:22 ‘22: Mary Ngugi-Cooper (KEN) ~ 2021 Boston second, 2022 Boston third
● 2:20:22 ‘24: Buze Diriba (ETH) ~ 2024 Boston fourth
● 2:20:32 ‘20: Sara Hall (USA) ~ 2017 U.S. champ; Boston 15th ‘19, 17th ‘23, 15th ‘24
● 2:21:24 ‘24: Calli Hauger-Thackery (GBR) ~ 2024 Sacramento champ
● 2:21:38 ‘23: Hellen Obiri (KEN) ~ 2023-24 Boston champ, ‘17, ‘19 5,000 m World Champ
Obiri may not be the fastest, but she wins: three times in her six career marathons! She’ll be trying for her third Boston gold in a row, last done by Ethiopia’s Fatuma Roba in 1997-98-99, immediately preceded by Uta Pippig (GER) in 1994-95-96.
The iconic 2018 winner of the worst-weather Boston, 41-year-old Des Linden (USA) is also back, the third prior women’s elite race champ to be entered; it will be her 13th Boston.
The men’s field is also strong, with 2024 winner Sisay Lemma (ETH) also sporting the fastest lifetime best in the race:
● 2:01:48 ‘23: Sisay Lemma (ETH) ~ Defending Boston champ, 2021 London champ
● 2:02:44 ‘24: John Korir (KEN) ~ 2024 Chicago champ
● 2:03:00 ‘20: Evans Chebet (KEN) ~ 2022-23 Boston champ
● 2:03:22 ‘24: CyBrian Kotut (KEN) ~ 2024 Berlin runner-up
● 2:03:31 ‘24: Haymanot Alew (ETH) ~ 2024 Berlin third
● 2:04:24 ‘24: Daniel Mateiko Kibet (KEN) ~ ‘24 Valencia third in debut
● 2:04:38 ‘24: Alphonce Felix Sambu (TAN) ~ 2017 Worlds bronze, 2016 Olympic 5th
● 2:04:45 ‘13: Lelisa Desisa (ETH) ~ 2013, 2015 Boston champ, 2019 World Champion
● 2:05:09 ‘22: Victor Kiplangat (KEN) ~ 2023 World Champion
● debut: Muktar Edris (ETH) ~ 2017, 2019 World 5,000 m champ
Paris Olympians Conner Mantz (2:07:47 ‘23) and Clayton Young (2:08:00 ‘23) are the leading American entries; they finished 8-9 at the Olympic marathon last summer. Mantz finished 11th at the 2023 Boston Marathon; this will be Young’s Boston debut.
Conditions are expected to be reasonably good, with temperatures in the 50s, but also with some wind on the course. The wheelchair racers will start at 9:06 a.m., with the elite men’s field at 9:37 a.m. and the elite women at 9:47 a.m.
There is also prize money, with $705,000 for both the men’s and women’s races for the top 10 placers, of $150,000-75,000-40,000-25,000-18,000-13,500-10,500-8,500-7,000-5,500.
There is an extra $50,000 available for a course record, with the men’s best the wind-blown 2:03:02 by Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) in 2011 and the women’s best a more-reachable 2:19:59 by Buzunesh Deba (ETH) in 2014.
Nationally, ESPN2 will show the race live from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern time.
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