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. Visit our Boston Marathon Media Resources page (https://bstnmar.org/Media) for transcripts, results, and additional event information.
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.
