Most top United States marathoners are sitting Boston out after February’s Olympic trials, but Kenyan and Ethiopian officials have yet to pick their teams for the Rio Games in August and will consider the Boston results.
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Lemi Berhanu Hayle and Atsede Baysa led an Ethiopian clean sweep at the 120th Boston Marathon yesterday, with victory in the men’s and women’s races of the prestigious event.
Maiyo made the most of the sunshine on Britain’s south coast as he stormed clear of his rivals over the final miles to win by nearly a minute from Raymond Chemungor in 2:09:56, a personal best for the second year in a row but an agonising 31 seconds outside the course record.
It was Baysa’s first victory in Boston after other notable wins in Chicago, Paris and Istanbul.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to run Boston”, said David Harris, 42, of Atlanta while stretching before the race near the starting line in the Boston suburb of Hopkinton, as early divisions of racers took off.
Topping the men’s field are Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa, who won in 2015 and 2013, and Kenyan Wesley Korir, the 2012 champion. The defending champion, Caroline Rotich, dropped out of the race around the 7-kilometer mark with an ankle injury.
BOSTON (AP) The 2016 Boston Marathon was a coronation for Ethiopia, which collected its first-ever sweep of the men’s and women’s titles. Yemane Adhane Tsegay came in third, 30 seconds behind Mr. Desisa, to round out the men’s top three spots dominated by his countrymen.
“I believe it was the Saturday after I got back from Boston and the bombing”. Defending wheelchair winners Tatyana McFadden and Marcel Hug are also in this year’s field.
On Monday, Calgarian, Jill Neufeld ran her 10 consecutive Boston Marathon-no small feat. Lemi defeated close to 30,000 winners who participated in this’s year’s race.
American Meb Keflezighi won Boston in 2014 on the anniversary of the bombings, an emotional win that many said was symbolic of the city’s recovery.
The 26-year-old Coloradan was the top American woman on Monday, finishing ninth in 2:35 in her marathon debut.
The big lead pack of 18 lumbered on, slimming only to 16 by 10-K (36:20), 13 by 15-K (53:59) and 12 by 20-K (1:11:45).
“My wife called and she said “Are you okay?’ and I said and she said ‘Something is going on” and said there has been a news bulletin saying there had been bombs”, said Ogletree”.
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When Neely Spence Gracey says she was born to marathon, she isn’t kidding.
