In the women’s race, Baysa finished in 2:29:19 for her first Boston title despite trailing by 37 seconds in the hills outside the city. The 29-year-old, two-time Chicago Marathon victor came from 37 seconds behind with less than five miles to go and passed fellow Ethiopian Tirfi Tsegaye with two miles left.
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In the elite runners’ division, the women’s and men’s champions from previous year are back in Caroline Rotich of Kenya and Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia.
Jody Stoops, of Yorba Linda, California, stood in front of a wreath reflecting on the three years since she crossed the finish line moments before the blasts.
The Boston Athletic Association is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon.
The men’s wheelchair race provided the closest finish of the day, with Marcel Hug of Switzerland breaking the tape at the 1:24:06 mark – just ahead of Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa (second) and Kurt Fearnley of Australia, who were nose-and-nose in Hug’s wake. Kenyan Wesley Korirm whose personal best is 2:06:13, is returning for a fourth time after having won in 2012.
The Ethiopians ran past the Kenyans on their way to the Boston Marathon finish line Monday and almost swept them off the victory podium. “I think the focus now for many of us is where we’re going, what we’re going to do with the second half of our lives”.
Three years ago, the marathon was marked with bombings at the finish line, killing three civilians and injuring over 260 others.
This year, there will be more than 30,000 official participants, including more than 6,400 runners from 98 countries.
“Here’s to every runner, may your hearts feel the love us survivors have felt, ten fold, on the course and onward”, Haslet wrote in an Instagram caption Sunday night, accompanying a photograph of her, sitting in front of her prosthetic blade and other marathon gear with a big grin on her face.
“I was feeling the strength coming from the lead group, but I know my pace”, Baysa said through an interpreter.
Adrianne Haslet and Patrick Downes are members of the One Fund community, made up of survivors of the attack, their relatives and supporters.
The top American is Neely Spence Gracey, of Spencer, Colorado, making her marathon debut Monday.
Most of the top American runners sat out this year so they could focus their preparation on this summer’s Olympic Games.
Kensky spoke of how Downes has supported her as they have worked to heal over the last three years.
The men and women’s winners will receive $150,000. Her race is raising funds for Limbs for Life, which provides prostheses to low-income amputees.
Monday, she returned to the 26.2 mile race – this time as a competitor.
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She is the daughter of Steve Spence, who won the bronze medal at the 1991 World Championships marathon and was the 1992 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion.
