Kenyan runners Hellen Obiri and Evans Chebet have won the men’s and women’s races in this year’s Boston Marathon, respectively. Obiri won her first Boston Marathon in a time of two hours, 21 minutes, and 38 seconds. Chebet won his second consecutive Men’s Elite title in a time of under two hours, five minutes, and 54 seconds—the fastest time in Boston history. Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge was the sixth person to cross the finish line in his highly anticipated Boston debut.
Chebet crushed his winning 2022 record of two hours, six minutes, and 51 seconds by 1 minute and 13 seconds on Monday morning. The ever-expanding athlete is the first in over 15 years to win back-to-back Boston Marathons, beating Tanzania’s 26-year-old Gabriel Geay and Kenyan long-distance runner Benson Kipruto in the final stretch. Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic medalist, has previously been regarded as the world’s best marathon runner.
And the star athlete appeared poised to dominate for the first 17 miles, leading the crowd before being humbled by Boston’s hilly terrain. Kipchoge has only lost two of his 17 meets, making him one of the best runners in the world. Chebet commented on how difficult Boston’s course is during his victory at last year’s New York City marathon, only to return undefeated. While competing in the ladies, Obiri pushed through to win, with Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso coming in a close second.
This is the two-time Olympic silver medalist’s second marathon, having finished sixth in New York’s Maraton in 2022. The Kenyan duo defeated 30,000 competitors from the United States and around the world.
This year’s race marked ten years since the heinous Boston Marathon bombing on April 13, 2013. Three people were killed and over 200 were injured as organizers remembered the horrific event that occurred on the finish line.