L. MathekaKenyans dominate Boston Marathon
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 11.10.21. | 18:08
The two winners bag their first Major Marathon victories.
Benson Kipruto is the Boston Marathon men's winner after a stellar performance on Monday 11 October as the race made a return after 910 days.
Kipruto, headed to the marathon on a redemption mission having finished 10th in Boston in 2019 and he bagged his biggest career victory in style, clocking 2:09:51.
Benson Kipruto was 10th in the Boston Marathon in 2019. Two years later, he's won the same race in 2:09:51! Everything takes time, keep working 💪#BostonMarathon pic.twitter.com/jS1wmf0k9Z
— Jeff Kinyanjui (@Nyash88) October 11, 2021
Kipruto surged ahead on his own at about 35km, taking a 30-second lead with no one willing to give a chase as he went on to win the race ahead of Ethiopia's Lemi Berhanu who came in 45 seconds behind Kipruto in a sprint finish to beat Jemal Yimer by a one second.
Kipruto, who is also the 2018 Seoul Marathon (2:07.11) bronze medallist last won the Electrolit Guadalajara half marathon in 62:13 as part of his preparations for the postponed 2020 Boston Marathon.
At the time in an interview with The Star newspaper, Kipruto said he looking to improve on his 10th position at the 2019 Boston Marathon, where he had to endure blisters on his foot.
“I really wanted to redeem my image in Boston this year after making my debut in World Marathon Majors but this never came to be. The coronavirus crisis is a big blow not only to me but to the rest of the sportsmen and women across the world,” said Kirputo in the interview.
Meanwhile, Diana Chemtai Kipyogei withstood a late charge from veteran Edna Kiplagat to bag her first World Marathon Majors title at Boston where she clocked 2:24.45 to on her debut in the Majors on Monday 11 October 2021.
The 27-year-old had only run two other marathons heading into Monday’s race, winning the 2020 Istanbul Marathon in November and placing third in the 2019 Ljubljani Marathon.
Edna Kiplagat's record at WMM/champs marathons:
— Jon Mulkeen (@Statman_Jon) October 11, 2021
1 NYC '10
2 LDN '11
1 WC '11
2 LDN '12
19 OG '12
2 LDN '13
1 WC '13
9 NYC '13
1 LDN '14
12 NYC '14
10 LDN '15
5 WC '15
3 TKY '16
2 CHI '16
1 BSTN '17
2 WC '17
4 NYC '17
8 BSTN '18
4 BER '18
2 BSTN '19
4 WC '19
2 BSTN '21
Earlier on in the race, Kipyogei and Biruktayit Eshetu ran slightly ahead of the massive women's pack early on but not far enough that it could be considered a move yet as the rest of the pack remained close behind..
The Kenya stayed her course and broke away for the lead at about 30km before 2018 world half marathon champion, Ethiopia's Netsanet Gudeta, reeled in on her, looking stronger.
Diana Kipyogei makes it a Kenyan sweep in the first-ever October Boston Marathon, winning her first World Marathon Major in 2:24:45.
— Jonathan Gault (@jgault13) October 11, 2021
41-year-old Edna Kiplagat takes 2nd in 2:25:09 to continue a fine Boston Marathon career (1st in 2017 and 2nd in 2019). pic.twitter.com/34OmlaW58D
When Kipyogei opened up another gap, it was former winner Kiplagat chasing after her, 27 second behind. At the home stretch, Kipyogei had a 26-second lead over Kiplagat while Mary Ngugi was 11 seconds behind Kiplagat, in third and the position remained unchanged on the podium.
Kiplagat finished second in 2:25:09 while Ngugi clocked 2:25:20 for her third place. Kenya's Monicah Ngige was fourth in 2:25:32, as Kenyan swept the top four spots.
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