Mary Ngugi fueled to bounce back after sixth-place Boston Marathon finish

Former world half marathon silver medalist Mary Wacera Ngugi remains remarkably pleased with her performance despite finishing sixth at the 2024 Boston Marathon.

Ngugi completed the course in 2:24:24, approximately two minutes behind the winner, Hellen Obiri.

The 35-year-old started her year on a high note, winning the Roma-Ostia half-marathon in March. During that race, she crossed the line in 1:07:38, registering her lifetime best in the Italian city.

The last time she surpassed that record was during the Houston Marathon eight years ago, when she claimed top honours in 1:06:29.

She was hoping to carry that spirit to the streets of America, but her opponents proved to be superior and competitive.

Ngugi has a Boston Marathon silver medal in her already glittering cabinet and was aiming for more. Ngugi had her best Boston result in 2021 when she was originally placed third before moving up to second place after fellow Kenyan and champion Diana Kipyokei was retroactively disqualified and given a six-year suspension for taking illegal drugs.

“My fifth Boston Marathon is done, and it's my fifth top-10 finish, so in a field as deep as that, I cannot complain. As always, it was incredible out on the course. The atmosphere throughout was so much fun, and thank you to everyone who cheered us on along the way,” she said.

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She further praised her competitors, Hellen Obiri, Sharon Lokedi, and Edna Kiplagat, for sweeping the podium for Kenya, noting that they served as her inspiration.

“Congratulations to my three friends who completed the podium. You are incredibly inspiring and my role models,” she revealed.

The inspirational runner dedicated her performance to her protégés in Kenya, the Nala Track Club, for being her pillar of support. She assured them of better results in the coming races.

“This one goes out to my team and my girls back home in Kenya who I could not do this without. It is not the day we dreamed of, but we gave it our all every day, and one thing for sure is that we will be doing it all over again soon; not giving up on that dream,” she concluded.

Now, it's a matter of wait-and-see as Kenyans anticipate a major comeback from Ngugi should she compete in the London Marathon scheduled for April 21.

2024 Marathon Majors Schedule Summary

Tokyo: March 3

Boston: April 15

London: April 21

Berlin: September 29

Chicago: October 13

New York: November 3

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