Korir creates history in Boston

John Korir ran the seventh quickest marathon in history as he retained his Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America title.

The Kenyan crossed the line in Boylston Street in 2:01:52, smashing Geoffrey Mutai’s course record by an astonishing 70 seconds.

Korir ran the perfect race, sitting in for the first half and waiting for the rest of the field to make their move.

Lemi Berhanu was the first to break clear, opening up a seven-second lead at the midway point.

Milkese Mengesha took over at the 25km mark and he established a 12-second gap through the Newton Hills section.

But Korir caught up with the Ethiopian at the summit of Heartbreak Hill and never looked back.

Korir cruised through the latter stages, distancing himself from Benson Kipruto and Alphonce Felix Simbu who were engaging in an exciting battle for second.

Korir celebrated in style as he broke the tape, becoming the fifth fastest marathon runner in history.

There was a sprint finish moments later as Simbu passed Kipruto on the home straight to take second place in 2:02:47, which was 15 seconds quicker than the previous course record.

There was a familiar feel to the women’s race as Sharon Lodeki won for the second year in succession.

Similarly to Korir, Lokedi sat back as the lead changed hands during the first half of the race with Americans Kodi Kleven, Susannah Sullivan, Annie Frisbie, Carrie Ellwood and Jess McClain all taking turns at the front.

But any hopes of a first American winner since Des Linden in 2018 were dashed when Lokedi took command after the Newton Hills.

The Kenyan powered clear and eventually crossed the line in 2:18:51, which is only bettered by her own time of 2:17:22 last year.

Compatriot Loice Chemnung was 44 seconds behind in second while Mary Ngugi-Cooper finished third.

Marcel Hug decimated the field to win for the ninth time in Boston and register an astonishing 44^th Major victory.

Hug finished an incredible 6:38 ahead of local favorite Daniel Romanchuk and 8:07 clear of Netherlands’ Jetze Plat.

The Swiss star made the most of the early downhill section of the course to race into a 13-second lead at the 5km mark.

He extended that to 55 seconds by 10km and at midway was on track to break his own course record of 1:15:33 which he set two years ago.

That record would just elude him as he crossed the line in 1:16:06 to go just one win behind Ernst Van Dyk’s record of ten Boston victories.

The women’s race followed a similar pattern as Eden Rainbow-Cooper led from the start to win her second Boston Marathon.

Rainbow-Cooper set a fierce pace and her time of 1:30:51 was the second fastest in Boston.

The British athlete burst into a 25-second lead over Catherine Debrunner at the 5km mark which she extended to 44 seconds at 10km.

Rainbow-Cooper maintained that lead until halfway when she hit the gas to gradually widen the gap.

The Swiss battled back over the hills, clawing back some vital seconds, but Rainbow-Cooper pulled clear in the closing miles, eventually winning by 2:08. American Tatyana McFadden finished in third.  

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