It was a fiery Monday at the Boston Marathon, as Ethiopian runner, Sisay Lemma, blazed past his competition, setting an undefeated pace to secure a lead that stretched half a mile. The 34-year-old athlete’s pace hummed along as swiftly as the rising temperatures – until Mother Nature intervened.
Supporters watched as Lemma, solitary for the larger part of the race, managed to hang on throughout Boylston Street, finishing in a remarkable 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 17 seconds. This impressive time earned him a spot in the marathon’s 128-year history as the owner of the 10th fastest time. His personal victory was met with obvious joy; he collapsed onto the pavement, laughter and relief washing over his face.
“I was running hard, aiming for victory. But as the race progressed, it became increasingly challenging,” Lemma shared, reminiscing on his past thrice attempts – two unsuccessful attempts, and a sole completion at the 30th place. His tangible jubilation came as he declared, “Today, I stand redeemed.”
In the women’s category, Hellen Obiri, with her ironclad determination, successfully defended her title. She outmanoeuvred Sharon Lokedi on Boylston Street, finishing the race in 2:27:37. This triumphant run, beating her competition by eight seconds, coupled with two-time Boston champion Edna Kiplagat trailing by another 36 seconds, resulted in a Kenyan sweep.
Obiri seems to be making her mark, one victorious marathon at a time, having recently triumphed at the New York Marathon, rocketing her to the favorites list for the upcoming Paris Olympics. Boston has seen only six back-to-back female winners and Obiri’s win places her in this select group – the first since Catherine “the Great” Ndereba’s winning spree from 2000 to 2005.
Lemma, the reigning London champion, had carved quite the reputation before setting foot in Boston, boasting the fastest recorded time in the field. He entered the annals of history as the fourth person ever to break the 2:02:00 barrier from when he took the Valencia championship home. His dominance continued on Monday’s course when he surged ahead, opening up a commanding lead.
Each winner is awarded a gilded olive wreath and $150,000, as part of a generous prize purse that exceeded $1 million for the very first time.
Despite the warm weather causing discomfort, Obiri ran alongside an unusually large pack of 15 athletes through Brookline, pulling away from the crowd in the final few miles.
Emma Bates of Boulder, Colorado, humbly accepted her 12th place finish, marking her second consecutive year as the leading American contender. The crowd was noticeably more energetic, as she hit the 30-kilometer mark, high-fives being exchanged before she began to fade past Heartbreak Hill.
CJ Albertson of Fresno, California, celebrated his second top-10 finish while securing his position as the top American man, finishing seventh overall.
Marcel Hug, the seventh-time Boston winner from Switzerland, managed to break a course record in the men’s wheelchair division, even after careening into a fence when he misjudged a turn.
In the women’s wheelchair division, the race witnessed a first-time victory in the form of Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper, who was the third-youngest woman to win the Boston wheelchair event.
With that, the otherwise quiet New England town of Hopkinton cheered its 100th anniversary as the official starting line for the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathon. Altogether, 17 former champions and almost 30,000 hopeful runners took off, marking a day of resilience and cheer.
As the day of the marathon came to an end, with the temperature hovering around 69 degrees, the crowd reflected on the day’s event, with the sentiment “the energy is popping” echoing from the grand marshal, former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
The Boston Marathon wasn’t just a race, but a day of recognition, serving to honor the victims of the 2013 finish-line bombings. The echoes of bagpipes could be heard around town as Governor Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, along with victims’ families, laid wreaths at the sites of the blasts. And thus, the echoes of victory, resilience, and remembrance reverberated through Boston.
