My BEST Runs Upcoming Races
Boston Marathon

Monday April 15th, 2024
Boston, Massachusetts
Distance: Marathon
Offical Race Web Site

Among the nation’s oldest athletic clubs, the B.A.A. was established in 1887, and, in 1896, more than half of the U.S. Olympic Team at the first modern games was composed of B.A.A. club members. The Olympic Games provided the inspiration for the first Boston Marathon, which culminated the B.A.A. Games on April 19, 1897. John J. McDermott emerged from a 15-member starting field to complete the course (then 24.5 miles) in a winning time of 2:55:10.

The Boston Marathon has since become the world’s oldest annually contested marathon. The addition of principal sponsor John Hancock Financial Services in 1986 has solidified the event’s success over the past 30 years and ensures it well into the future.

The 124th Boston Marathon was held on Monday, October 11, 2021. Normally it is held on Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and it did return to that date in 2022. The 2020 race was cancelled due to Covid-19. The Boston Marathon is sponsored by John Hancock.

To qualify for the Boston Marathon, athletes must meet time standards which correspond to their age and gender.

Past winners (since 1970):

Men

2023 -- Evans Chebet, Kenya, 2:05:54
2022 -- Evans Chebet, Kenya, 2:06:51
2021 -- Benson Kipruto, Kenya, 2:09:51
2020 -- Race Cancelled
2019 -- Lawrence Cherono, Kenya, 2:07:57
2018 -- Yuki Kawauchi, Japan, 2:15:54
2017 -- Geoffrey Kirui, Kenya, 2:09:37
2016 -- Lemi Berhanu Hayle, Ethiopia, 2:12:45
2015 -- Lelisa Desisa, Ethiopia, 2:09:17
2014 -- Meb Keflezighi, United States, 2:08:37
2013 -- Lelisa Desisa, Ethiopia, 2:10:23
2012 -- Wesley Korir, Kenya, 2:12:40
2011 -- Geoffrey Mutai, Kenya, 2:03:02
2010 -- Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:05:52
2009 -- Deriba Merga, Ethiopia, 2:08:42
2008 -- Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:07:46
2007 -- Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:14:13
2006 -- Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:07:14
2005 -- Hailu Negussie, Ethiopia, 2:11:45
2004 -- Timothy Cherigat, Kenya, 2:10:37
2003 -- Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:10:11
2002 -- Rodgers Rop, Kenya, 2:09:02
2001 -- Lee Bong-ju, South Korea, 2:09:43
2000 -- Elijah Lagat, Kenya, 2:09:47
1999 -- Joseph Chebet, Kenya, 2:09:52
1998 -- Tanue Moses, Kenya, 2:07:34
1997 -- Aguta Lameck, Kenya, 2:10:34
1996 -- Tanui Moses, Kenya, 2:09:15
1995 -- Cosmas Ndeti, Kenya, 2:09:22
1994 -- Cosmas Ndeti, Kenya, 2:07:15
1993 -- Cosmas Ndeti, Kenya, 2:09:33
1992 -- Ibrahim Hussein, Kenya, 2:08:14
1991 -- Ibrahim Hussein, Kenya, 2:11:06
1990 -- Gelindo Bordin, Italy, 2:08:19
1989 -- Abebe Mekonnen, Ethiopia, 2:09:06
1988 -- Ibrahim Hussein, Kenya, 2:08:43
1987 -- Toshihiko Seko, Japan, 2:11:50
1986 -- Robert de Castella, Australia, 2:07:51
1985 -- Geoff Smith, United Kingdom, 2:10:34
1984 -- Geoff Smith, United Kingdom, 2:10:34
1983 -- Greg Meyer, United States, 2:09:00
1982 -- Alberto Salazar, United States, 2:08:52
1981 -- Toshihiko Seko, Japan, 2:12:11
1980 -- Bill Rodgers, United States, 2:12:11
1979 -- Bill Rodgers, United States, 2:09:27
1978 -- Bill Rodgers, United States, 2:10:13
1977 -- Jerome Drayton, Canada, 2:14:46
1976 -- Jack Fultz, United States, 2:20:19
1975 -- Bill Rodgers, United States, 2:09:55
1974 -- Neil Cusack, Ireland, 2:13:39
1973 -- Jon Anderson, United States, 2:16:03
1972 -- Olavi Suomalainen, Finland, 2:15:39
1971 -- Alvaro Mejia, Colombia, 2:18:45
1970 -- Ron Hill, United Kingdom, 2:10:30

Women

2023 -- Hellen Obiri, Kenya 2:21:38
2022 -- Peres Jepchirchir, Kenya, 2:21:01
2021 -- Diana Kipyoket, Kenya 2:24:45
2020 -- Race Cancelled
2019 -- Worknesh Degefa, Ethiopia, 2:23:31
2018 -- Desiree Linden, USA, 2:39:54
2017 -- Edna Kiplagat, Kenya, 2:21:52
2016 -- Atsede Baysa, Ethiopia, 2:29:19
2015 -- Caroline Rotich, Kenya, 2:24:55
2014 -- Buzunesh Deba, Ethiopia, 2:19:59
2013 -- Rita Jeptoo, Kenya, 2:26:25
2012 -- Sharon Cherop, Kenya, 2:31:50
2011 -- Caroline Kilel, Kenya, 2:22:36
2010 -- Teyba Erkesso, Ethiopia, 2:26:11
2009 -- Salina Kosgei, Kenya, 2:32:16
2008 -- Dire Tune, Ethiopia, 2:25:25
2007 -- Lidiya Grigoryeva, Russia, 2:29:18
2006 -- Rita Jeptoo, Kenya, 2:23:38
2005 -- Catherine Ndereba, Kenya, 2:25:13
2004 -- Catherine Ndereba, Kenya, 2:24:27
2003 -- Svetlana Zakharova, Russia, 2:25:20
2002 -- Margaret Okayo, Kenya, 2:20:43
2001 -- Catherine Ndereba, Kenya, 2:23:53
2000 -- Catherine Ndereba, Kenya, 2:26:11
1999 -- Fatuma Roba, Ethiopia, 2:23:25
1998 -- Fatuma Roba, Ethiopia, 2:23:21
1997 -- Fatuma Roba, Ethiopia, 2:26:23
1996 -- Uta Pippig, Germany, 2:27:12
1995 -- Uta Pippig, Germany, 2:25:11
1994 -- Uta Pippig, Germany, 2:21:45
1993 -- Olga Markova, Russia, 2:25:27
1992 -- Olga Markova, Russia, 2:23:43
1991 -- Wanda Panfil, Poland, 2:24:18
1990 -- Rosa Mota, Portugal, 2:25:24
1989 -- Ingrid Kristiansen, Norway, 2:24:33
1988 -- Rosa Mota, Portugal, 2:24:30
1987 -- Rosa Mota, Portugal, 2:25:21
1986 -- Ingrid Kristiansen, Norway, 2:24:55
1985 -- Lisa Larsen Weidenbach, United States 2:34:06
1984 -- Lorraine Moller, New Zealand, 2:29:28
1983 -- Joan Benoit, United States, 2:22:43
1982 -- Charlotte Teske, West Germany, 2:29:33
1981 -- Alison Roe, New Zealand, 2:28:46
1980 -- Jacqueline Gareau, Canada 2:34:28
1979 -- Joan Benoit, United States, 2:35:15
1978 -- Gayle Barron, United States, 2:44:52
1977 -- Miki Gorman, United States, 2:48:33
1976 -- Kim Merritt, United States, 2:47:10
1975 -- Liane Winter, West Germany, 2:42:24
1974 -- Mike Gorman, United States, 2:47:11
1973 -- Jacqueline Hansen, United States, 3:05:59
1972 -- Nina Kuscsik, United States, 3:10:26
1971 -- Sara Berman, United States, 3:08:30 (Unofficial Era)
1970 -- Sara Berman, United States, 3:05:07 (Unofficial Era)




















Your star rating and comments count.
10
Bucket List
Ran It
Boston Marathon
Prize Money: $876500

Race City Location Map - zoom in · zoom out · big map
displays approximate race location · Boston MA

My Best Runs Comments

Jean Pommier
Boston is the most renown and illustrious marathon with amazing crowd support along a legendary point-to-point course. What more is there to say? It's the Boston Marathon.
Bob Anderson
I ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2013 when I turned 65. I had been around the marathon for years but never had a chance to participant. All I can say is that I felt like a rock star the whole way. The crowd support is amazing. This was the most exciting running experience I have ever had. I finished in 3:32:17.
Boston Marathon, Race Date: 2023-04-17, Distance: Marathon
Division Time Name Age Home
Male 2:05:54 Chebet, Evans KEN
2nd Male 2:06:04 Geay, Gabriel TAN
3rd Male 2:06:06 Kipruto, Benson KEN
4th Male 2:08:01 Korir, Albert KEN
Female 2:21:38 Obiri, Hellen KEN
2nd Female 2:21:50 Beriso, Amane ETH
3rd Female 2:21:57 Salpeter, Lonah KEN
4th Female 2:22:00 Yeshaneh, Ababel ETH
Division Time Name Age Home
M 40-49 2:28:40 Lawrence, Steven
M 50-59 2:33:30 Pineda Morales, Guillermo
M 60-69 2:46:36 Lee, Rick
M 70+ 3:22:22 Rutledge, Sandy
F 40-49 2:25:48 Hall, Sara
F 50-59 2:57:38 Veneziano, Lisa
F 60-69 3:10:37 Knight Pech, Heather
Boston Marathon


2022 Women and Men Boston Marathon

Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia charged through Kenmore Square, in the shadow of Fenway Park, not far from the finish line. The rest of a decorated women’s field had splintered in their wake, and now Jepchirchir and Yeshaneh went back and forth, trading the lead several times as they staged a memorable duel.

Finally, with one last push, Jepchirchir lengthened her stride to create some separation as she sprinted to the finish, her narrow win coming 50 years after women first vied for Boston Marathon glory. Perhaps the only person surprised by the outcome was Jepchirchir herself.

“I was not expecting to win,” said Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic champion. “But I’m feeling grateful, and now I can say that I believe in myself more.”

For the first time since 2019, the Boston Marathon returned to its traditional slot on the calendar. Until the coronavirus pandemic, the marathon had been staged every April since 1897. But in 2020, the racewas canceledfor the first time in its history. And last year, the race was pushedto October, when it competed for elite entrants with a cluster of other marathons.

No one shined brighter than Jepchirchir, 28, who finished in 2 hours 21 minutes 1 second, just four seconds ahead of Yeshaneh. Mary Ngugi of Kenya placed third after running a smart race: She knew enough to pace herself when Jepchirchir and Yeshaneh pounded the gas, blowing away the field.

“I’m glad I didn’t follow them and just die,” Ngugi said.

Establishing herself as the most formidable female marathoner on the planet, Jepchirchir has now won her last five marathons and three in the last eight months: Aftersurviving extraordinarily hot conditionsto win at the Tokyo Games in August, Jepchirchirwon the New York City Marathonin November. Now, after another triumph, she is already looking ahead.

“I still have more to do,” she said.

Kenyans swept the men’s podium. Evans Chebet, 33, won his first world marathon major when he broke clear of a large pack, finishing in 2:06:51. Lawrence Cherono was second, and Benson Kipruto, last year’s winner, was third.

The pack began to dissolve behind Chebet after he covered the 22nd mile in 4:27, a preposterous tempo. Crushing his opposition only seemed to spur him forward.

“My counterparts were nowhere close to me,” he said through a translator, “and that gave me the motivation and the determination to hit it off and seize the win.”

On Monday, fortune largely favored the brave — but not everyone. CJ Albertson, a 28-year-old Californian who trains for marathons by doing marathons, pushed the pace from the start.

“My only chance to really win or be up there in the top is to kind of break some people,” he said. “I had the mind-set that I’m invincible, and you kind of have to run like that.”

The problem: “There are limits,” he said.

Albertson faded to a 13th-place finish in 2:10:23, which was still a personal best. Scott Fauble, 30, was the top American man, in seventh. “I think I do well with hills,” he said.

Molly Seidel, a crowd favorite and a former Boston-area resident, struggled in her Boston debut, dropping out at Mile 16. Shesaid in a statementthat she had been dealing with a hip injury.

“I had to make the difficult call to stop at a medical tent to avoid really damaging anything,” she said.

Seidel,the bronze medalistin the women’s marathon at the Tokyo Games, was coming off a fourth-place finish at the New York City Marathon with broken ribs.

Nell Rojas was the fastest American woman, finishing 10th in 2:25:57.

2021 Women and Men Boston Marathon

Diana Kipyogei of Kenya pulled away from the pack late in Monday’s 125th Boston Marathon and crossed the finish line with a convincing victory. It is Kipyogei’s first Boston win and first win in a World Major.

Kipyogei broke the tape with an unofficial finish time of 2:24:45. The 27-year-old had only run two other marathons heading into Monday’s race, winning the 2020 Istanbul Marathon and placing third in the 2019 Ljubljani Marathon.

Kipyogei broke away from the pack at the 1:56 mark, and pulled away for good at the 22-mile mark. She crossed the line 24 seconds ahead of 2017 Boston winner Edna Kiplagat, who finished second at 2:25:09. Mary Ngugi (2:25:20) and Monicah Ngige (2:25:32) finished third and fourth, respectively, to give Kenya the top four finishers in the Women’s race.

Nell Rojas of Boulder, Colorado was the top American finisher, placing sixth with an unofficial finish of 2:27:12. Des Linden, who won the Boston Marathon in 2018, finished 17th in the Women’s field with a 02:35:25.Kenya’s Benson Kipruto won the pandemic-delayed Boston Marathon on Monday as the race returned from a 30-month absence and moved to the fall for the first time in its 125-year history.

Kipruto waited out an early breakaway by American CJ Albertson and took the lead as the race turned onto Beacon Street at Cleveland Circle. By the time he approached the 1 Mile to Go marker in Kenmore Square, he was in front by 12 seconds.

A winner in Prague and Athens who finished 10th in Boston in 2019, Kipruto finished in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 51 seconds to claim the $150,000 first prize. Lemi Berhanu, the 2016 winner, was second, 46 seconds behind; Anderson was 10th, 1:53 back.

2019 Women's Race

Worknesh Degefa Cruises To 123rd Boston Marathon Title

By Barbara Huebner

When she arrived in Boston last week, Worknesh Degefa’s marathon resume included one race: Dubai, which she has run the past three years. With the elevation profile of a dining room table, it does not seem the ideal training ground for Heartbreak Hill and its Newton brethren.

But Arsi, a zone of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia? That’s another matter. And that’s where Degefa trains, on hills that both mimic and dwarf the ones she tackled on Monday. Toss in the memory of last year’s TV coverage (“I put that video in my mind today”) and a 2:17:41 personal best, and the fastest woman in the 2019 Boston Marathon field – despite having never seen the course in person – needed only one more ingredient: nerve.

“I am ready to win,” said the 28-year-old, the fourth-fastest woman in history at the distance, at the pre-race press conference.

And that’s what she did, outlasting a late-race surge by 2017 Boston champion Edna Kiplagat to win in 2:23:31. Kiplagat finished as runner-up in 2:24:13, closing a gap that had grown to 2:59 by 30K to just 42 seconds. Third, and top American, was Jordan Hasay in 2:25:20.

Degefa took home $150,000 for the victory.

“I’m happy the race took place after the rain was done,” she said, referring to an early morning deluge. I’m so happy that I won. Today is the most wonderful.”

The marker for Mile 5 had not yet been reached when Degefa began to put it all together. After pedestrian early miles of 5:47, 5:43 and 5:40,

Degefa threw down a 5:23, followed by a 5:16 and then a 5:12 – the fastest of the day – as she sensed the need to get away early from veteran strategists such as Kiplagat, 2012 champion Sharon Cherop and defending champion Des Linden.

“If I stayed longer, at the finish maybe I would not make it. I knew I had some speed,” Degefa explained.

At first, Cherop and Mare Dibaba, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist who has twice finished second here, gave chase, but they were reeled in by the pack before 20K while Degefa continued to build her lead.

“You know [Degefa’s] ability,” said Linden, who would finish fifth in 2:27:00 and tried to keep Hasay from getting too anxious. “You know what she’s done in Dubai [2:19:53 and 2:22:36 in addition to her PB] but you wonder how it translates to this course. And you wonder when she starts putting down those super quick miles. You say, ‘all right, this is her race to lose.’”

Degefa hit the halfway point in a dazzling 1:10:40, 2:27 ahead of a huge pack with the hills looming. That lead grew to almost three minutes and was still 2:26 at 35K, but the runner who had looked unbreakable a while back was beginning to show some cracks. At one point in the Newton Hills, she had crossed herself twice, looked over her shoulder, glanced at her watch. She was slowing down, and she knew it.

Meanwhile, Kiplagat had thought that if they kept increasing their pace together, the pack might catch Degefa before the finish line. She realized, however, that time was running out, so she mounted a solo pursuit. It was as futile as it was valiant, but Kiplagat was not sorry she tried.

“It was good for me because I was able to be second, and I am happy about it,” said the indefatigable 39-year-old Kiplagat, a two-time IAAF World Champion.

Hasay, 28, was top American in her comeback from a pair of stress fractures in her left heel, the first of which had caused her to withdraw from Boston last year the day before the race. She had not run a marathon since the Chicago Marathon in 2017, where her 2:20:57 made her the second-fastest American woman in history.

“Once Edna made that strong move I just tried to close hard,” Hasay said. “I was in fourth, so I was just proud to catch back up to third and get the Americans on the podium again.”

Winning the masters division was Kate Landau of Jacksonville, Florida, in 2:31:56, while Joan Benoit Samuelson, the two-time Boston champion and 1984 Olympic gold medalist, succeeded in her goal of running within 40 minutes of her 1979 winning time 40 years ago (2:35:15), coming across the line in 3:04:00.

2019 Men's Race

Lawrence Cherono Wins 2019 Boston Marathon Title With Last Second Surge

BY JAMES O’BRIEN

In one of the most exciting finishes in Boston Marathon history, three men took the famous turn on Hereford Street in tandem, setting the stage for a memorable sprint down Boylston Street. The 123rd Boston Marathon would turn out to be a kicker’s classic, as Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono edged Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa by two seconds at the line, 2:07:57 to 2:07:59, using every ounce of energy to break the tape. Kenneth Kipkemoi finished third in 2:08:07.

Although Cherono came into the race as the fastest man in the field, courtesy of his 2:04:06 course record in Amsterdam last year, he could never have been deemed a demonstrative favorite given the depth of assembled talent that included five Boston champions. After splits of 15:10, 30:21 and 64:28 for 5K, 10K and half way, more than 20 men still were in contention at the midway point. The rolling hills and steadily increasing humidity could have been expected to take a progressive toll as the race transitioned into Newton, but no one relented.

On the first of the three infamous Newton hills, Geoffrey Kirui took the initiative, then a mile later it was American Scott Fauble moving towards the front. Fauble later commented: “It was such a surreal experience to lead a race that I grew up watching.”

The gloves finally came off at 21 miles, when the leaders had been trimmed to seven: Fauble, Kirui, Desisa, Cherono, Kipkemoi, Philemon Rono, and Felix Kandie. Kirui appeared particularly comfortable, as did Kipkemboi, despite having lost 100 meters earlier in the race when he was forced to stop to adjust his shoe. With five miles still to run, the outcome remained impossible to determine.

With the Newton hills behind them, Kirui assumed control. Increasing the tempo gradually, the 2017 champion covered mile 23 to 24 in a withering 4:31. Talam was dropped; ironically, it was a move that also proved Kirui’s undoing.

Passing Fenway Park and entering Kenmore Square, the group was down to three: Kipkemoi, Cherono and Desisa. As Kipkemoi and Cherono battled shoulder to shoulder, Desisa held his favored position -- tucked in behind, waiting to unleash the kick that has proved so effective so often.

Making the right turn onto Hereford Street in unison, Desisa injected an increase in pace that brought him from third to first inches ahead of the battling Kenyans. Swinging left onto Boylston Street with the finish line visible in the distance, Desisa surged again with hopes of solidifying his third title.

Shoulder to shoulder along the finishing straight, Desisa reached out as if to claw his way to the crown. Yet with mere feet remaining, Cherono found a reserve of speed that Desisa just could not match. Desisa almost stumbled across the line, but Cherono forged ahead, opening a two second margin and claiming the gold olive wreath in 2:07:57.

“I am so grateful, so happy,” stated the newly crowned winner, whose victory was his first in an Abbott World Marathon Majors event. “To me, I am poor in finishing races. But today, I did a fantastic job. It was very nice for me.”

Cherono’s effort showed, as he had to be held on each side as he made the champion’s walk to the awards platform. Despite the pain, Cherono couldn’t help but smile and laugh as he clutched the winner’s trophy.

“[At] 40K we were two and three people. So it was no man’s race to win,” he recounted. “But to me I keep on forecasting and the end I matched the winner. So I am grateful and so happy.”

Desisa took second in 2:07:59, with Kipkemoi rounding out the podium in 2:08:07. When asked if he was surprised he lost in a sprint, Desisa shook his head and said “For me it is the first time.”

Top American honors went to Fauble, finishing in 2:09:09 just ahead of Jared Ward (2:09:25). The masters division title was earned by Abdi Abdirahman in 2:18:56.


Copyright 2024 MyBestRuns.com
388