Korir Claims Victory in Men's Boston Marathon; Lokedi Establishes New Course Record
Kenya's John Korir claimed victory in the Boston Marathon on Monday, with his fellow countrywoman Sharon Lokedi defeating defending champion Hellen Obiri in the women's race. Korir completed the race in 2:04:45, having recovered from a fall...
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Kenya's John Korir claimed victory in the Boston Marathon on Monday, with his fellow countrywoman Sharon Lokedi defeating defending champion Hellen Obiri in the women's race.
Korir completed the race in 2:04:45, having recovered from a fall right at the beginning. The 28-year-old's accomplishment mirrors that of his brother, Wesley Korir, who won in Boston on his first attempt in 2012 during his five appearances. The Korir brothers have now made history as the first siblings or relatives to win the Boston Marathon.
"I was aiming to win Boston and I had promised my brother that I was going to win," Korir shared, revealing that he made his decisive move around the 34km mark, surging ahead to secure a lead he wouldn't relinquish. He quickly extended his advantage to nearly a minute as competitors scrambled to catch up and vie for podium finishes.
Tanzania's 2017 world bronze medallist Alphonce Felix Simbu finished in second place, narrowly edging out Kenya's Cybrian Kotut in a photo finish with a time of 2:05:04.
In the women’s race, Lokedi recorded a time of 2:17:22, finishing 19 seconds ahead of Obiri, with Ethiopian Yalemserf Yehualaw completing the podium. Lokedi's impressive performance shattered the previous course record of 2:19:59 set by Ethiopia's Buzunesh Deba in 2014.
Obiri aimed to become the first woman since 1999 to win three consecutive Boston Marathon titles, a feat achieved by only four women in history. While only Deba had managed to break the 2:20 mark in Boston previously, a pack of 14 runners was still in contention for that time at the halfway point.
As the pack divided, Obiri did not anticipate Lokedi’s explosive finish. The 31-year-old surged ahead in the final stretch, finishing with a new Boston record amid 32,000 participants racing behind the elite runners.
"It feels so good, so great. I can't believe it, I'm so excited," Lokedi expressed. She had previously won the 2022 New York Marathon in her debut at the distance and placed fourth at the last year's Paris Olympics.
"I have finished behind Hellen so many times, but this time I told myself it wasn't going to happen again. I fought and wanted it so bad. I loved every part of this race.”
Max Fischer for TROIB News
Korir completed the race in 2:04:45, having recovered from a fall right at the beginning. The 28-year-old's accomplishment mirrors that of his brother, Wesley Korir, who won in Boston on his first attempt in 2012 during his five appearances. The Korir brothers have now made history as the first siblings or relatives to win the Boston Marathon.
"I was aiming to win Boston and I had promised my brother that I was going to win," Korir shared, revealing that he made his decisive move around the 34km mark, surging ahead to secure a lead he wouldn't relinquish. He quickly extended his advantage to nearly a minute as competitors scrambled to catch up and vie for podium finishes.
Tanzania's 2017 world bronze medallist Alphonce Felix Simbu finished in second place, narrowly edging out Kenya's Cybrian Kotut in a photo finish with a time of 2:05:04.
In the women’s race, Lokedi recorded a time of 2:17:22, finishing 19 seconds ahead of Obiri, with Ethiopian Yalemserf Yehualaw completing the podium. Lokedi's impressive performance shattered the previous course record of 2:19:59 set by Ethiopia's Buzunesh Deba in 2014.
Obiri aimed to become the first woman since 1999 to win three consecutive Boston Marathon titles, a feat achieved by only four women in history. While only Deba had managed to break the 2:20 mark in Boston previously, a pack of 14 runners was still in contention for that time at the halfway point.
As the pack divided, Obiri did not anticipate Lokedi’s explosive finish. The 31-year-old surged ahead in the final stretch, finishing with a new Boston record amid 32,000 participants racing behind the elite runners.
"It feels so good, so great. I can't believe it, I'm so excited," Lokedi expressed. She had previously won the 2022 New York Marathon in her debut at the distance and placed fourth at the last year's Paris Olympics.
"I have finished behind Hellen so many times, but this time I told myself it wasn't going to happen again. I fought and wanted it so bad. I loved every part of this race.”
Max Fischer for TROIB News
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