Kenya swept the Boston Marathon on Monday morning, with Geoffrey Kirui and Edna Kiplagat winning the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively, in their race debuts…
Kenya swept the Boston Marathon on Monday morning, with Geoffrey Kirui and Edna Kiplagat winning the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively, in their race debuts.
Kirui held off a stiff challenge from the United States’ Galen Rupp, who stayed close to the eventual winner over the first 22 miles. Kirui pulled away down the stretch, however, ultimately winning by 22 seconds. He also became the first Kenyan man to win the race since Wesley Korir was the champion in 2012, per John Powers of the Boston Globe.
The Boston Globe showed him crossing the finish line:
WATCH: Geoffrey Kirui of Kenya wins the #BostonMarathon men’s elite race. https://t.co/eIpEF3j2Mz https://t.co/Pcw1kV7Jjy
And the Boston Marathon showed him hoisting his trophy:
Geoffrey Kirui!!!!! Your Boston Marathon Champion! https://t.co/9THNQf59JB
Despite Rupp’s falling just short in the end, it was an excellent day for the United States men, as the country placed six runners in the top 10:
On the women’s side, Kiplagat was dominant, winning by just under a minute over Bahrain’s Rose Chelimo. She also added to her impressive resume after previously winning in London, New York City and Los Angeles.
The Boston Marathon showed Kiplagat crossing the finish line:
Your women’s champion of the 2017 Boston Marathon, Edna Kiplagat! https://t.co/GRW0uhYHV4
«When I was running, my body was feeling good,» Kiplagat told the Associated Press (via USA Today ). «I tried to push more, hard and I saw my (rivals) were not picking up the pace. »
The United States had two finishers in the top 10, including Jordan Hasay in third and Desiree Linden in fourth. You can see the women’s top-10 results below:
It was the first time since 1991 that the United States placed two women in the top four, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN ).
