Kenyans dominate an exciting 126th Boston Marathon

It was one of the most exciting women’s marathon in history with the lead changing repeatedly in the closing stages with the finish resembling a tactical track cycling race.

The win was gained by Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir in 2:21:01 who endured one of her toughest ever marathons only breaking clear for good in the last 200 metres.

Four seconds back came Ababel Yeshaneh who has now managed top threes in Chicago, New York and Boston.

The race was expected to be between Jepchirchir and London winner at 2:17:43 Joyciline Jepkosgei and these two controlled the race for much of the event.

Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir won a thrilling women’s race at Boston in 2:21:01 as the lead changed repeatedly in the final miles with a final surge getting her 4 secs clear of Ababel Yeshaneh.
Charlotte Purdue was first non African in 9th in 2:25:26. #bostonmarathon2022

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 18, 2022

The women’s race started slowly with a 17:42 opening 5km with 25 in the group but the tempo lifted a minute in that second 5km as the pack now a dozen went through 10km in 34:21 (16:39) but the two main protagonists wanted faster still and it went up almost another minute through 15km in 50:10 (15:49) and the now the group was down to four.

A 16:00 fourth 5km brought them through 20km in 66:10 and half-marathon was passed in 69:41 and 25km in 1:22:20 (16:10) and it was now down to the big three.

With seemingly the first three now established the pace through the hills slowed through 30km in 1:39:20 (17:00) and they were through 20 miles in 1:46:58.

The race remained tactical through 35km in 1:56:46 (17:26) and 40km in 2:13:39 (16:53) though it proved too much for Jepkosgei who covered that last full 5km outside 18 minutes and a final mile outside seven miles dropped her back to seventh.

An astonishing finish in the women's @bostonmarathon as Peres Jepchirchir claims her third marathon title in under 12 months ? #AbbottWMM pic.twitter.com/ybGDjNiTY3

— Abbott WMMajors (@WMMajors) April 18, 2022

As the pace slowed in those final miles, Jepchirchir was content to follow the taller Yeshaneh though with the watch on 2:15 she sprinted past and opened up 20 metres and it seemed over but she was unable to maintain and her Ethiopian rival got back.

Yeshaneh lost five metres on the last right turn and then as they hit the final straight on 2:18, Jepchirchir kicked again but again it was covered and the Ethiopian looked the favourite but one last surge got her clear.

The winner said: “I was not expecting that. The course was tough. When we bumped into each other we said sorry to each other. I was feeling strong but then fell behind but I didn’t lose hope.”

With all the tactical slowing over the closing miles, Mary Ngugi closed up well in third in 2:21:32 while close behind the former double world champion Edna Kiplagat had her best marathon since 2018 with fourth place in 2:21:40.

Though there was much attention on some quality American competitors, the leading non-African was actually Britain’s Charlotte Purdue who was a superb ninth in 2:25:26.

Peres Jepchirchir's last three marathons. In less than 12 months:@Olympics ?@nycmarathon ?@bostonmarathon ?#AbbottWMM pic.twitter.com/0e2ek0XEr4

— Abbott WMMajors (@WMMajors) April 18, 2022

She looked under pressure as she held on to the leaders but she got back into a ore comfortable pace at 20km in 67:53, halfway in 71:39 and maintained that tempo pretty much to the end.

Her 5km splits were 17:42, 16:41, 16:23, 17:07, 17:13, 17:41 and 17:34.

The men’s race was a much more cagier affair for longer with the early splits disappointing as they went through 5km in 14:58, 10km in 29:40, 15km in 44:45 and 20km in 60:03 and halfway in 63:26.

The lead group was still around 25 as they carried on at a fairly similar pace with 25km in 75:27, 30km in 1:31:00 and 20 miles in 1:37:57 as the pace slowed a little over the Heartbreak Hill section.

Evans Chebet wins the 126th Boston Marathon in 2:06:51 with splits of 63:26 and 63:25 winning with a stunning 13:55 5km from 35km including a 4:27 22nd mile.
Fellow Kenyans Lawrence Cherono (2:07:21) and Benson Kipruto (2:07:27) complete the top three #bostonmarathon2022

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 18, 2022

It all changed in the final miles though.

Evans Chebet seemed to change from near jog to near sprint in a few strides and 4:27 22nd mile broke the field into smithereens but once Chebet got the gap he slowed no sign of slowing as he followed that up with two further miles of 4:26 and that 5km stretch between 35km and 40km was covered in 13:55!

Chebet’s halfs were 63:26 and 63:25 and his incredibly powerful finish left the rest of the field over half a minute in arrears.

Chebet was fourth in last year’s London in 2:05:26 and his best time remains his 2020 win in 2:03:00 at Valencia though this victory will be the one that cements his place among the world’s greatest marathoners.

Fellow Kenyans Lawrence Cherono (2:07:21) and Benson Kipruto (2:07:27) completed the top three though three-time World Half-marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor faded to 18th in 2:11:49 having looked strong until Chebet’s surge.

Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay was fourth in 2:07:27 while Scott Fauble was the leading American in seventh in 2:08:33.

The wheelchair races lacked the drama of the running races with wins for Daniel Romanchuk (1:26:58)  and Swiss Manuela Schar (1:41:08).

Britain’s Johnboy Smith was third man in 1:32:55.

The Boston AA Invitational mile races the day before were won by John Gregorek (4:08.16) and Annie Rodenfels (4:35.51).

The Boston marathon was also held in the UK on Monday – in Lincolnshire – and it resulted in wins for William Strangeway (2:25:11) and Natasha White (2:59:07).