The Kenyans once again reigned supreme in the Boston Marathon on Monday: the reigning Olympic champion, Peres Jepchirchir, confirmed her status as queen of the discipline, and Evans Chebet revealed himself by beating the last two winners of the test.
Untouchable, Jepchirchir won her fifth victory in five races contested since 2019. Along the way, she had triumphed in Tokyo in August 2021, before winning in New York three months later.
Here she is, adding a second major marathon (the other four are Berlin, Tokyo, London and Chicago) to her list. But it took a handful of seconds (four) for her to beat the tough Ethiopian Ababel Yeshanei in 2 h 21 min 01 s.
They broke away at breakneck speed halfway through the race with the Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei.
But the latter, winner in New York in 2019 and in London last year, ended up cracking, and the duel for victory was superb.
Less than two kilometers from the finish, Jepchirchir placed a first attack, but Yeshanei managed to pick up. She had to wait for her fourth acceleration 100 meters from the goal to have the last word. Her compatriot Mary Wacera Ngugi (2 h 21 min 32 s) completed the podium.
“When I arrived at 41and kilometer, I knew I was going to win the race. I was just saving energy for the finish. Ababel was so strong… I just believed in myself and when you see the ribbon at the finish, that’s where the strength comes,” said the one who succeeds her compatriot Diana Kipyogei on the list.
Kenyan men’s podium
Among the men, Evans Chebet was less expected than his compatriots Benson Kipruto and Lawrence Cherono, the two previous winners, who were favorites in the absence of double Olympic champion and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, and Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele .
But it was he who won his first victory in a major marathon alone at the age of 33 in 2 h 06 min 51 s, thanks to a sharp attack at 33and kilometer.
“I’m very proud of myself, I knew I had the legs to win,” commented Chebet, 4and in London last year and winner in Valencia in 2020.
Cherono finished second (2:07:21) and Benson Kipruto (2:07:27) completed Boston’s first all-Kenya podium since 2012.
The Boston Marathon, one of the most prestigious of the season, was back for its 126and edition of its traditional Easter Monday window, having been canceled in 2020 at the start of the pandemic and moved to October 2021, again due to COVID-19.
Some 30,000 participants, all vaccinated, according to the imposed protocol, beat the pavement, 10,000 more than last year.