The Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest annual marathon, came down to the very last steps of the 26.2-mile race on Monday. Lawrence Cherono outlasted two-time winner Lelisa Desisa in what was the closest finish since 1988. Kenya’s Cherono finished with a time of 2:07:59, while Desisa finished just a second behind at 2:08:00. Following the incredible win, WBZ asked Cherono about how the race ended. “I’m so happy. I’m so grateful. I’m so thankful for the people of Boston. I was so focused because I’ve never won a major marathon. I was so determined to win.” Things were just getting started after the first couple of competitors crossed the finish line; the rest of the day had a lot in store.
The first woman to cross the finish line was Worknesh Degefa from Ethiopia. She finished with a time of 2:17:41, with the following woman trailing by seven minutes. She got out to a steady lead early on in the race, so much so that she ran the final 20 miles alone.
Scott Fauble came in seventh place and was also the first American man to finish. Aside from finishing in the top 10, he was also able to take the lead at mile 19 before Cherono jumped out front. Jordan Hasay was the first American woman to finish, only a year removed from withdrawing from the marathon due to an injury. On her Instagram, she posted a picture of her simultaneously crossing the finish line while her father was cheering her on in the crowd. The post read, “Dad’s fist pump says it all. 3rdin @bostonmarathon today in 2:25.20. 3 marathons, 3 podiums. So grateful and blessed to be back after 18 months off with a stress fracture.”
Daniel Romanchuk won the men’s wheelchair division—the first American to do so since 1993. Perhaps even more eye-opening than his finish of 1:21:36 is the fact that he is a 20-year-old college student at the University of Illinois. According to a report, he had to request days off from his professors in preparation for the race. In his televised press conference after the race, he made a couple of comments on the experience. “I knew it was a lot nicer than we expected, especially the weather. I was pretty worried about it when we drove to the start line, but then it turned out to be so nice. I’m really happy that I could actually win.”
Speaking of the weather, it sure was an interesting Marathon Monday. It began with thunder showers at about 6 a.m., and the rain continued through the start of the race. As the morning progressed, the sun started to show, and it eventually became a relatively sunny and humid day which was a surprise to many. Rain or shine, the fan turnout was great as it typically is. The city of Boston was filled with energy even in the early morning while it was overcast.
The Boston Red Sox played in their annual Patriots’ Day game in the morning, despite the weather at first pitch. Besides the fact that it got warm out, there was nothing else positive to take away of this game. They lost 8–1 in a game in which they really never had a chance, and they have now fallen to 6–11 on the year.
Another special Marathon Monday is in the books, and all the runners should be proud of themselves. While nothing can match the honor of winning the Boston Marathon, winners Cherono and Degefa will each be going home $150,000 richer.
Marathon Monday
Marathon Monday
