Kenya’s Hellen Obiri is the new women’s Boston Marathon champion.
It was a thriller as Obiri crushed three of her rivals in a pulsating sprint finish to claim her maiden World Marathon Majors (WMM) Series in a personal best of two hours, 21 minutes and 38 seconds on Monday.
Obiri, who finished sixth in New York City Marathon last year, her first WMM race, edged out Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso to second place in 2:21:50 as Israeli Lonah Salpeter came third in 2:21:57.
It was an exchange of leads in the women’s race with Israeli Salpeter guiding the pack of 11 athletes through 10km in 34:46.
Beriso took charge at 15km in 50:47 with Obiri, the 2017 and 2019 World 5,000m champion, and compatriots Celestine Chepchirchir and Angela Tanui on toe.
Beriso, Obiri and Tanui pushed the pack of 11 athletes through 20km in 01:07:46 with five of them-Tanui, Chepchirchir, Salpeter, Obiri and Ethiopia’s Nazret Weldu- hitting half way in 1:11:29.
Emma Bates took the pack through 25km in 1:24:39 with the race proving so tactical that 11 athletes were still huddled together with 12 kilometres to go.
Obiri, Salpeter and Bates led a pack of eight athletes through 35km in 1:58:36 with Joycilline Jepkosgei and Obiri being the only athletes remaining in the pack of six at the 38km mark.
Only four women remained in contention for the title inside the last two kilometres- Obiri, Salpeter, and Ethiopians Ababel Yeshaneh and Beriso.
However, Obiri would gradually take command with her sprightly legs doing the talking all the way to the finishing line.
Women’s 42km
1. Hellen Obiri (Kenya) 2:21:38
2. Amane Beriso (Ethiopia) 2:21:50
3. Lonah Salpeter (Israel) 2:21:57
4. Ababel Yeshaneh (Ethiopia) 2:22:00
5. Emma Bates (USA) 2:22:10
6. Nazret Weldu (Eritrea) 2:23:25
7. Angela Tanui (Keya) 2:24:12
8. Hiwot Gebremaryam (Ethiopia) 2:24:30
9. Mary Ngugi (Kenya) 2:24:33
10. Gotytom Gebreslase (Ethiopia) 2:24:34
