ESPN News Services12:07 PM ET3 Minute Read
Evans Chebet wins the men’s Boston Marathon title
Evans Chebet of Kenya crosses the finish line in 2:05:54 to win the men’s title at the 2023 Boston Marathon.
BOSTON — Defending champion Evans Chebet won the Boston marathon again on Monday, storming to the top at Heartbreak Hill to spoil world record holder Eliud Kipchoge’s much-anticipated debut and win in an unofficial 2 hours, 5 minutes, 54 seconds.
It was the third fastest time in racing history.
Chebet, 2021 winners Benson Kipruto and Gabriel Geay dropped Kipchoge out of the lead pack by mile 20 and then ran the final 3 miles together. Geay won a run for second place, 10 seconds behind and 2 seconds ahead of Kipruto.
Kipchoge, a 12-time grand marathon winner, finished sixth. Scott Fauble was the top American, finishing seventh.
Kipchoge had hoped to add a Boston Marathon win to his unprecedented running resume. The 38-year-old has won two Olympic gold medals and four of the six major marathons; Boston is the only one he has competed in that hasn’t won. (He has never walked in New York.) He also broke 2 hours in an exhibition in a park in Vienna.
Battling a trail of headwind and rain that dampened the roads, Kipchoge ran in the lead group from the Hopkinton start through the series of climbs collectively known as Heartbreak Hill. But to the surprise of fans lining up along Boylston Street for the final sprint, he wasn’t among the top three.
In the women’s event, Hellen Obiri, two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 5,000 meters, prevailed in a sprint down Boylston Street, finishing in an unofficial time of 2:21:38, ending the Kenyan victory.
Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men’s wheelchair race in a course record time – his sixth win here – and USA’s Susannah Scaroni won her first title in Boston despite having to stop early in the race to tighten her wheel.
For the first time, the race also includes a non-binary division with 27 registered athletes.
Ten years after the finish line bombing that killed three people and injured hundreds more, a dozen former champions and competitors from 120 countries and all 50 states found themselves in the field of 30,000 runners. The race was also attended by 264 members of the One Fund community – those injured in the attack, their friends and family, and their associated charities.
The city celebrated the anniversary on Saturday with a ceremony.
A robotic dog named Stompy, who belongs to the Department of Homeland Security, patrolled the start line before the race began, followed by photographers who captured the odd sight. Officials said there were no known threats.
At 6 a.m., race director Dave McGillivray dispatched a group of about 20 from the Massachusetts National Guard who traverse the course annually. Captain Kanwar Singh, 33, of Malden, Massachusetts said it was a special day.
“Ten years ago the city came to a standstill. It’s an incredibly strong comeback, together as a group,” he said. “I tell people never bet against Bostonians.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.