Boston Marathon Highlights: Evans Chebet Repeats as Champion; Hellen Obiri Wins Boston Debut
Reporting from the Boston Marathon
Pick a favorite, any favorite. Could the women’s champion be Amane Beriso of Ethiopia, who won the Valencia Marathon in December by running a personal best of 2:14:58, the third-fastest marathon time in history?
Or perhaps it will be Hellen Obiri of Kenya, a track legend who feels that she learned a great deal from her marathon debut last fall, when she finished sixth in New York. Then again, maybe the winner will be one of six women in the field who already have world marathon majors. Among them: Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya, who won in New York in 2019 and in London in 2021; Lonah Salpeter of Israel, who won in Tokyo in 2020; and Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia, the 2021 Berlin champion who went on to win gold at last year’s world championships.
There are sentimental favorites, too, starting with Edna Kiplagat of Kenya, who, on Thursday, was honored as the 2021 champion after the original winner, Diana Kipyokei, was disqualified for doping. (A two-time champion, Kiplagat, 43, won the race outright in 2017.) And there is the crowd favorite Des Linden, an American who won the race in 2018 by persevering in horrendous conditions.
Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya opted to enter the London Marathon later this month rather than defend her title in Boston.
Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia set the course record of 2:19:59 in 2014.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/04/17/sports/boston-marathon