Lokedi Shatters Record, Korir Wins Men’s Boston Marathon

BOSTON — A rider dressed as the historical Paul Revere gently guided his horse to the Boston Marathon’s finish line, announcing, “The runners are coming.”

Down Boylston Street, the runners indeed streamed in, marking the event with record performances, family milestones, and a nod to history with “The Star-Spangled Banner,” as both the race and the region celebrated 250 years since the first shots of the American Revolution.

On Monday, Sharon Lokedi of Kenya shattered the Boston Marathon course record by over two and a half minutes. Her triumph came after a tight race and a thrilling conclusion against two-time defending champion Hellen Obiri, whom she had narrowly lost to the previous year.

Locedi’s fellow Kenyan, John Korir, rebounded from a stumble at the start to win the men’s race, making him and his brother the first siblings to emerge victorious in the storied history of this 1897-established marathon.

This prestigious marathon day also commemorated the 50th anniversary of Bob Hall launching the wheelchair race, with Marcel Hug from Switzerland seizing his eighth victory, while Susannah Scaroni of the United States captured the women’s title.

“Whenever the national anthem plays, I’m deeply moved,” Scaroni expressed. Her victory was particularly sweet, coming on a historical anniversary, after missing the event last year due to injury, following her 2023 win.

Lokedi clocked in at 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 22 seconds, earning the $150,000 prize along with an extra $50,000 for breaking the record set by Buzunesh Deba in 2014. Despite Obiri’s efforts to secure a third straight win, she finished 19 seconds behind.

“I passed her at the same location she passed me last year,” Lokedi laughed. “I kept looking back, expecting her to catch up. I’m so thankful to her for motivating me throughout the run.”

Korir claimed victory with a time of 2:04:45, marking the second-fastest winning time in Boston’s history. Despite his initial setback due to a fall, Korir swiftly rejoined the leading group.

“I had a choice to either stay down or push through,” Korir stated. “Something propelled me to get up and strive on, believing that all would turn out fine.”

Without his race bib, which had fallen off, Korir completed the race with the bib tucked into his gear, retrieving it only at the finish. His elder brother, Wesley Korir, Boston’s 2012 winner, greeted him with congratulations.

This moment marked a historical first for siblings in Boston’s marathon victories, surpassing pairs such as the unrelated John Kelleys and Robert Cheruiyots who claimed the marathon’s title before.

“He advised perseverance and self-belief,” John Korir shared, referring to his brother’s mentorship. Having previously placed fourth and ninth, this guidance paid off.

Conner Mantz from Provo, Utah, landed fourth place after a sprinting duel for second with Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania and Cybrian Kotut of Kenya, who finished second and third respectively.

In the women’s division, Yalemzerf Yehualaw from Ethiopia placed third, while Jess McClain of Phoenix secured the top American spot in seventh. Des Linden, the 2018 champion who had announced her upcoming retirement, secured the masters division win and ended 17th overall, cherished by fellow American competitors at the finish.

“I reached my finishing line aspirations, all because of those before me,” Linden reflected. “They always reassured me that my ambitions were achievable.”

A sea of 30,000 racers filled the twenty-six-mile journey from Hopkinton to Boston’s Back Bay. Meanwhile, in homage to history, riders clad in Revolutionary War attire, accompanied by “Yankee Doodle” on a fife and drum, acted out the midnight ride led by Paul Revere.

An unexpected development erupted when horses were startled upon seeing the finish line design on the road, prompting Revere’s impersonator to dismount and walk. The scene shifted from ceremonial seriousness to lighthearted humor among the early crowd.

Concluding his reading of the proclamation, Revere gently led the horse across the finish line and proceeded to further celebrate the April 19, 1775, iconic ride’s memory. Des Linden, a previous Boston champion, narrated this part of the reenactment.

“I pondered if these horses were professionals,” she humorously noted. “It felt like quite an ordeal for them.”

Meanwhile, Hug effortlessly completed the course in 1:21:34, claiming his eighth Boston wheelchair title, defeating two-time winner Daniel Romanchuk with a considerable margin.

Scaroni finished in 1:35:20, on a day celebrating the legacy of Bob Hall’s inaugural wheelchair race segment in 1975.

“I am here thanks to the pioneering spirits who believed in our rightful place as athletes, fashioning a path for today’s achievements,” Scaroni acknowledged. “I owe everything to their exceptional bravery.”

“Their audacity is beyond words,” Scaroni concluded. “I walk this path thanks to those incredible trailblazers.”