BOSTON: Kenyan athletes Edna Kiplagat and Geoffrey Kirui nabbed gold medals at the 121st Boston Marathon on Monday. This was their first appearance after the country was shut out of the prestigious marathon twice in the past 3 years. Kirui and Kiplagat swept the 2017 Boston to win the men’s and women’s divisions respectively.
Geoffrey Kirui won the marathon in what appeared to be an easy win for him after fighting a stiff challenge from three-time U.S. Olympian Galen Rupp with 2 miles to go giving Kenya its first men’s victory in 5 years. Kirui won the race by 22 seconds to become the first Kenyan man to win the race since Wesley Kori became the champion in 2012. Edna Kiplagat won the women’s race to complete the Kenyan sweep.
Kenya’s Geoffrey Kirui crossing the finishing line to win the Boston Marathon ahead of everyone.
Kirui finished in 2:09:37 to claim a silver trophy, a guilded olive wreath from Marathon, Greece and the $150,000 first prize. Rupp was 21 seconds behind and Japan’s Suguru Osako 30seconds behind him.
On the women’s side, Kiplagat finished 2:21:52 to win her Boston debut just under a minute ahead of Bahrain’s Rose Chelimo. The victory added to her impressive resume of two world championships and wins in London, New York and Los Angeles. She pulled ahead of Rose Chelimo of Bahrain in the Newton hills to win 59 seconds.
Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat crossing the finishing line to win the Boston Marathon on the women’s side.
Kenya had won either the women and men’s races for straight consecutive years since 1991 before being shut out in 2014 and again in 2016. In fact, Kenya had taken both titles 6 times since 2000 dominating the top 10 that Boylston Street began to look like a Great Rift Valley training run, wrote Jimmy Golen who has covered the Boston Marathon since 1995.
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