BOSTON — The 50th anniversary of women competing in the BAA Boston Marathon was celebrated with a battle for the ages.
Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir made a desperation surge on her friend and rival Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia at the finish line to win the women’s race in the 126th running of the Boston Marathon.
Evans Chebet of Kenya won the men’s race in 2:06:51, beating 2019 winner Lawrence Cherono (2:07:21) and 2021 champion Benson Kipruto (2:07:27). Scott Fauble of Flagstaff, Ariz., was the top American with a seventh-place finish in 2:08:52
American Daniel Romanchuk won his second Boston in the men’s wheelchair race with a time of 1:26:58. Defending champion Manuela Schar capture her fourth BAA title in the women’s race in 1:41:08.
Jepchirchir and Yeshaneh exchanged the lead five times in the home stretch between Kenmore and Copley squares. Jepchirchir broke the tape in 2:21:01 to secure her first win at Boston and third Abbott World Marathon Major. In the span of eight months, Jepchirchir has won the Olympic marathon in Sapporo, Japan, on Aug. 21, the New York Marathon on Nov. 21, and Boston on Patriots Day.
Yeshaneh placed second in 2:21:05 followed by Kenyans Mary Ngugi (2:21:12) and former champion Edna Kiplagat (2:21:40). For the second year in a row, Nell Rojas was the first American, placing 10th in 2:25:57.
“I was not expecting to win but I am very grateful,” said Jepchirchir. “For me I was feeling the pace and it was not easy to push the pace because I was feeling tired.
“For me it was better in the last 800 meters to push the pace. For me I can say that I love my competitors as myself. I knew that if we pushed together, we can run a good race. I am grateful and I can say for me when I’m racing, I follow my competitors more than myself.”
With defending champion Diana Kipyokei of Kenya not participating, the women’s elite professional field left Hopkinton behind a veil of uncertainty and at a moderate pace.
The compressed group that jostled for position on the scenic stretch by Lake Cochituate was reduced to three by Natick Center. Jepchirchir and Yeshaneh ditched Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei at the 23-mile marker and raced stride for stride on the delicate decline into Kenmore Square.
“I can say for me this was the race and I decided to push the pace because I want to run a good time,” said Jepchirchir. “I want to thank my friends Ababel and Joyciline because we pushed the pace together. “
Chebet made a decisive surge on the downside of Heartbreak Hill and ran the remainder of the race uncontested. Chebet opened up a 50-meter lead on his compatriots after Cleveland Circle and refused to yield an inch over the final four miles.
“I was confident that move would do it,” said Chebet. “I wanted to keep running but at the beginning I was not confident that I would come out as the winner.
“I am proud that my counterparts were nowhere close to me. That gave me the motivation and the determination to seize the race and be the winner.
“I am really thrilled that today I have become the winner. When I came to London, I was in position four and when I went to Paris, I was in position four. So today I am happy that I was the winner.
Chebet made amends for his Boston debut in 2018 when he failed to finish under abysmal weather conditions. Chebet felt vindicated by claiming victory against the strongest men’s field in race history.
“On a day like today I want to thank God,” said Chebet. “When I came in 2018 my performance was not that good and today my performance was better and next year I will come back again.”
Citing personal and medical reasons, reigning champion and five-time Boston winner Marcel Hug of Switzerland withdrew from the men’s wheelchair race at the 11th hour. Romanchuk of Champaign, Ill., had finished runner-up to Hug last October.
Romanchuk put the hammer down early, created separation on the benign sections of the course and easily traversed the four Newton Hill hills. Romanchuk led the final 23 miles to secure his eighth marathon major and second in Boston. Aaron Pike, also of Champaign, Ill., placed second, making it the first time since 1991 that the U.S. swept the top spots.
Schar successfully defended her title with a wire-to-wire run. Schar had her training schedule turned upside down when she contracted the coronavirus in the weeks leading up to the race.
