Kenya, Ethiopia Runners Win In Boston Marathon
21/04/2009 03:45
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Ethiopia's Deriba Merga captured the men's title at the Boston Marathon, while Kenya's Salina Kosgei won the women's crown in a dramatic finish.
Kosgei, defending champion Dire Tune of Ethiopia and American Kara Goucher were running side-by-side in the final mile, but Goucher dropped behind the other two who battled to the wire. Kosgei, though, had the final kick and moved in front just moments before the finish line and crossed in a time of two hours, 32 minutes and 16 seconds.
Tune was a second behind and collapsed after crossing the line. She was up and around soon after.
Goucher was third, nine seconds off the winning time, and her finish was the best for an American woman since Kim Jones was the runner-up in 1993. An American woman has not won the Boston Marathon since Lisa Larsen Weidenbach in 1985.
Kosgei's win gave Kenya its seventh women's Boston Marathon title the past 10 years. Catherine Ndereba has five of those victories and Rita Jeptoo the other.
The men's finish was not nearly as close, with Merga finishing in a time of two hours, eight minutes and 42 seconds. Kenya's Daniel Rono was second at 2:09:32 and American Ryan Hall finished another eight seconds behind in third.
Three-time defending men's champion Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya was fifth at 2:10:06. He was bidding to become the first man to win the race four straight times.
Hall, trying to become the first American to win the men's title since Greg Meyer in 1983, took the lead at the start and stayed in the lead pack for the first 10 miles. Merga was also part of the lead at the 10-mile mark and was alone in front with six miles to go. He was never seriously threatened after clearing Heartbreak Hill.
Rono and Hall tried to stay close in the final miles, but were never within 30 seconds of the leader.
Merga won the Houston Marathon in January. He became the third Ethiopian man to win in Boston, joining Hailu Negussie in 2005 and Abebe Mekonnen in 1989.
It marked just the third time in the past 19 years that a Kenyan man failed to win.
Goucher and fellow American Colleen De Reuck held the women's lead with six miles remaining, but De Reuck soon fell behind and with two miles left it was just Goucher, Tune, Kosgei and Bezunesh Bekele of Ethiopia. Bekele quickly lost the pace and the three others were neck-and-neck heading into Kenmore Square.
Kosgei and Tune left Goucher behind turning onto Boylston Street, setting up the dramatic finish.
Bekele finished fourth, while De Reuck was eighth.
Both winners received a first prize of $150,000.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
Just try competing against the Kenyans and Ethiopians in marathon running – good luck!