In the wet conditions, Evans Chebet won back-to-back titles at the Boston Marathon 2023
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Eliud Kipchoge, the legendary Kenyan runner, lost for the first time since 2020 on Monday, April 17, when he placed sixth in his first Boston Marathon race. In the wet conditions, Evans Chebet won back-to-back titles. In the women’s competition, fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri, a two-time Olympic 5,000m silver medalist, added to her legend by winning her first marathon in just her second attempt at the distance. Her winning time was 2:21:38.
With a winning time of 2:05:54, Chebet won the major marathon competition for the third time in a row. Tanzanians Gabriel Geay and Benson Kipruto took the silver and bronze medals, respectively. Chebet’s winning time, which was the third-fastest in the men’s competition, made him the sixth man to win the Boston Marathon twice in a row. A 42.2 km victory for Kipchoge would have brought him one race closer to claiming victory in each of the six World Marathon Majors events.
Kipchoge’s most recent loss came at the London Marathon in 2020, where he battled an ear obstruction and placed eighth, snapping a winning streak of ten events over the storied distance. I had a challenging day today. In a statement posted to Instagram, Kipchoge said, “I gave it everything I had, but sometimes we have to accept that today wasn’t the day to push the barrier higher. I want to congratulate my rivals and express my gratitude to everyone in Boston and at home for the amazing support I have received. There is always tomorrow to take on a new challenge in sports, where you can win and lose. Excited for what’s ahead.”
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After running with six men for the first half of the marathon, Kipchoge broke the lead group. With less than 10 kilometers remaining, Geay made a decisive move, which caused Kipchoge to lose ground. Geay’s advantage was short-lived because Chebet and Kipruto joined him in a three-man fight for the championship. In a race between Chebet and Kipruto, the former champions, Kipruto, who had dropped to third, surged back into contention. But Evans Chebet was the man of the day. He ran a measured race among the leading sprinters before sprinting past the last few hundred meters of the grueling distance competition. Along with winning Valencia (2020), Lake Biwa (2020), and Buenos Aires (2019) marathons, Chebet also claimed victory in the New York City Marathon in 2022 (2:08:41).
“I wanted to defend my title, but we viewed it as a team effort, and we hoped that either of us in the team would win,” said Chebet. “But I did my best to defend my title. I train with Benson; I consider him a friend and a brother. I told him, “Let’s go,” with one kilometer remaining.”
Obiri, a two-time 5000m world champion, showed early in the race that she was a racer who thrives in competitive situations by taking the lead and joining a sizable leading pack. By the halfway point, 11 women were in the lead, including the Olympic and world champions in their respective sports, Lonah Salpeter of Israel and Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia. With under two kilometers left, Obiri, a triple world champion in cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track, was still within striking distance. With a final surge, the two-time Olympic silver medalist edged out Amane Beriso of Ethiopia (2:21:50) to take second place. Salpeter finished third in 2:21:57.
“I had to wait for the right moment and exercise patience in the middle of the race. I was confident in my training, and today I feel like it was finally my turn,” Obiri said. Road racing was a big transition for me from track racing. The distance covered on the track wasn’t very much.
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