Men’s race
Evans Chebet led for a Kenyan sweep of the podium at the 2022 edition of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon on Monday. He recorded a 2:06:51 finish time, mostly into a headwind. Finishing second was Lawrence Cherono in 2:07:21 and third was Benson Kipruto six seconds back at 2:07:27.
Redemption may have been the best word to describe American Scott Fauble’s run. He crossed the finishing line in the time of 2:08:52. He was the first American and finished seventh. In 2019, he ran Boston in the time of 2:09:09. His personal best on a course that is certified by World Athletics is 2:09:42. The 30-year-old who didn’t make the Tokyo Olympic team from the USATF Marathon trials, ran his lifetime fastest marathon into a headwind just two minutes and seven seconds behind the winner Chebet.
The 126th #BostonMarathon Men’s Champion is Evans Chebet winning his first Boston title at 2:06:51!#Boston126 pic.twitter.com/Ft73FVr52H
— Boston Marathon (@bostonmarathon) April 18, 2022
Chebet owns a best of 2:03:00 from the 2020 running of the Valencia Marathon.
The top-three Americans were Fauble, then Elkanah Kibet in 2:09:07 for ninth. He was followed in by CJ Albertson, who clocked a 2:10:23 finish time.
Canadian Trevor Hofbauer who did make the Olympic team was disappointed with his performance in Sapporo. In Boston, he simply wanted to race mano-a-mano. No tactics, just go hard. In so doing he finished in a strong 2:10:52 and in 15th place. His personal best is 2:09:51 from the 2019 Toronto Marathon, which is the second-fastest performance all-time for a Canadian.
Of general interest, the self-penned, “citizen marathon runner,” Yuki Kawauchi of Japan took 20th in the time of 2:12:55.
1 Chebet, Evans (KEN) – 2:06:51
2 Cherono, Lawrence (KEN) – 2:07:21
3 Kipruto, Benson (KEN) – 2:07:27
4 Geay, Gabriel (TAN) – 202:07:53
5 Kiptanui, Eric (KEN) – 2:08:47
6 Korir, Albert (KEN) – 2:08:50
7 Fauble, Scott (USA) – 2:08:52
8 Yimer, Jemal (ETH) – 2:08:58
9 Kibet, Elkanah (USA) – 2:09:07
10 Atanaw, Kinde (ETH) – 2:09:16
Women’s race
Seven lead changes happened during the final mile of the 2022 Boston Marathon.
Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir is having the best two-year stretch imaginable. She is a two-time World Half Marathon champion, women’s-only half-marathon record holder at 65:16, and is the Tokyo Olympic Marathon gold medallist. Monday, she added another trophy to her mantle, the 2022 Boston Marathon win. The 28-year-old clocked a 2:21:01 performance. Over that final mile stretch, she dug deep, fought hard, and broke second-place finisher Ababel Yeshane to take the win.
Finishing second was Yeshane just four seconds back and for third was Kenyan Mary Ngugi in 2:21:32. It was a thrilling finish.
Worknesh Degefa rounds the turn onto Commonwealth Ave as your Elite Women’s leader. #BostonMarahon pic.twitter.com/M8hLGQP41M
— Boston Globe Sports (@BGlobeSports) April 15, 2019
The top-three Americans were Nell Rojas in 2:25:57 in 10th place. Stephanie Rothstein-Bruce was the second American in 12th in 2:28:02, while the third American was Desiree Linden with a 2:28:47 performance for 13th overall for the former Boston winner.
Charlotte Purdue of Great Britain had a little redemption on the day clocking a 2:25:26 for ninth place after being left off the Olympic team. UK Athletics assumed that she was still recovering from injury at selection time. She wasn’t and her coach Nic Bideau had documented her health and training. She is the third-fastest Briton in history with her 2019 London performance of 2:23:26.
Canadian masters fared very well Monday, as Malindi Elmore and Natasha Wodak followed up their strong Tokyo Olympic performances with excellent runs in Boston. Elmore, age 42 finished 10th overall in the time of 2:27:58. Wodak age 40 finished 19th in 2:35:08. The two hold the two fastest Canadian marathon times at 2:24:50 and 2:26:19 respectlively. Kate Bazeley – also a master – was the third Canadian finishing in the time of 2:38:26.
Fourteen women ran sub-2:30:00. Twelve men ran sub-2:10:00. It was the first Patriot’s Day running of the Boston Marathon in three years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Wheelchair
Daniel Romanchuk and Manuela Schär took the wheelchair division in the time of 1:26:58 and 1:41:08, respectively in the men’s and women’s races.
In the men’s race, finishing second was fellow American Aaron Pike in the time of 1:32:49. Johnboy Smith of Great Britain took third in 1:32:55.
The second female was Susannah Scaroni in 1:46:20, while Madison De Rozario clocked a 1:52:48 clocking for third. Schär of Switzerland is a seven-time Paralympic medallist topped with a Tokyo Paralympic 800m gold medal.
The 23-year-old Romanchuck won gold in Tokyo in the 400m event. Both Romanchuck and Schär compete in the T54 classification.
Full Boston Marathon results are available here>>