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The Independent UK

Sport

Jamie Braidwood

Boston Marathon results and times as John Korir storms to victory after shock fall

John Korir Boston Marcel Hug Susannah Scaroni Wesley (Person)

John Korir, running without his name and number, won the Boston Marathon to add to his Chicago triumph - (Getty Images)

Kenya’s John Korir recovered from an early fall to win the Boston Marathon, emulating his brother Wesley to triumph at the iconic major and back up his victory at the Chicago Marathon last year.

Korir ran without his name and number on the front of his vest after a hard fall just moments into the race. A video shot by a spectator by the side of the course showed that Korir landed hard on his stomach after being clipped, but he avoided being trampled on and quickly got to his feet to resume running.

And the 28-year-old hit his stride to make a burst around the 30-km mark, with the Chicago champion building a sizeable lead over the chasing pack. He crossed the finish line holding his tattered bib in his left hand, having pulled it from his tights before breaking the tape.

Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu and Kenya’s Cyprian Kotut completed the podium, edging ahead of the best male American finisher, Conner Mantz, who was fourth.

Korir won in an unofficial time of 02:04:45, which was 19 seconds clear of Simbu and Kotut, bringing victory back to the family after his elder brother Wesley won the world’s oldest annual marathon in 2012. They are the first set of brothers to win the Boston Marathon in the history of the race.

In the women’s race, Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi shattered the Boston Marathon course record by over two minutes to deny compatriot Hellen Obiri a “three-peat” of titles in a thrilling finish.

Lokedi took over two-and-a-half minutes off the 11-year record held by Buzunesh Deba, finishing with a time of 2:17:22 after bursting clear on the final kilometre.

Obiri, who also ran a personal best to finish second, was bidding to become the first woman to win three Boston Marathons in a row in 26 years. Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia completed the podium, with the top three times all under the previous course record mark. Great Britain's Calli Thackery finished sixth in 02:22:38.

Sharon Lokedi set a new course record in Boston (Getty Images)

“I feel great,” Lokedi said. “I’m so excited. Yay! I want to say congratulations to everyone, it was a tough one out there. I’m so glad we had each other to fight all the way through. Towards the end, I said, ‘just keep fighting, just keep pushing, one more kick you can get it’. I didn’t believe it, I’m always second to [Hellen].

“At the halfway, I saw we ran 68 minutes and we just kept going. I hoped I would still have it towards the end, you can’t tell at halfway. When I crossed and saw the time, I couldn’t believe it.”

Earlier, course record holder Marcel Hug won his eighth men’s wheelchair title and third in a row in Boston, with the 39-year-old Swiss finishing more than four minutes ahead of 2022 champion Daniel Romanchuk.

There was an American winner in the women’s wheelchair race as Susannah Scaroni reclaimed her title after being forced to withdraw from last year’s event. Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper, who won last year, finished fourth.