Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma wins Boston Marathon in runaway. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri repeats in women’s race

BOSTON (AP) — Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia set a blistering pace and held on to win the Boston Marathon on Monday, running alone through most of the course to finish in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 17 seconds — the 10th fastest time in the race’s 128-year history. Hellen Obiri defended her title in the women’s race, outsprinting fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi down Boylston Street to win by eight seconds. Obiri is the first woman to win back-to-back Boston Marathons since 2005. Lemma arrived in Boston with the fastest time in the field, becoming just the fourth person ever to break 2:02:00 when he won in Valencia last year. And the 2021 London champion showed it on the course, separating himself from the pack in Ashland and opening a lead of more than half of a mile. Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia breaks the tape to win the men’s race at the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, 2024. Photo credit: Charles Krupa, The Associated Press Lemma ran the first half in 60:19 — 99 seconds faster than Geoffrey Mutai’s course record pace in 2011, when he finished in 2:03:02 — the fastest marathon in history to that point. Fellow Ethiopian Mohamed...