23 elites dropped out of Boston Marathon
Extreme cold, strong headwinds and torrential rain lead 23 elite marathoners to bail on the race
23 DNFs from the elite field at the #BostonMarathon pic.twitter.com/quJPjQZzrW
— Gordon Mack (@gordonmack) April 16, 2018
Twenty-three elite runners failed to finish the Boston marathon today, including former champions Lemi Berhanu (2016), Lelisa Desisa (2013 and 2015) and Caroline Rotich (2015).
The marathon saw some of the worst conditions in race history, including periods of driving rain, as well as fierce headwinds.
Some of the elites who dropped out, including Ethiopian Mamitu Daska and Kenyan Felix Kandie, were running well early in the race. Daska had a commanding lead for much of the women’s race, and Kandie was one of several men (including Yuki Kawauchi, who went on to win) who alternated between running ahead and falling back in the early stages. Kenyan Gladys Chesir was also briefly in the lead before being overtaken by Des Linden, who ultimately won.
Canada’s Eric Gillis was also among those who did not finish.
Boston Champion Lelisa Desisa, Coach Moges Taye and his ESMI teammate Mamitu Daska meeting to donate shoes for St. Francis House prior to today’s Press Conference for @jhboston26 @NikeRunning pic.twitter.com/ddpWYll5j4
— Elite Sports Marketing & Management (@ESMINTL) April 13, 2018
American Galen Rupp, who placed in second in 2017, is also on the list of elites who did not finish. So are Philemon Rono, two-time winner of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (in 2016 and 2017), and veteran American runner Deena Kastor..