Hellen Obiri wins Boston Marathon in her second go at the distance

Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, the final entry into the 2023 Boston Marathon elite field, took the laurel wreath on a rain-soaked Boston Marathon course on Monday, in only her second-ever marathon. Her time was 2:21:38. Her husband and her seven-year-old daughter were at the finish line to congratulate her. Obiri is a two-time Olympic silver medallist in the 5,000m (2016 and 2020), two-time world champion in the same event (2017 and 2019) and the 2019 World Cross Country champion.

Obiri battled Amane Beriso of Ethiopia to the final kilometre of the race; Beriso, who had by far the fastest personal best heading into the race (2:14:58 from the Valencia Marathon in 2022), crossed the line in second place, in 2:21:50. Lonah Salpeter of Israel was third, in 2:21:57.

Hellen Obiri 🇰🇪 wins the 127th Boston Marathon!

Greeted by her husband and family at the finish.

2:21:38!#Boston127

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) April 17, 2023

Obiri finished sixth in her first marathon in New York City in 2022 after dealing with fuelling issues. She is the only woman in the world to have won gold medals at the World Athletics Championships (2017 and 2019), World Athletics Indoor Championships (2012) and World Cross Country Championships (2019), and she has run a 2:00-flat 800m–and that speed came in handy as she pulled away from Beriso to run down Boylston Street. 

“I am so happy to be here,” Obiri said during the post-race press conference. “I tried to be patient. I was confident in my training.

“Since I moved to Boulder, training has become a lot more personal, Dathan [Ritzenhein] is always checking up on me and the training group is strong.” Obiri trained in Kenya throughout her career, joining the On Athletic Club, coached by three-time U.S. Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein, moving her family to Boulder, Colo. in the last year; she returned to Kenya to train for the last few months. “New York didn’t go the way I planned,” she added. “It was foreign for me. I tried to go in front and lead. I wanted to be patient in Boston and wait for the right time to make it happen.”

It was a drizzly day in Boston for the 127th running of the marathon, which may have played a role in some of the less-expected outcomes, such as double Olympic champion and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge’s sixth-place finish. 

A leading pack of 11 hung together from around the 15 km mark through more than 25 km, led by American Emma Bates and including all the top names: besides Obiri and Beriso, reigning world champion Gotytom Gebreselase, Salpeter and Joyciline Jepkosgei. Twenty-five seconds back was the chase group, including Aliphine Tuliamuk, Rojas and Hall. By mile 22 (35 km), the pack was down to eight, with Bates still leading. Then Yeshaneh fell on the course, which cost her a few seconds, after clipping the back of Obiri’s heel, but quickly reattached, while Jepkosgei fell off the back. Then Bates.

With a mile to go, Obiri and Beriso pulled away from Yeshaneh and Salpeter, and Obiri poured on a finishing kick that should not have surprised anyone, considering she has run a two-minute 800m. 

Liza Howard of Toronto was the first Canadian female to finish, in 37th place. Her time was 2:40:14. “I was super happy with my result,” says Howard. “I was on my own for most of the race and the energy helped pull me along.”

All smiles from the top Canadian female Liza Howard of Toronto and her coach Greg Purkis.

Howard finished 37th in 2:40:14.#Boston127 pic.twitter.com/iPJOocH9Wm

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) April 17, 2023

Women’s top 10

1. Hellen Obiri (KEN) 2:21:38
2. Amane Beriso (ETH) 2:21:50
3. Lonah Salpeter (IL) 2:21:57
4. Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:22:00
5. Emma Bates (USA) 2:22:10
6. Nazret Weldu (ERI) 2:23:25
7. Angela Tanui (KEN) 2:24:12
8. Hiwot Gebremaryam (ETH) 2:24:30
9. Mary Ngugi (KEN) 2:24:33
10. Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) 2:24:34

Non-binary results

In the non-binary category, introduced for the first time in 2023, the top performer was Vermont-based Kae Ravichandran, who finished in 2:38:57; second in this category was Cal Calamia of California in 2:51:00 and third was Matthew Powers of Vermont in 2:54:54.

YOUR 2023 #BOSTONMARATHON PARA CHAMPS (2/2)!🥇🤩💙💛

🦄 T45/T46 — Men: Atsbha Gebremeskel
🦄 T61/T63 — Men: Rajesh Durbal
🦄 T62/T64 — Men: Marko Cheseto Lemtukei, Women: Liz Willis#Boston127 #oneBOSTON pic.twitter.com/20rN4I49UJ

— Boston Marathon (@bostonmarathon) April 19, 2023

Para results

T11/T12 (visual impairment): El Amin Chentouf (men) in 2:31:35, Jessica Loomer (women) in 4:21:04

T13 (visual impairment): Andrew Thorsen (men) in 2:45:39, Jennifer Herring (women) in 3:38:55

T45/T46 (upper limb impairment): Atsbha Gebremeskel (men) in 2:43:57

T61/T63 (lower limb impairment): Rajesh Durbal (men) in 4:37:26

T62/T64 (lower limb impairment): Marko Cheseto Lemtukei (men) in 2:50:02, Liz Willis (women) in 4:05:25

For our story on the men’s and women’s wheelchair results, click here. 

For complete results, click here.