Hellen Obiri wins her second consecutive Boston Marathon

Defending champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya sprinted down Boylston Street to claim her second Boston win in a row on Monday, breaking the tape in 2:22:37, with her friend and compatriot, 2022 New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi following her onto the podium in 2:22:45 (a personal best, if you allow the net downhill Boston course to count). Two-time Boston champion Edna Kiplagat (2017 and 2021), who is 44, finished an impressive third, in 2:23:21.

The Boston Marathon elite women’s race was like a repeat of last year’s New York City Marathon, when Obiri and Lokedi battled through Central Park with Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey. On Monday, Obiri pulled away from Lokedi at 41 km, and held on to win as the two turned onto Bolyston St. 

“It’s hard to defend your title–I did not give up,” Obiri said after the race. “I kept telling myself that my family was watching, and I knew the Olympics were on the line.” Obiri is the first woman to win back-to-back Boston Marathons since Katherine Ndereba of Kenya, who won in 2004 and 2005. (Ndereba also won in 2000, 2001 and 2002.)

Obiri is the sixth woman to win back-to-back Boston Marathons. This is her third marathon win in a row, and will undoubtedly cement her selection for the Kenyan national team for the Paris Olympics in August, where she will likely be the favourite.

Lokedi was a late scratch to this race in 2023, and had to wait until this year to make her first appearance. Lokedi was third at last year’s New York City Marathon. 

A tactical race

Obiri and Lokedi’s run along Commonwealth Avenue came after a very tactical race that saw a pack of around 20 women running together for much longer than we usually see in marathons. Finally, at about 32 km, it broke down to a pack of 11, then dropped to five, then three.

Considering the top pros expect to race the Olympic marathon in a little over three months from now, none were interested in working any harder than absolutely necessary, and sat patiently in the pack until the final stages. The U.S.’s Emma Bates, who was the top American at Boston last year, finishing fifth, tried to keep the pace honest, leading for much of the race, after recovering from a plantar tear that took her out of the US Olympic trials in February; she was the top American again this year, but was well back of her placement last year, finishing 12th.  

It was also warm–20 C or higher for most of the race. This was probably a factor in the men’s race also, which was dominated almost from the start by Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma, who ran solo to victory, with no one in sight behind him for most of the race. Considering Lemma’s previous bad luck in Boston (he DNF’d in 2017 and was 30th in 2019), they probably figured he would blow up–but also that it was too risky to go after him in the heat.

Top 10 women

1. Hellen Obiri KEN 2:22:37
2. Sharon Lokedi KEN 2:22:45
3. Edna Kiplagat KEN 2:23:21
4. Buze Diriba ETH 2:24:04
5. Senbere Teferi ETH 2:24:04
6. Mary Ngugi-Cooper KEN 2:24:24
7. Worknesh Edesa ETH 2:24:47
8. Fatima Gardadi MOR 2:24:53
9. Tiruye Mesfin ETH 2:24:58
10. Dera Dida ETH 2:25:16

U.S. women

Emma Bates was the top U.S. woman at this year’s Boston Marathon, finishing 12th in 2:27:14. Sara Hall was second (15th woman, 2:27:58)–on her 41st birthday! And Des Linden was third (16th, 2:28:27) among American women. This was Linden’s 11th appearance at Boston. Jenny Simpson, 2011 world champion over 1,500m, scored her first marathon finish (she DNF’d at the US trials in February), with a 2:31:39, which was good enough for 18th place.

Canadian results

Canada’s Michelle Krezonoski of Toronto was the first Canadian woman in the elite field, finishing 23rd, in 2:38:23. (Anne-Marie Comeau did not start.)

For Canadians who finished in the top 10 in their age groups, click here.

Non-binary results

The top non-binary performers at this year’s Boston Marathon were Ryan Montgomery of Utah (2:27:45), Winter Parts of Pennsylvania (2:31:08) and Kassian Eaton of Massachusetts (2:34:51).

For full results of the 128th Boston Marathon, click here.

Canadian Running is at the 2024 Boston Marathon with Under Armour to celebrate the launch of the Velociti Elite 2, the brand’s fastest carbon racing shoe to date. Be sure to stay plugged into our socials on Instagram and X for everything Boston this weekend.