Marcel Hug wins his 7th Boston Marathon, sets course record

He’s not known as the Silver Bullet for nothing. On Monday’s 128th running of the Boston Marathon, wheelchair athlete Marcel Hug soared to his seventh victory, setting a new course record for the second year in a row. The 38-year-old broke the tape in an astounding 1:15:33, shaving off 93 seconds from the previous course record of 1:17:06, which he set last year. 

Daniel Romanchuk of the U.S. finished second, in 1:20:37, and the U.K.’s David Weir was third, in 1:22:12.

The race was not all smooth sailing for Hug, who overcame a crash on the sharp right turn at the fire station in Newton. Affectionately known as the Silver Bullet, Hug took the corner a little fast, which led to a crash into the padded barriers lining the left side of the course.

“It was my fault,” the Swiss athlete said after the race. “Nothing happened with the chair. I tried to get back on the course quickly.”

.@MarcelEricHug crosses the finish line in 1:15:35, crushing his own CR of 1:17:06, set just last year. This, after crashing into a fence as he made the turn into the Newton Hills.

— Boston Marathon Pro (@Boston26_2_Pro) April 15, 2024

Hug was aiming to break 1:15 and commented that the conditions were perfect. If it weren’t for the crash, he might have. Hug earns a $50,000 bonus for setting the course record.

Canadian Josh Cassidy finished fifth in the men’s elite division.

Eden Rainbow Cooper wins women’s race in first major

In the women’s wheelchair division, 22-year-old Rainbow-Cooper, who has only been wheelchair racing for two years, became the first British wheelchair athlete to win the Boston Marathon. Her time was 1:35:11. Manuela Schär of Switzerland was second, in 1:36:41, and Madison de Rozario of Australia was third, in 1:39:20.

This was Rainbow-Cooper’s first major marathon win. After finishing fourth in the 2023 New York Marathon (1:49:34), seventh in the 2023 London Marathon (1:47:43), and seventh in the 2023 Boston Marathon (2:06:45), it’s clear that the young athlete has lots of potential and is on an upward trajectory in the sport.

For the women’s elite results, click here.

For the men’s elite results, click here.

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

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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.