With three-quarters of a mile remaining in the Boston Marathon, Hellen Obiri of Kenya pulled away from her pursuers and won decisively, in 2:21:38.
Obiri was running in only her second marathon. Her first, last November in New York, did not go well.
It wasn’t catastrophic—she finished sixth in 2:25:49. But for someone with her credentials—two Olympic medals and two World Championships titles in the 5,000 meters, and a 1:04:22 best in the half marathon—the result was lackluster.
Last summer, Obiri, who is sponsored by On, moved to Boulder, Colorado, with her husband and seven-year-old daughter to train with the On Athletics Club, coached by Dathan Ritzenhein.
In Kenya, she said, “I never used to have a coach on the ground to see what I’m doing.” Nor did she have the top-level training mates trying to help her out.
Now she has plenty of attention from Ritzenhein and a roster of talented women to work out with.
The plan, Ritzenhein said, was to come off the back side of the Newton hills “having legs,” and if she did, to close hard, adding that she executed it perfectly. “I’m super proud of her,” he said.
When Obiri started gapping her closest pursuer, Amane Beriso of Ethiopia, who ran the third-fastest marathon in history (2:14:58) last December in Valencia, Spain, he could tell Obiri was going for it.
“Her stride looks amazing when she starts rolling,” he said.
Throughout her buildup, he has been preaching restraint and having her stay out of the lead in practice.
On long runs, she follows behind her male teammates. On track days, she sits behind her female teammates, like Alicia Monson, who set an American record in the 10,000 meters in March.
“My coach told me that the marathon is about patience,” she said. “So I tried to be patient until the right time.”
Beriso was second in 2:21:50. Lonah Salpeter of Israel was third in 2:21:57.
Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia, the runner up in 2022 after a thrilling duel over the last mile with 2022 champion Peres Jepchirchir, took a hard fall with three miles to go and finished fourth in 2:22:00.
Where the Race Was Won
Obiri took the lead on Commonwealth Avenue, just before the course takes an underpass beneath Massachusetts Avenue. By the time she emerged from the underpass, there was no doubt she would be the winner.
The Top 10
- Hellen Obiri, Kenya, 2:21:38
2. Amane Beriso, Ethiopia, 2:21:50
3. Lonah Salpeter, Israel, 2:21:57
4. Ababel Yeshaneh, Ethiopia, 2:22:00
5. Emma Bates, U.S., 2:22:10
6. Nazret Weldu, Eritrea, 2:23:25
7. Angela Tanui, Kenya, 2:24:12
8. Hiwot Gebremaryam, Ethiopia, 2:24:30
9. Mary Ngugi, Kenya, 2:24:33
10. Gotytom Gebreslase, Ethiopia, 2:24:34
The Top American
American Emma Bates, who sounded supremely confident heading in to the race and led the pack over the Newton hills, finished fifth in a PR of 2:22:10. She said after the race she was considering taking a crack at the American record (2:18:29) at a fast, flat marathon in the fall. That would likely mean she’d run at the Berlin Marathon or in Chicago, where Emily Sisson ran the American record last year.
The women’s field in Boston was billed as the deepest ever assembled at the race. Five women had personal bests faster than 2:18, there were Olympic medalists, world championships medalists, and podium finishers at World Marathon Majors.
And through the 20-mile mark, all the favorites remained in contention—nine women running in a tight pack over the Newton Hills.
But no one has the range of Obiri. She has a PR of 2:00.54 for 800 meters, 4:16.15 for the mile, and 14:18.37 for 5,000 meters. She covered the 26th mile in 5 minutes, and the others couldn’t come close.
The Biggest Surprise of the Race
Bates looked calm through 23 miles, even though her PR before the race (2:23:18) was 5 minutes slower than the top women around her. She let the pack go when they first ripped off a 5:08 at mile 7, a 5:10 at mile 8, and a 5:09 for mile 9. But she stayed in contact and gradually worked her way back to the pack, showing plenty of poise.
“It kind of felt like a whole thing was a fartlek, which is kind of funny, because I’ve been doing a lot of fartleks lately. I think I really trained for that, that undulation of pace,” she said.
Several miles later, she found herself in leading the Boston Marathon. But it did not faze her at all.
The Prize Money
First: $150,000
Second: $75,000
Third: $40,000
Fourth: $25,000
Fifth: $18,000
Sixth: $13,500
Seventh: $10,500
Eighth: $8,500
Ninth: $7,000
10th: $5,500
Tidbits From the Top 10
Two falls might have changed the outcome of the race. The pack stayed tightly bunched, even though they had the whole road. No one wanted to miss a move or miss a step. First Celestine Chipchirchir of Kenya went down around the 15-mile mark. She got up and rejoined the lead pack but faded to finish 16th.
Then Ababel Yeshaneh went down after the 23-mile mark. She, too, rejoined the lead pack and held on for fourth. After two previous runner-up finishes at World Marathon Majors (Boston in 2022 and Chicago in 2019), plus a second place at the World Championships in 2022, it seemed like this might be her day to break through. But the fall essentially ended that opportunity.
And it would have been very hard for anyone to stick with Obiri once she opened up. She won the NYC Half one month ago, in 1:07:21, a course record, and she trounced the field by more than 30 seconds. It was only in the days after that race that she decided to run Boston.
But she had been essentially training for a marathon all along. That was the difference today, Ritzenhein said. She averaged about 100 miles a week for 16 weeks, while they tried to maintain her power and speed from the track. The result of that consistency? No one could touch her at the end.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
