Rita Jeptoo today sucesfully defended her title and in the process also set a new course record in the Boston Marathon’s women’s race with a time of 2:18:56. That was 29 seconds ahead of her winning time last year.
This is Jeptoo’s third win at Boston, having also won in 2006 and 2013.
Ethiopian Buzunesh Deba finished second in the women’s race, clocking in at 2:19:59.
An American wins the men’s race
In the men’s race, history was made as Meb Keflezighi became the first American to win the Boston marathon. He pumped his fists as he crossed the finish line, posting a time of 2:08:36. He managed to hold off Wilson Chebet of Kenya at the finish line. A Kenyan or Ethiopian has won the last 12 men’s Boston marathons.
Keflezighi was born in the Eritrean capital of Asmara and emigrated to the United States in 1987.
According to marathon officials, the last American to win the men’s race was Greg A. Meyer in 1983 who clocked 2:09:00.
Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa won the men’s wheelchair race with a time of 1:20:36 to claim his 10th title. In the women’s wheelchair race, Tatyana McFadden of the United States won her second consecutive race with a time of 1:35:06, breaking the course record.
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