Sharon Lokedi and John Korir of Kenya were crowned 2025 Boston Marathon champions on Sunday (April 21) with Lokedi surging clear of defending women’s champion Hellen Obiri in the final kilometre whereas Korir dramatically recovered from a fall at the start of the race to take the men’s victory.
Once he got back into his stride, Korir was a class apart, making a strong move at 32km to establish a sizeable lead within a matter of seconds.
Cruising home, he clocked 2:04:45 as American Conner Mantz was just run out of the podium places with Alphonce Simbu of Tanzania edging out Cyprian Kotut of Kenya for second and third places – with both runners clocking 2:05:04 – as Mantz clocked 2:05:08.
Muktar Edris, the 2017 and 2019 world 5000m champion, was fifth in 2:05:59 as Rory Linkletter of Canada was sixth in 2:07:02 and Clayton Young of the United States seventh in 2:07:04.
John Korir (Getty)
In contrast to Korir’s runaway win, Lokedi went into the closing stages locked in battle with two-time Boston winner and fellow Kenyan Obiri.
But as Lokedi entered the final kilometre, she drew clear of Obiri to come home in 2:17:22 to slice well over two minutes off Buzunesh Deba’s course record.
Obiri was rewarded with a PB of 2:17:41 as Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia ran 2:18:06 in third.
Britain’s Calli Hauger-Thackery, meanwhile, finished a fine sixth in 2:22:38.
Hauger-Thackery ran 2:21:24 in Berlin last year to go No.2 on the all-time UK all-time rankings but Boston is a more challenging and hilly course.
Paula Radcliffe, who still holds the UK record with 2:15:25, clocked 2:53:44 at the age of 51.
The 129th edition of the race enjoyed fine sunny conditions and the men’s leaders cruised through 10km in 28:52 and halfway in 61:52.
Reigning men’s champion Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia saw his chances of defending his title disappear after 17 miles when he stopped to stretch before soon dropping out.
American spectators were hoping that Mantz might claim a rare home victory as the 28-year-old looked strong and was at times pushing the pace.
But the race exploded when Korir made his move and the Kenyan didn’t falter up Heartbreak Hill and into the final miles as he maintained his advantage.
Korir, 28, won the Chicago Marathon last year in 2:02:44 – making him the fastest marathoner in history – but this Boston victory has special family significance as his brother, Wesley, won in Boston in 2012.
Korir was also third in Chicago in 2022 and fourth in 2023 behind the 2:00:35 world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum.
Korir said: “I’m feeling good. As I told everyone in the press conference on Friday, I’m ready for Boston. My brother told me that I could do it.”
The leading women passed 10km in 32:51 and halfway in 68:46 but four runners – Obiri, Yehualaw, Lokedi and Amane Beriso – were still locked in battle entering the final stages.
Beriso was the first to crack, eventually fading to fifth. Then Yehualaw was dropped approaching 40km.
It was then down to Lokedi and Obiri with the 31-year-old Lokedi, the 2022 New York City Marathon winner, adding a Boston victory to her list of achievements.
“I feel great, I’m so excited!” said Lokedi. “Congratulations to everyone. It was a tough one out there. Towards the end I just thought ‘keep fighting and pushing and with one more kick I can get it’. When I got away I didn’t believe it as I’m always usually second behind Hellen.”
Jess McClain was the first American home in seventh in 2:22:43, just behind Hauger-Thackery.
Further down the road, Des Linden, the 2018 winner from the United States, clocked 2:26:19 for 17th in her final Boston Marathon.
Britain’s Lily Partridge clocked 2:32:19 in 24th in the women’s race.
Marcel Hug (Getty)
Wheelchair race victories went to Marcel Hug of Switzerland in 81:34 and Susannah Scaroni of the United States in 95:20 – both winning in commanding style – as the 2024 women’s winner from Britain, Eden Rainbow-Cooper, finished fourth.
AW products editor Paul Freary was also in Boston, becoming a six-star Marathon Majors finisher with 2:53:05.
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