Sisay Lemma winner among men, double for Hellen Obiri among women

The Ethiopian Sisay Lemma, who became the fourth best performer in history over the distance in December, won the Boston marathon (United States) in 2h06’17” on Monday, when the Kenyan Hellen Obiri signed a double.

Quickly alone in the lead, Lemma beat another Ethiopian, Mohamed Esa, second at 41 seconds, and the Kenyan Evans Chebet, double winner outgoing in Boston, third at 1’05”. Four months ago, Lemma (33 years old) became the fourth best performer in the history of the marathon by completing the Valencia (Spain) marathon in 2h01’48”. Only the Kenyan comet Kelvin Kiptum, killed in a car accident in February at the age of 24, Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele ran faster than him over the distance. The thirty-year-old Ethiopian obtains his second victory in a major marathon, after winning in London in 2021.

Already victorious in Boston a year ago, Obiri (34 years old) scored a double in 2h22’37”, after losing in the last few meters to another Kenyan, Sharon Lokedi, second at eight seconds. At 44, Edna Kiplagat completes a Kenyan hat-trick, in 2h23’21”. A year and a half after her marathon debut (in New York in 2022), Obiri, double world champion (2017 and 2019) and double Olympic silver medalist (2016 and 2021) in the 5,000m, has already bagged three major victories , two in a row in Boston, and one in New York in 2023 in the meantime.