Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Tuesday 18 april 2017

Kenyans have a banner day at the Boston Marathon

JIMMY GOLEN was Ben Beach, who com-
AP Sports Writer pleted the race for an un-
BOSTON (AP) — The Ke- precedented 50th time in
nyans are back in Boston a row. And Kathrine Swit-
after a relative lull that saw zer, wearing the same bib
them shut out in the world’s number — 261 — that she
most prestigious marathon wore when she entered
twice in the past three the all-male race 50 years
years. ago, using only her initials,
More surprisingly, so are the K.V.
Americans. The warm temperatures
Geoffrey Kirui won the that hit 79 degrees at the
121st Boston Marathon 20-kilometer mark in Natick
on Monday, pulling away slowed the runners, but the
from three-time U.S. Olym- strong tailwind was a boost
pian Galen Rupp with two — especially in the wheel-
miles to go to give Kenya chair races.
its first men’s victory in five Marcel Hug won Boston
years. Edna Kiplagat won for the third time, out-
the women’s race to com- pushing 10-time cham-
plete the Kenyan sweep. pion Ernst Van Dyk down
They were followed close- Boylston Street and finish-
ly by Americans who ing in 1:18:04 to beat the
grabbed two of the top course record and world
four women’s spots and best by 21 seconds. Fellow
six of the top ten for men Swiss Manuela Schar shat-
— the first time that’s hap- tered the women’s mark
pened since the race went Edna Kiplagat, left and Geoffrey Kirui, both of Kenya, hold a trophy together after their victories by more than five minutes,
professional in 1986. in the 121st Boston Marathon on Monday, April 17, 2017, in Boston. winning in 1:28:17.
“It’s so exciting to see Associated Press The winners’ times on
Americans being competi- the point-to-point Boston
tive here,” said Rupp, the the podium for both men men’s or women’s race who have run many times course are considered a
and women, so the future every year since 1991 be-
here. ... I knew I would chal-
Olympic bronze medalist world best and not a world
who was making his Boston is great.” fore being shut out in 2014 lenge some of the champi- record because of the
Kiplagat finished in 2:21:52 and again last year. In fact, ons who have been com-
debut. “It’s a real exciting possibility of a supportive
time. to win her Boston debut, Kenya had taken both ti- peting here.” drought tailwind like the one on
adding the victory to two tles six times since 2000, so The
American
And it’s awesome to see Monday.
American distance run- world championships and dominating the top 10 that reached more than three “The wind is so important,”
wins in London, New York Boylston Street began to decades from the time
ning on the upswing and Hug said. “The roads were
being competitive in these and Los Angeles. She pulled look like a Great Rift Valley Greg Meyer won in 1983 good. Everything was fan-
ahead of Rose Chelimo of training run.
until Meb Keflezighi ran
races.” tastic today.”
Kirui finished in 2 hours, 9 Bahrain in the Newton hills But Ethiopia has surpassed down Boylston Street to Earlier Monday, city offi-
to win by 59 seconds.
its East African neighbors on raucous chants of “U-S-A!”
minutes, 37 seconds to cials announced plans for
claim a silver trophy, a guil- American Jordan Hasay, Patriots’ Day the past four in 2014, the year after the memorials to mark the sites
making her first run at the years, earning its first sweep finish line bombings killed
ded olive wreath from Mar- where two bombs explod-
athon, Greece, and the 26.2-mile distance, was in 2016. Then, in December, three people and wound- ed during the 2013 race.
third and Desi Linden was Kenyan Rita Jeptoo was ed more than 260 others.
$150,000 first prize. Rupp Also in the field was Boston
was 21 seconds back, and fourth — the first time since stripped of her 2014 title (No U.S. woman has won Police Commissioner Wil-
1991 that two U.S. women for failing a drug test and since 1985.)
Japan’s Suguru Osako 30 liam Evans, who ran for the
seconds behind him. have finished in the top it was handed instead to Keflezighi, 41, said he plans 18th time in 2013 but has
four.
to enter the New York Mar-
Ethiopia’s Buzunesh Deba.
Rounding out the top 10 skipped the races since
were runners from Califor- “It keeps happening. We For Kirui, even when he was athon, which he won in the bombings so he could
keep getting closer. We’re running shorter distances, 2009, one last time in the
nia, Arizona, Colorado, Or- be available in case of an-
egon and Utah. putting more numbers in he had his eye on Boston. fall before retiring. In his last other emergency. Evans,
there and it’s just a matter “In my mind, I was sure that competitive Boston run, he
“American distance run- who completed his 52nd
ning is looking good to- of time,” said Linden, the one day I would win this finished 13th in 2:17:00 de- marathon overall, said he
race,” said Kirui, 25, who spite pain in his quad mus-
2011 runner-up by 2 sec-
day,” said sixth-place fin- wanted to show that Bos-
isher Abdi Abdirahman, a onds. “When Americans was running just his third cles. ton is back to normal.
break the tape, it’s going marathon. “To come here “The crowd got me through
Somali immigrant and Tuc- “If I can come back,” he
son resident who is a four- to be a big deal here.” to Boston, I knew I was go- the finish line,” he said. said, “everyone can.”q
Kenya had won either the ing to face my colleagues Also running on Monday
time Olympian. “We have