Jordan Hasay, Scott Fauble Top Americans at Boston

By Adam Kopet

Lawrence Cherono of Kenya and Worknesh Degefa of Ethiopia won the 123rd Boston Marathon Monday, using contrasting race plans to add their names to the winners' list in their respective debuts in Boston.

RESULTS

Cherono ran with the leaders throughout the race as the lead pack slowly dwindled throughout the 26.2-mile journey from Hopkinton to Boylston Street. Three runners were left in contention with a mile to go, Cherono, fellow Kenyan Kenneth Kipkemoi and Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa, leading to a sprint finish down the final quarter mile on Boylston Street.

Desisa took the lead going into the final turn and tried to hold off his competitors. However, a burst of speed by Cherono in the closing meters sealed the deal, giving him the win over the two-time champion, 2:07:57 to 2:07:59. Kipkemoi was third in 2:08:07.

Cherono was the 22nd Kenyan to win the men's title, including the second in three years, following Geoffrey Kirui in 2017

The women's race played out much differently as Degefa broke away from the lead women's pack after five kilometers. Her lead grew to close to three minutes before a surge by Edna Kiplagat of Kenya after the Newton hills closed the gap.

Degefa built a big enough lead to hold on for the win, running 2:23:31. Kiplagat finished 42 seconds back in 2:24:13. Jordan Hasay repeated her third-place finish from 2017, running 2:25:20.

Degefa became the eighth Ethiopian to secure the women's title, including the first since Atsede Baysa in 2016.

Kenyan athletes Kirui and Kiplagat also both won in their Boston debuts two years ago.

Scott Fauble led the Americans in the men's race, finishing seventh in 2:09:09. Jared Ward sprinted past Kenya's Festus Talam for eighth place, both timed in 2:09:25.

Hasay led the U.S. women. Defending champion Desiree Linden finished fifth in 2:27:00. Lindsey Flanagan moved up in the final miles to finish ninth in 2:30:07.

The Boston Marathon is not eligible for time-based Olympic marathon standard qualifying for 2020 due to the elevation drop of the course and the distance between the start and finish. However, as an Abbott World Marathon Majors race, the top 10 finishers in the men's and women's race earn the Olympic standard by place.

Three U.S. women and two U.S. men earned the Olympic marathon standard. In total, five women and two men have earned the standard thus far.