New York (AFP) – Defending champion John Korir returns to the Boston Marathon on Monday aiming for a fourth straight marathon crown after adding victories in Chicago and Valencia last year. The Kenyan, who overcame an early fall to clock the third-fastest time ever in Boston — 2hr 04min 45 sec — can expect a strong challenge from 2021 winner Benson Kipruto as well as Alphonce Felix Simbu and Cybrian Kotut, who finished second and third last year.
Kenya’s Kipruto, who won the New York City Marathon last year to complete his collection of all the US World Marathon Majors, is the fastest man in the field with a personal best of 2:02.16. Simbu followed his runner-up finish in Boston, 19 seconds behind Korir, with a victory in the World Championships marathon in Tokyo.
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Korir thinks the quality of the field augurs a fast race on Monday. “I think if I had someone to push me last year, we would have been very close to the course record,” Korir, who clocked a blistering 2:02:24 in Valencia in December, told the Boston Globe. “If everything goes good this year, it is in my mind to go for it,” added the Kenyan, who is vying to become the first man to repeat as champion since Evans Chebet won in 2022 and 2023.
Women’s champion Sharon Lokedi is also going for a repeat a year after she clocked 2:17:22 to slice more than two minutes off the course record. She ended the two-year reign of fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri and said her strategy this year will be much the same. “I believe in consistency, and what works is what I’ve always been doing,” said Lokedi, who also won the New York City Marathon in November.
Lokedi’s top challengers include fellow Kenyan Irine Cheptai, who was fourth in Boston last year, and Ethiopian Workenesh Edesa, who won the Osaka and Hamburg marathons last year.
© 2024 AFP
