Two first-timers took the elite titles at the 2019 Boston Marathon on Monday, where early rainy conditions plagued the beginning of the storied race.
Lawrence Cherono defeated Lelisa Desisa by just seconds to claim the men’s elite race win. The Kenya native, 30, was making his debut in the marathon and finished with a time of 2:07:57. Desisa — who has won the marathon twice before — followed on Boylston Street with a time of 2:07:59, according to the Boston Marathon official Twitter account.
In the women’s elite race, Worknesh Degefa, 28, of Ethiopia was victorious with a time of 2:23:30. The race, according to the Boston Marathon Twitter, was her first Abbott World Marathon Major. According to USA Today, it was just her fourth marathon ever.
What. A. Finish.
#Boston2019 #AbbottWMM pic.twitter.com/5wSV6LkfsE
— Abbott WMMajors (@WMMajors) April 15, 2019
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Women's Elite Race #Boston2019 results:
Worknesh Degefa
(02:23:31)
@KiplagatEdna
(02:24:13)
Jordan Hasay
(02:25:20)
Meskerem Assefa
— Boston Marathon (@bostonmarathon) April 15, 2019
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Men's Elite #Boston2019 results:
— Boston Marathon (@bostonmarathon) April 15, 2019
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
An American woman finished in third — Jordan Hasay, who clocked in at 02:25:20. 2018 women’s champion Desiree Linden — who also hails from the U.S. — finished in fifth with a time of 02:27:00.
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Speaking about his two-second victory over Desisa, Cherono told the Boston Globe, “To me it is something amazing.”
He continued, “It was not easy.”
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“I was so focused, because I never win a major marathon. But to me, I was so determined, to win,” Cherono told the outlet, adding, “I’m so happy. I’m so grateful, so thankful to people of Boston. They were so amazing, they were cheerful until the end.”
Monday marked six years since the deadly bombing attacks at the Boston Marathon.
