This caught my eye, since American runners have been consistently being beat by Africans at this distance for the past two decades at least. Looking back over the past couple years of Boston marathon results, both mens' and womens' bears this out.
So what could have been afoot in Boston yesterday? There was only one African woman finishing in the top 25, Edna Kiplagat from Kenya. She was last year's winner. The same is almost true for the men's race where Geoffry Kirui and Stephen Samboo - both of Kenya - placed 2nd and 14th, respectively. Kirui was last year's winner but Samboo didn't run Boston last year.
As recently as 2016 more than half of the top 25 finishers in the mens' and womens' races were from African countries. I suppose it's possible they were there yesterday and dropped out due to the weather conditions (I was at work so didn't watch live coverage). If that's not the case, one wonders if they couldn't get visas to enter the country or simply didn't want to.
1
"The rain was so bad that the traditional Patriots’ Day Red Sox game was postponed for the first time since 1984." I am pretty sure they postponed in 2007 as well when there was the last Marathon day storm.
1
Like a time warp. Amazing how just weather can make the dominant kenyans and Ethiopians so much less relevant. 2nd place Woman was 2:44! That's a very slow race.
4
If you haven't do so already - watch the coverage of this race. I watched it last night and it is as compelling as any sport you are ever going to watch. I was crying when Desiree powered onto Boylston. An absolutely amazing performance. The run of Kawauchi was equally impressive - always pushing and running with sheer guts and determination. This is really the very very best of sport. Normal humble people who quietly work relentlessly and then do amazing things. The Boston Marathon is a very special event.
Also, huge congrats to my friend who battled the conditions to run under 3 hours and his dad (60-65) who made it home in less than 4 hours. I think there were tens of thousands of stories of heroism from Monday's race. Congrats and respect to all of them.
15
4th place Women's Division went to Rachel Hyland, so American women took 3 out of the 4 top finishes.
6
7 of the top 8!
6
And congratulations to my grandson Tyler for his under three hours run.
10
This article really should be on the front page, at least online! We need more feel-good articles amidst the depressing news these days. Not to mention propping up sports other than baseball and football. And WHAT A RACE! Des Linden is a rock star. Definitely a role model for all young women in sports!
29
No kidding! I had to SEARCH for it. Shame on you NYT! She is an example of true grit. SO proud of her.
12
Congratulations to the winners . The weather certainly added to
the challenge . I have issues with the frequent references to
Meb K being the last American winner . Yes , Meb K is certainly
an American citizen having come to America as a teenager but
it was his African roots that won the race. Your roots are with you
forever. Citizenship can easily be changed.
6
Congrats to Kawauchi - san. What an inspiring story: to find out that a regular guy can compete at the level of the elite athletes - and win! Domo arigato gozaimasu, Kawauchi - san. Your outstanding performance fills us with hope.
33
Push the date into May so these wonderful runners can do their work in tolerable conditions. It's a difficult enough feat in the best of weather, and April in New England can be cold and dreary like yesterday. Congrats to Ms. Linden.
6
Tough people won Monday.
8
The marathon is held on Patriots Day, which is in April, and has been for 122 years. Therefore it will not be moved for wussies from NYC. In fact, the real celebrations of Patriots Day, the re-enactments of Paul Revere's ride, the "shot heard round the world" in Lexington, and the counterattack by the colonial militia in Concord also went off yesterday in the rain. Face it, we are just tougher up here. This post is from a Southerner who runs 12 months a year in Mass.
8
Once again congrats to Tatyana who won the wheelchair race for the fifth time. This woman was perhaps the greatest athlete out there today based on her number of Marathon wins. Five here and five in NY as well as numerous others. This lady is one great champion.
29
Special congratulations to Tim Don, who finished in 2 hours 49 min after breaking his neck six or seven months ago. Totally amazing for him and an amazing story. What courage and determination. Wonderful. Congrats to you, Tim!! And best of luck with the rest of your recovery!
31
You go Desiree! The twenty first century is looking more and more as the Century when the American woman rules! You go girls! It's about time.
23
Should be a FRONT PAGE article for every newspaper.
Girls will see that women can do anything, and should not be blocked by small mindedness.
28
So true!! NYTimes, not everything in life revolve around what POTUS does or said he did. This was a feel good day for so many people who had to qualify, then become winners in these challenging, yet equalizing conditions. Hats off to all !! Editors, throw us a feel good bone occasionally, notably when human spirit is on display. Huge shout out to all who gave it their best on patriots day in Boston.
9
In these days of equality, why is there a 'women's race' and a 'men's race'? Why is there not simply a Boston marathon with one winner? We shouldn't segregate the sexes.
1
Nic - Good question. The races aren’t actually separated into men’s and women’s.
In a world-class marathon like this, a small pack of elite women will typically start 20-30 minutes before the elite men and first wave of non-elite runners (and then run the course about 20 minutes slower than elite men.) This way, the top athletes for men and women benefit from having an open road ahead of them without needing to zigzag between other runners. When the elite men start, they lead the whole rest of the race - men and women. If elite women started in this general crowd they would be sharing road space with some very good but not elite men, which hampers their ability for a PR, course records, etc.
7
I understood Nic's question to be why not have men and women compete together in a single race. Even if women start first for the open road, why not just count whoever finishes first and first - regardless of whether they are a man or a woman? It makes me wonder if any sports at all have men and women competing against east other.
1
Men are stronger and faster. I am sure you know that. It would be very unfair if women had to race men. The American women were so tough to win this race in such cold wet conditions.
2
When the news of the world makes me a nervous wreck, I always hunt for a good sports story to clear my mind of the trash and make me feel like giving a cheer.
Way to go runners!
11
As a Kenyan, I salute the Japanese and American winners of this year's race!
32
This is mile 7 in Framingham. You'll see clock-truck drive by, 32minutes. Elite men coming by. Japanese winner is in about spot 13 here.
1
She graduated from Hilltop High School in Chula Vista California. Congratulations!
5
A race to remember, with an *.
Women's winner has been African since '97 other than 2 yrs.
Men's winner has been African since '88 other than 3 yrs (1 was Meb).
This has been the worst weather in 30+ yrs.
The high altitude training was no match for strong winds, cold weather, and intense rain. The African faves all looked out of place w/ jackets, hats and gloves on. It was an odd sight.
Congrats to all, but this was one of those days where you caught the Patriots and Brady (ironically) on a bad day.
1
Weather is weather. The fact that it may have played a role in an American woman winning is no more or less significant than being born/training at high altitudes may be responsible for the remarkable streak of winners from the African continent. If they want to win in this weather they'd better train for it - I'm sure that won't be easy to emulate! In any case, you must at least admire the grit of this woman who persevered in yesterday's conditions, without reservation or "*"...
6
They were all running in the same conditions so no asterisk is needed. Last year was sunny and warm. This year, it was as much a battle of wills and the weather as it was about training. Next year, who knows what craziness will come at these runners.
8
What a coincidence. There was an article in yesterday's WaPo regarding how the Japanese men back in the 1960's dominated the Boston Marathon, now today, a Japanese man wins it in an upset. A possible new trend? Congrats to Desiree Linden and Yuki Kawauchi. Please read: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/04/15/the-japanes...
5
I ran Boston today and the weather conditions cannot be overstated. Absolute misery from start to finish. The rain, the wind, the cold - I cannot recall a worse day for any race, anywhere. Props to all who ran.
One small correction to the article - “The athletes were all given two bib numbers so they could put one over each layer of clothing.” Absolutely not true. Only the elites were. The rest of us needed to have our one bib visible at all time, requiring us to strategize: do you wear long, warm clothing (sleeves, leggings) to protect from the cold, only to have extra weight as you are drenched from the rain? Or do you wear less clothes (tanks, shorts) to avoid being bogged down by heavy wet clothes, but with far less protection from the cold? Getting dressed for a day like today requires as much strategy as the actual run. Not that is made much difference - by the finish line, everyone is numb, drenched, and wondering what in God’s name they just did.
44
You go. First one I've missed since 2004. Last night I was happy not to have been through the extraordinary pain. But I missed it nonetheless.
GOOD FOR YOU!!
3
Amazing event in wretched conditions. Congratulations to all the runners, and especially those top women's finishers - unknowns!!!! The women in 2nd -6th place all have full-time jobs. Do they even have sponsorship? It's really mind-boggling. There are 300+ NBA millionaires, but here some of the top women runners are full-time nurses or nutritionists and the like. It must have been rough out there in those conditions but it makes for an unforgettable race.
18
Just being a spectator was brutal today. Stopping for gas on the Mass. Pike, I thought there is no way they are going to allow this race to run. Watching from under an overpass at mile 25.5, I don't know how the runners did it. Soaking wet in a cold wind driven rain. The most amazing thing to me was not one runner with blood soaked chest. How did the tape stay on.
7
In this dog-eat-dog world we need to cooperate, not compete.
1
A truly Herculean performance by the runners. However, I’d rather run in those conditions than in temperatures above 78 degrees. The time waiting at the start and the first mile are hellish, but once you start to generate heat the cool temps are welcomed. The main downside to rain is chafing.
13
Linden ran 2:40. In 2012, the temperature reached 80. The winning women's time was 2:31. You ignore the steady headwind. You ignore humidity and a possible tailwind. A steady headwind with rain and cold obviously is more challenging than a dry breezy heat. 9 minutes more challenging to be precise.
5
one day at a time. they decided among themselves who today was the fastest.
I am a big fan of American women's road racing. I have followed Linden since she was a standout at Arizona State. I've seen her a couple of times at the national championships in Eugene and once at Boston. Flanagan, Kastor, Goucher, and Hasay are also all world class. And they regularly outperform the American men. But reading this story, the thing that stands out to me is that Linden ran 2:40, 15 minutes off the typical winning Boston time. Kawauci ran 2:16, about 7 minutes off the typical winning Boston time. In rain and wind and cold, the men substantially outperformed the women. What is usually a gap of 15 minutes was a gap of 24. The women ran pretty miserably -- it's hard to deny. And the men did a lot better toughing it out.
3
14 elite men dropped out of the race while only 9 elite women did.
20
So what? Why make these kinds of comparisons? It’s one race. In scientific research that is called an anecdotal report. It proves nothing.
8
$150,000: Prize money for both the men's and women's winners of the 2018 Boston Marathon. Second place gets $75,000. Some runner's make a business decision and if they aren't going to finish "in the money" they drop out. After all you can only run a limited number of marathons in a year goes the thinking.
Yuki Kawauchi blows that theory out of the water with his 12 marathons in 2017. I'm never going to be a professional runner but I still like the runners who run for the love of sport.
10
Some 10 years back, my sister was working as a math teacher at the high-school I was graduated from. Kawauchi was also working there as a staff. She talked me about Kawauchi occasionally who was already a well-known (as a very independent athlete as mentioned in the article) marathon runner in Japan. Most notably, his main training was his daily commute between his home and work; he ran both ways, 8 miles each, every day.
41
Incredible, absolutely incredible that a runner won a foot race, whatever else they are.
3
Yea!! Happy news!! Brought a smile! Congratulations to all the runners.
15
Incredible win. Incredible results for the American women finishing in top 10!
14
Congratulations to all the runners! This was one of the most miserable spring days I can remember in my 30+ years living here, and watching the runners persevere through the harsh elements was really something. It takes some serious conviction to power through a day like today, and all of Boston is proud of you, no matter where you finished. Well done, all!!
52
Desiree Linden is a joy to watch as a runner. She has an incredible work ethic and always runs her own race, whatever that race may be.
Linden thought she might drop out today and gained energy from staying behind with Flanagan at one point. For as strong of a runner as she is, she has faced her fair share of disappointment and has come back each time with grit and humility. There are a lot more stories behind Desiree Linden’s win today—I hope the Times will tell some of them.
53
That the winner said that today’s conditions were ideal underscores how physically grueling this race is. Never mind the wind and rain!
I run 2-3 miles on a treadmill and run hard! I could never run a marathon and have great respect for anyone who can
24
If you can run 3 miles on a treadmill you can run a marathon with enough time and discipline.
4
Tim Don, the Brit with the broken neck in a halo finished in under 2;50, which was his goal. No, he doesn't still wear the halo.
There are winners and then there are gutsy winners.
Congratulations to all the runners. Good Job.
52
Yeah Boston and yay USA! I used to have a lemonade stand on the route as a kid in the '70's and this weather would have been very bad for business but great for the runners and true fans! Go Desiree!!
25
Congratulations to Desiree and everyone else who participated in the Boston Marathon!
33
I'm always happy for whoever works hard and is rewarded with the win, but I'm thrilled for Desiree, and this comes at such an important time for women in this country!
37
The TV coverage I saw (just one Boston station) was exceptionally mediocre. Besides a lot of inane chatter by the commentators, there was no running clock of elapsed time for men and women shown (don't we have that technology by now?) and very limited cameras. I don't know if they had planned helicopter coverage and had to cancel for low ceilings or not.
7
Agree. Bizarre that such an iconic world event does not merit the fabulous TV coverage that Le Tour de France offers. Sadly many marathons, when televised make us wince at the inane chatter of "commentators". Why not recruit Phil and Paul from Le Tour, truly knowledgeable, entertaining and informative professionals, along with the motorcycle cameras. When there is no rain, superb helicopter images. C'mon Boston, share the experience, do it right. Share the love, joy and pain.
19
Des Linden had proved today that through hardwork and dedication, rain or shine, you can still achieve your dream. All the runners are winners today. Running is the best mental and physical therapy.
17
Congrats to the winners and all finishers. Great job. You inspire all of us (or at least just me).
18
I’ve been listening to the downpour all day with my heart breaking for all of those runners who flew in from all of the world determined not to let the rain stop them. Definitely gives new meaning to “heartbreak hill” when you have to climb it fighting the wind and rain. Several years ago I volunteered at the finish line. It was upper 80s, low 90s, heat stroke was rampant. I watched a runner collapse after finishing, vomit, and then lie down in it. I’m not sure what’s worse in terms of weather. I hope everyone who turned out today considers themselves a champion, whether or not they finished.
39
Almost half a century ago my college roommate and I, new Bostonians, decided that every single runner who finished the Marathon deserved recognition. We brought our heaviest jackets and a few blankets and plunked ourselves down on the curb near Stop&Shop; we stayed until the very last runner came in late at night - limping, staggering, gasping. walking and hanging on for dear life. We yelled, howled, whooped, clapped and cried for those majestic beings who passed us. We were enthralled - and so proud - to see a few women who had sneaked in (this was pre-1972); we saw a guy named Johnny Kelley who had been running in the Marathon since the 1930s. We were hoarse afterward for days, but we felt we had won one for democratic (small-d) principles: Anybody who does something that's a Big Deal should have someone there to cheer. Congratulations again to every runner today.
244
Thank you, Olenska --wonderful commentary!
8
Come on - the article doesn't even say what Desiree Linden's winning time was!
9
I see a line in the article that says ". . . and Linden won in 2 hours 39 minutes 53 seconds." Am I missing something?
5
"Linden won in 2 hours 39 minutes 53 seconds." It pays to read the whole story before bleating forth an opinion. So in case you missed it, let me repeat, Linden won in 2 hours 39 minutes 53 seconds."
16
2 hours 39 minutes 53 seconds
1
They ran. Baseball and golf would have postponed...
Ave
52
Red Sox were postponed. They are still running too.
11
This was the craziest major marathon I have ever watched. The top 10 women were a bunch of unknown non-elites. When the 2nd place woman finished the announcers didn't even know who she was.
24
Um. I think Desi Linden would count as an elite runner.
26
Non-elites huh?
Give it a rest.
They would walk all over you and your team on any old off-day.
You really know how to hurt a woman here in 2018 pal.
Africans froze in the cold and rain.
8
non-elite = amateur status. That's all it means in context. As to whether the top 10 females were or were not amateurs, I do not know, but I find it unlikely since they continue to drop the qualifier times.
4
That's so cool. Even more impressive to me as a petite woman that someone her size is so athletic.
14
Sorry, long work day. What I mean to say is: a person’s (woman’s) size doesn’t determine athletic ability. Petite women can be athletic too.
1
As a “petite” post-collegiate D1 runner, I find your comment to be kind of ignorant. Many athletes, especially long-distance runners, fall on the petite side. This includes some of my favorites: Deena Kastor, 5’4”. Abbey D’Agostino, 5’3”. Jordan Hasay, 5’4”. Emily Infeld, 5’4”. (I myself am 5’1”.) A runner’s size in no way determines strength. Petite women can be strong too.
1
The temperature hovered at 38 degrees.
A 10 mph (or more) headwind blew in the faces of the runners.
These were the coldest temperatures in 30 years.
And along comes Desiree Linden, the first American woman to win this race in 33 years. A sincere congrats Ms. Linden! I am in awe of every Boston marathon runner today and am in pain just thinking about what they faced and what their bodies endured. Dang! You runners rock!!!
105
Congratulations to the winners of the Boston Marathon, Ms. Linden and Mr. Kawauchi, and all who finished today's race.
38
Love seeing this bright spot of news on an otherwise very dark day.
38
Amazing race, both men’s and women’s races had leaders who looked like they had the win sewed up, only to have thrilling catches in the final kilometers.
As bad as even the weather -was the announcers. Repeatedly they made jokes about and butchered the name Kawauchi. They suggested he was a hobby jogger in way over his head. Others elites’ surges were tactical, but his surges seemed foolish.
In the final few km they must’ve finally had an assistant check who he was - a prolific marathon winner who enters a marathon every month on average.
73
Only the most dedicated athletes can do this--horrible weather and all. Guts and will. Training and pain. Metaphors for overcoming challenges in life. Congratulations to EVERYONE who participated...
55
Everybody has a right to do what they want but for me marathon running is overkill.
The biggest winners in the long run are medical specialists who treat all sorts of debilitating injures that come out of being a marathon runner, gym rat etc.
All my fellow friends who were more extreme sports addicts when I was growing up with them are now in various stages of being crippled.
Me, moderate exercise, stretching, walking all my life. I am age 70 now and have none of the problems these friends have now.
16
To each their own. I have been running for 42 years at age 55, with no major health problems or injuries attributable to running. I've run 8 marathons over the years, starting in the early 80's to my most recent last fall (where a 74 year old friend beat me by over an hour). My dad ran into his late 70's until Parkinson's took its toll, my college coach is still running in his mid-eighties. An awful lot of friends and acquaintances my age have incurred injuries falling on stairs, slipping on ice or tripping over their dogs rather than during their workouts or sports participation!
54
and none of the thrill and experience too
16
You are the exception to the rule LW. You are also using the old bait and switch tactic. Most seniors run into slipping, falling incidents when they get very old.
Only gym rats and marathon type runners become cripples by and large.
The best advice a doctor ever gave me when I was in my 40s was to forgo marathon running (or for that matter any running) or any extreme sport in exchange for walking, stretching and mild exercise along with weight control.
4
All of the runners today are winners. I can barely fathom anyone wanting to run 26 miles in the mess that was this morning. Congratulations to everyone!
147
I appreciated that this fantastic event was covered on network TV but really a shame that we saw none of the drama of how the 2nd and 3rd place finishers (women) and 3rd place finisher (men) got to the podium with what must have been amazing late surges. We saw maybe 3 seconds of each of those runners as they crossed the finish line, meanwhile we spent 95% of the women's race watching two runners who didn't end up close to the podium. In future, please - more coverage deeper in the elite pack of runners!
113
Absolutely right. We really want to watch the top 10 come in. Simulcast with the winner would be fine.
32
Yes, just awful commentating and coverage. The announcers didn't seem to know that Rupp had dropped out while everyone on-line was talking about it. And Chesir must have DNFed as well but that was never mentioned.
They must have counted Linden out several times. Too bad this article failed to mention how Desi slowed down to wait for Shalene after her 'pit stop' and bring her back to the field. Desi should get a sportsmanship award for that. I've never seen an elite do that.
40
Read it again. 4th paragraph.
5
Two very deserving winners. The Boston Marathon can really humble the best of marathoners. Today was one of those days. One suspects there will hundreds of finishers with hypothermia & perhaps thousands who had to drop out. One can understand why for many years all finishers got a bowl of hot beef stew right after the race.
60
What? No Boston Baked Beans?
1
Best marathon in years, being won by two of the coolest marathoners. Our local runner, American Shadrack Biwott, was 3rd for the men. Super happy for him, although I know he wanted to win!
77
fantastic! xxc
19
I've lived in the greater Boston area for 43 years and these were the worst weather conditions for the marathoners that I can ever recall. Congratulations to Des Linden who ran a superb race in these awful conditions. The temps on Feb. 27 and 28 were in the mid to upper 70s, but since Mar. 1 we've averaged about 9 degrees below normal per day with four significant Nor'easters and a "bit" milder one today. The cold temps and rain were bad enough, but a Nor'easter comes with a persistent East wind that the runners must run into for most of the race. But we've had it as warm as 95 degrees in 1976 and in the 30s at the start of today's race. Every runner out there was forced to endure terrible conditions today.
108
Check the temperature on the 2012 marathon. It got up to 98 - 99 degrees. I remember, since my son ran it.
3
1976 was the highest temperature 95 degrees at the start 63 at the finish. The race started at noon. Warmest time of the day.
1