Kenya’s Evans Chebet pulled away from compatriot Benson Kipruto with less than two kilometres to successfully defend his Boston Marathon title in the America city on Monday.
Chebet, the 2022 New York City Marathon champion, cruised home in two hours, five minutes and 54 seconds for his third World Marathon Majors Series victory.
Chebet edged out Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay to second place in 2:06:04 as Kipruto settled third in 2:06:06.
World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge failed to sustain the heat and finished sixth in 2:09:23.
The pack was behind the course record by 16 seconds as they cruised past 10km in 28:52 before Kipchoge guided the pack off 11 through 20km in 59:01 and halfway in 1:02:19.
But the pack was whittled down to seven men after 25km in 1:14:04 with Kipchoge tacked behind Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay with defending champion Evans Chebet, John Korir, Andualem Belay, Benson Kipruto and Albert Korir right intact.
Kipchoge, Geay and Belay went through 30km in 1:29:23 with four other athletes tacked behind but that is when Kichoge started to drift away from the pack.
Kipruto, Korir, Geay, Chebet and Belay moved to the front before Kipruto and Chebet pulled away dragging along the pack to go through 35km in 1:44:19 with Geay right behind them.
The race was now reduced to a thrilling three-horse race with Kipruto, Chebet and Geay teasing each other as Kipchoge dropped to eight place, passing through 35km with one minute and 13 seconds behind.
Then Kipruto, who was in the lead, wilted to fall four seconds behind as Geay and Chebet battled at the front. Kipruto would rejoin Geay and Chebet at the front to go past 38km in 1:55:03.
Then Kipruto would pull away from Chebet to go through 40km in 1:59:14 only for the defending champion to tuin on the screws to win.
