Kenyan Edges US Runner by Seconds in Boston Marathon

Two Kenyans triumphed in the Boston Marathon on Monday. Geoffrey Kirui won on the men's side and Edna Kiplagat, a police officer in Kenya, on the women's, reports the AP. For Kirui, it was his first marathon victory ever. He outran Galen Rupp of the US to win the 121st running of the race in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 36 seconds. Kirui took seventh in last year's Amsterdam Marathon and third at Rotterdam. Rupp, a three-time Olympian making his Boston debut, was 21 seconds behind and Japan's Suguru Osako was another 30 seconds back. Americans had six of the top 10 finishers in the men's race and two of the top four women.

Kiplagat, meanwhile, won in her Boston Marathon debut. She opened up a big lead heading into the Newton hills, then cruised to victory in an unofficial time of 2:21:53. Though it's the first time the two-time world champion has raced in Boston, she has previously won in London, New York City, and Los Angeles. Rose Chelimo of Bahrain was second, 59 seconds behind, and American Jordan Hasay was third in her marathon debut. Desi Linden, who was second in Boston by 2 seconds in 2011, finished fourth—the first time since 1991 that two US women have finished in the top four. (More Boston Marathon stories.)