Kenyan Korir successfully defends Boston Marathon title; Canadian Linkletter posts the best personal time
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Defending champion John Korir broke the Boston Marathon course record on Monday, riding the tide to get through the toughest stretch in the event’s 130-year history and win in two hours, one minute, 42 seconds, the fifth-fastest marathon ever.
Rory Linkletter continues to close out the Canadian men’s record after setting a personal best time on a sunny and cool morning.
According to the national record over 25 km, the Calgary-born runner came out at the 32 km mark. However, Linkletter battled his way to 42.2 km in two hours six minutes four seconds, 45 seconds faster than his previous Chicago run on October 12.
Linkletter was 14th in his 15th race after finishing sixth last year in 2:07:02.
Cam Levins of Black Creek, BC, held the Canadian record of 2:05:36 from March 2023 when he also set the North American mark in Tokyo when American Conner Mantz of the United States dropped 2:04:43 last fall in Chicago.
Boston’s performance last year was redemption for Linkletter after a “bad” performance there in 2021 led to a 33rd-place finish after the Flagstaff, Ariz., resident was in the lead midway through the race.
Three months ago, Linkletter finished the Houston Half Marathon in 59 minutes 49 seconds, Canada’s first under one hour, and beat record holder Levins by 69 seconds.
Linkletter also ran a half marathon in Mesa, Ariz. (1:02:14), and New York City (1:00:00) during his Boston Marathon.
On May 24, the 29-year-old is scheduled to headline the Ottawa Marathon.
Linkletter was a late entry in last year’s race, finishing second in 2:08:31. Suspended Albert Korir posted a winning time of 2:08:22. Ben Preisner of Milton, Ont., was another top Canadian male athlete on Monday and ran his first marathon, finishing 33rd in 2:12:00.
Korir leaves before Heartbreak Hill
The Vancouver resident is the third fastest male runner in Canada (2:08:58 PB). He made his debut in the event in 2020 after running in the steeplechase, 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Preisner, 30, ran his third marathon at the World Athletics Championships last September in Tokyo, finishing 36th.
Meanwhile, a year after joining his brother Wesley, the 2012 champion, as the only relatives to win the race, John Korir broke away from the pack heading into Heartbreak Hill in Newton and opened up a 40-second lead.
He peeked behind him as he passed Kenmore Square with a mile to go, tongue sticking out and arms outstretched as he sprinted down Boylston Street beating the previous course record of 2:03:02 set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011 by 70 seconds.
Kelvin Kiptum holds the marathon world record, 2:00:35 on the Chicago course in 2023. Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania, 55 seconds back, and 2021 champion Benson Kipruto, another three seconds behind him, were also fast enough to better Boston’s previous record.
Lokedi, who broke the women’s course record last year by more than 2 1/2 minutes, was the frontrunner going into Newton Hills and then again in the open.
On a day that started below 5 C but warmed to 7 C at first, Lokedi took off his gloves as he passed Coolidge Corner in Brookline and smiled down Boylston Street.
Loice Chemnung finished second, 44 seconds behind, followed by Mary Ngugi-Cooper in third place.
