I mean, how often in a major race like Boston does a lifetime follower of the sport (MOI!) need to google 4 of the first 7 finishers just to find out WHO they are?!
Mosttimes, I've at least HEARD of a runner--have seen their name in results--even if not in the "elite" category!!
But today?
In Boston?
Seventh placer Kimi Reed!
Turns out she's run the Marathon in 2:38:19--decent but not quite a time this blog is interested in!
She's 30 years old.
Her time was 2:46:47.
She finished 27 seconds AHEAD of Edna Kiplagat, simply one of the WORLD's All-Time best!!
Skip to 5th placer Nicole DiMercurio!
Name rang no bells--not even a light tap on the door of my brain!!
Yet she ran track at Georgia, graduating in 2014!
Her time was 2:45:52, and she ended 39 seconds ahead of pre-race favorite Shalane Flanagan!!
Turns out she's run the Marathon in 2:38:19--decent but not quite a time this blog is interested in!
She's 30 years old.
Her time was 2:46:47.
She finished 27 seconds AHEAD of Edna Kiplagat, simply one of the WORLD's All-Time best!!
Skip to 5th placer Nicole DiMercurio!
Name rang no bells--not even a light tap on the door of my brain!!
Yet she ran track at Georgia, graduating in 2014!
Her time was 2:45:52, and she ended 39 seconds ahead of pre-race favorite Shalane Flanagan!!
How about Rachel Hyland, who ended just off the podium, in 4th??
She's 31, and has a Marathon PR of 2:41:26!
Her time was 2:44:29.
While not a stranger, most didn't expect 41 year old Canadian Krista Duchene--a few years past her 2:28 & change prime--to take the Bronze--time of 2:44:20!
But when a Woman named Sarah Sellers takes SECOND--well, you KNOW that THIS Boston is stranger than most!!
She's married now, but her name at Weber State was Sarah Callister--still unknown to me, despite her having a 32:50 PR for a track 10000!!
She's a full time nurse, and is about 27!
Her time was 2:44:29.
While not a stranger, most didn't expect 41 year old Canadian Krista Duchene--a few years past her 2:28 & change prime--to take the Bronze--time of 2:44:20!
But when a Woman named Sarah Sellers takes SECOND--well, you KNOW that THIS Boston is stranger than most!!
She's married now, but her name at Weber State was Sarah Callister--still unknown to me, despite her having a 32:50 PR for a track 10000!!
She's a full time nurse, and is about 27!
Before getting to my actual race report, let's look at the Men a bit!
I mean, SIX of the first 10 were Americans--and NONE of them was Galen Rupp!!
Daniel Vassalo (??) in 10th--Elkanah Kibet 8th, Scott Smith 6th!
Then you had Andy Bumbalough in 5th, Tyler Pennel in 4th, and Shadrack Biwott in 3rd!!
At least I KNOW those last 3 guys---and Kibet!!
And the WINNERS!!
Look, here's a bit of how it went down.
Japanese career-Marathoner (He's done over 80 of them--about 10 per year!!) Yuki Kawauchi WON the Men's race in 2:15:58.
But his first mile was a 4:37!
Sure, it was downhill, but in this worst-ever weather, you just don't open your race at VERY close to 2:01 flat pace!!
The pace fell back to "normal"--4:50's to 5:10's--but even that kind of speed was unexpected in this kind of weather--with 20-30 MPH winds AGAINST you, and raining!!
After a bit of group running, Geoff Kirui took over, opening a sizable gap past the half, and toward the 25K mark!
Then Kawauchi--with an exaggerated arm-swing not often seen after High School among elites--took over, opening an ever-widening gap!
He wasn't really moving that fast--after all, they'd passed the Half in 1:05:59--so his second half was close to 70 minutes!!
But no one gave serious chase!
And where was Rupp, promoted by "everyone" as the "winner" for weeks before race day??
Dressed like a bandit (The Let's Run crowd sort of said as much--as he wore layers--and had his face mostly covered--like a Midnight Burglar!!), he fell back early, and never rallied!
Look, here's a bit of how it went down.
Japanese career-Marathoner (He's done over 80 of them--about 10 per year!!) Yuki Kawauchi WON the Men's race in 2:15:58.
But his first mile was a 4:37!
Sure, it was downhill, but in this worst-ever weather, you just don't open your race at VERY close to 2:01 flat pace!!
The pace fell back to "normal"--4:50's to 5:10's--but even that kind of speed was unexpected in this kind of weather--with 20-30 MPH winds AGAINST you, and raining!!
After a bit of group running, Geoff Kirui took over, opening a sizable gap past the half, and toward the 25K mark!
Then Kawauchi--with an exaggerated arm-swing not often seen after High School among elites--took over, opening an ever-widening gap!
He wasn't really moving that fast--after all, they'd passed the Half in 1:05:59--so his second half was close to 70 minutes!!
But no one gave serious chase!
And where was Rupp, promoted by "everyone" as the "winner" for weeks before race day??
Dressed like a bandit (The Let's Run crowd sort of said as much--as he wore layers--and had his face mostly covered--like a Midnight Burglar!!), he fell back early, and never rallied!
He DNF'ed around Mile 18!!
And, as is normal with the NOP Gang, he refused to talk to the media afterward!!
Kawauchi's initial reaction??
Remember Karsten Warholm's open-mouthed "The Scream" after taking the 400H in the 2017 WC??
Take Two--and add the idea that he didn't even know he'd won until people said he did!!
Geoff Kirui was 2nd--2:25 behind, and 12 seconds ahead of Biwott!
Pennel ended in 2:18:57, while Bumbalough timed 2:19:52!
The Women's race was a bit more predictable--in the early going!
A large group--10 or 12--held together through SLOW opening miles!!
(No 4:37's here!!)
This group included the main Americans--Shalane Flanagan, Molly Huddle, and Des Linden!
Jordan Hasay had withdrawn a day before, citing a plantar fascia tightness!
And, as is normal with the NOP Gang, he refused to talk to the media afterward!!
Kawauchi's initial reaction??
Remember Karsten Warholm's open-mouthed "The Scream" after taking the 400H in the 2017 WC??
Take Two--and add the idea that he didn't even know he'd won until people said he did!!
Geoff Kirui was 2nd--2:25 behind, and 12 seconds ahead of Biwott!
Pennel ended in 2:18:57, while Bumbalough timed 2:19:52!
The Women's race was a bit more predictable--in the early going!
A large group--10 or 12--held together through SLOW opening miles!!
(No 4:37's here!!)
This group included the main Americans--Shalane Flanagan, Molly Huddle, and Des Linden!
Jordan Hasay had withdrawn a day before, citing a plantar fascia tightness!
After a few miles, Mamitu Daska took the reins, opening a 30 meter gap!
Around Mile 11, Flanagan, running alongside Linden back of the leaders, suddenly veered right, heading directly into one of a line of Port-a-Potty's on a side street!
She wasn't there long--some said just 10 seconds!!--and when she hooked back onto the course, there was Linden--waiting for her!!
(In an interview afterward, Linden said she wasn't feeling good at that point, and was considering a DNF, so felt helping Shalane was more important than maintaining contact with the Africans and other leaders!!)
Around Mile 11, Flanagan, running alongside Linden back of the leaders, suddenly veered right, heading directly into one of a line of Port-a-Potty's on a side street!
She wasn't there long--some said just 10 seconds!!--and when she hooked back onto the course, there was Linden--waiting for her!!
(In an interview afterward, Linden said she wasn't feeling good at that point, and was considering a DNF, so felt helping Shalane was more important than maintaining contact with the Africans and other leaders!!)
Shades of Shalane and Amy Cragg in the OT's in '16--or Nikki Hamblin and Abbey D'Agostino in the Rio 5000 heats!!
The Half was passed in 1:19:48!
While the "expert" announcers were saying they were heading to a 2:34 finish, the weather, and the fact the Newton Hills were still ahead of them--that split told me a sub-2:40 was probable, but not certain!!
With Daska now at least 100 meters in front, Gladys Chesire tried to close the gap, with Linden close!
Flanagan had fallen back--or STAYED back!!--while Huddle just disappeared!!
(She ended in 13th place, and said she was headed for an emergency root canal soon!! OUCH!!)
The cameras focused on Daska, and you could see her losing her fighting spirit!
Slowing, Chesire and Linden started closing the space between them--now down to a doable 30 meters!
While the "expert" announcers were saying they were heading to a 2:34 finish, the weather, and the fact the Newton Hills were still ahead of them--that split told me a sub-2:40 was probable, but not certain!!
With Daska now at least 100 meters in front, Gladys Chesire tried to close the gap, with Linden close!
Flanagan had fallen back--or STAYED back!!--while Huddle just disappeared!!
(She ended in 13th place, and said she was headed for an emergency root canal soon!! OUCH!!)
The cameras focused on Daska, and you could see her losing her fighting spirit!
Slowing, Chesire and Linden started closing the space between them--now down to a doable 30 meters!
When they passed her, Desiree took over!
And in the next minute, she'd opened that same 30 meter gap--with Daska fading fast!
(Not sure if she DNF'ed, but she didn't finish in the Top Ten!!)
Around 23 miles, it became Shalane Flanagan in NYC in 2017 deja vu time!!
Clear of Chesire--and everyone else--Des headed toward Boylston Street all alone--the crowds growing larger and noisier!!
While not matching Flanagan's closing low-5's over those Central Park miles, Linden finished in miles timed around 6:20--more than enough for a 4:11 winning margin over--Sarah Sellers!!
As with Shalane in NYC, and Meb in Boston a few years ago--I was in tears watching Linden race toward the tape--No "F--K Yeah's"--but raised arms and a beatific beautiful smile--and the waiting arms of her happy and proud husband!!
The First American Woman winner since 1985--the first Japanese Male winner in quite a while--and a super popular one at that!!
No Record Book times, but a race so dramatic and thrilling--and STRANGE!!
Add the happy note that Tatyana McFadden won the Wheelchair division again--one year after major surgery for blood clots!!
(Not sure if she DNF'ed, but she didn't finish in the Top Ten!!)
Around 23 miles, it became Shalane Flanagan in NYC in 2017 deja vu time!!
Clear of Chesire--and everyone else--Des headed toward Boylston Street all alone--the crowds growing larger and noisier!!
While not matching Flanagan's closing low-5's over those Central Park miles, Linden finished in miles timed around 6:20--more than enough for a 4:11 winning margin over--Sarah Sellers!!
As with Shalane in NYC, and Meb in Boston a few years ago--I was in tears watching Linden race toward the tape--No "F--K Yeah's"--but raised arms and a beatific beautiful smile--and the waiting arms of her happy and proud husband!!
The First American Woman winner since 1985--the first Japanese Male winner in quite a while--and a super popular one at that!!
No Record Book times, but a race so dramatic and thrilling--and STRANGE!!
Add the happy note that Tatyana McFadden won the Wheelchair division again--one year after major surgery for blood clots!!
See you soon with T&F results from the weekend!!
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