More Coverage Links:
Coverage Homepage
Post Race:
Men's Race and Commentary
Women's Race and Commentary
Complete Searchable Results
Race Day: As It Happens - Live Coverage (the real-time notes/mile-by-mile)
Pre-Race:
Race Preview & Starter Lists |
Elite Athlete Past Matchups |
Prize Money
Weekend Experience:
Pace Calculator/Spectator Guide |
Course Experience As a Runner
Extras:
Athlete/Course Videos |
Boston Marathon Books
More News: Press Releases |
News
The 120th Running of the Boston Marathon (2016) - As It Happens
Refresh this page every few minutes to see the latest updates. We'll have all of the updates for all races on this one page - trying to make it as easy as possible for our readers to see what's happening.
Note, as you read these reports, they will appear in reverse chronological order. Newest updates will be at the top of each section.
The Coverage (below): Men's Race | Women's Race
Overview
Each year there is a story. The 2012 race was highlighted by tailwinds that pushed the men to run fastest times ever recorded in running. In 2013, of course, the race story was overwhelmed by the terrible bombing at the finish line. In 2014, the race story was of Meb Keflezighi becoming the first American to win in 30 years. In 2015, many Americans were in attendance as a test of their training before the Oympic year. For 2016, the race will have no Americans in contention, but will have a stronger Ethiopian contingent than usual - and although there is no official criteria, we expect the Ethiopian Olympic team selection will be heavily affected by the runners' performances at Boston.
At the start, the official temperature is 55 degrees with a slight headwind... Over 30,000 runners are registered - the third largest field in race history - but here we will cover only about 50 in the men's and women's elite fields.
Men's Race back to top
Lemi Hayle wins the Boston Marathon in 2:12:45. Two-time and defending champion Lelisa Desisa takes second place in 2:13:32. Yemane Tsegay outruns Korir to take third in 2:14:02 while Korir settles for fourth place in 2:14:05.
One mile remaining. Lemi Hayle has run away from Desisa... He will power through to the win. Desisa will settle for second place and has a cushion of nearly 50 seconds on the man who will be third. Two men are together and will battle for thid place: Wesley Korir and Yemane Tsegay.
Mile 22 (1:51:42), 40K (2:05:59). The race remains a two-man contest with Lemi Hayle and Lelisa Desisa running together.
30K (1:34:17), Mile 19 (1:36:02). Desisa and Hayle are thirty seconds ahead of the next runners. It should be these two in the top and runner-up spots - but what order? Behind them are Stephen Chebogut, Wesley Korir, Yemane Tsegay and Paul Lonyangata.
Mile 18 (1:30:59). The pace is accelerating, even as the men are starting to move up some hills.
Desisa and Lemi have put down a 4:46 mile and are moving away from all of the other men.
Mile 14 (1:11:22), 25K (1:19:15). Lelisa Desisa is pushing the pace and only Hayle Lemi is staying with him.
Mile 12 (1:00:57), Mile 13 (1:06:11), Halfway (1:06:48). The pace remains slow and seventeen men still remain in the lead pack.
Mile 10 (50:47), Mile 11 (55:55), 20K (1:03:16). The pace remains slow - on target for a 2:13:17 finish. The men are saving themselves for a faster second half...
15K (0:47:10). Still nineteen in the lead.
10K (0:31:23). Nineteen men in the lead pack, led by Deribe Robi. In the pack: Deribe Robi (ETH), Lemi Berhanu Hayle (ETH), Getu Feleke (ETH), Yemane Adhane Tsegay (ETH), Jackson Kiprop (UGA), Wilson Chebet (KEN), Tsegaye Mekonnen (ETH), Solonei Da Silva (BRA), Jordan Chipangama (ZAM), Wesley Korir (KEN), Paul Lonyangata (KEN), Sammy Kitwara (KEN), Lelisa Desisa (ETH), Michael Kipyego (KEN), Stephen Chebogut (KEN), Girma Mecheso (USA), Cutbert Nyasango (ZIM), Abdi Nageeye (NED), Norio Kamijo (JPN), Alvaro Sanabria (CRC).
Mile 3 (14:57), Mile 4 (20:02), Mile 5 (25:11). The pack has caught back up to Igarashi - the pace is neither fast nor slow, toward a 2:12 pace; the pace will pick up later.
Mile 2 (9:55). Shingo Igarashi has run away from the pack and is 15 seconds ahead of any others - but none of the other runners are worried about this man with a personal best of 2:13:14.
Mile 1 (4:52). Wesley Korir is leading a pack of about 19 men.
The men's race has begun.
The Men's race will begin at 10:00AM EDT. Stay tuned.
Women's Race back to top
Finish (2:29:18). Atsede Baysa - amazingly - has come from 40 seconds back in the race to run away with the win in 2:29:18. Tirfi Tsegaye finishes second in 2:30:03. Joyce Chepkirui is third in 2:30:50. Neely Spence Gracey finishes as first American in her debut marathon with a 2:35:00 finish.
35K (1:50:24), Mile 22 (1:51:42). Desisa and Hayle continue ahead of all others, but are now only 24 seconds ahead of three others. The pace remains relatively slow.
40K (2:21:49). One mile remaining. Baysa has moved far ahead into the lead - nearly 15 seconds ahead. She will likely win... Tirfi Tsegaye should hold on for second place, she is now more than 20 seconds ahead of Joyce Chepkirui. Chepkirui is slowing, but has a 1-1/2 minute cushion that should allow her to hold onto third place.
Mile 24 (2:16:58). Baysa has passed Chepkirui and is closing on her teammate Tsegaye... Baysa, the two-time Chicago Marathon champion has either worked too hard to catch up or will keep her pace and move away...
Mile 23 (2:11:41). The pace has still been toward a 2:30 marathon, not terribly fast for these women. What is amazing is that a third runner is now moving up into third place and threatens to reach the top two. Atsede Baysa was nearly 40 seconds back at mile 22, but she is now closing.
35K (2:04:29). Kipketer is falling back again. She will be out of contention. Tirfi Tsegaye puts in a strong surge to try to move away from Chepkurui and also gain distance on Kipketer. Oddly Tsegaye keeps turning around to look back - is she hurting and worried?
Mile 21 (2:00:18). The women have slowed as they move toward the end of the Newton Hills. Kipketer, apparently out of the race dug deep and caught the other two women. It is again a race of three women.
Mile 20 (1:54:15). Valentine Kipketer is having trouble up "Heartbreak Hill." It looks like the race will be between Tirfi Tsegaye and Joyce Chepkirui.
Mile 19 (1:48:26). The race is down to three women and at this point all seem to be working hard as they are still in the hills.
Mile 18 (1:42:56), 30K (1:46:33). The women are into the Newton Hills - still four together. The pace is now having the women running toward a time faster than 2:30. Fiomena Daniel is starting to fall back.
25K (1:29:12): Valentine Kipketer is pushing the pace and the pack has split apart. Only four women - Kipketer, Tirfi Tsegaye, Fiomena Daniel and Joyce Chepkirui remain together. We had thought the race would be dominated by Ethiopian runners, but in the lead four are three Kenyans and only one Ethiopian runner...
Halfway (1:15:25), Mile 14 (1:20:15). Eleven women remain together, but they are starting to string out. Valentine Kipketer has taken to the lead. Atsede Baysa is just behind. The full pack: Tirfi Tsegaye (ETH), Valentine Kipketer (KEN), Joyce Chepkirui (KEN), Atsede Baysa (ETH), Amane Beriso (ETH), Mamitu Daska (ETH), Fate Tola (ETH), Buzunesh Deba (ETH), Flomena Cheyech Daniel (KEN), Fatuma Sado (ETH), Tadelech Bekele (ETH)
Mile 12 (1:09:06). 20K (1:15:35). Buzunesh Deba had been setting the pace, but more others are sharing that lead.
Mile 9 (51:59), 15K (53:59), Mile 10 (57:50). Valentine Kipketer has pushed the pace, and the lead pack is down to nine runners. Off the back are Jelena Prokopcuka, the Americans Neely Spence Gracey and Sarah Crouch, and Miharu Shimokado.
Mile 7 (46:22), Mile 8 (46:22). The pace for the women is still relatively slow.
Mile 6 (35:05), 10K (36:21). The women are continuing on pace toward a 2:33 finish. We have reports that the defending champion Caroline Rotich started to walk shortly after the 5 mile mark.
Mile 4 (23:23), Mile 5 (29:17). Neely Spence Gracey is leading the pace in her debut marathon. We know her pre-race plan was not to go with the lead pack, but at this pace it is relatively slow: on track for a 2:33 marathon finish.
5K (18:22) - The women are on pace toward a 2:35 marathon, that is quite slow and is also slow for what we have often seen on this course at this stage. Because the pace is slow, nineteen women remain in a pack... some legitimate competitors, some just able to maintain this pace and enjoying the company. The lead pack consists of these women: Nuta Olaru (USA), Mamitu Daska (ETH), Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT), Buzunesh Deba (ETH), Neely Spence Gracey (USA), Valentine Kipketer (KEN), Caroline Rotich (KEN), Joyce Chepkirui (KEN), Miharu Shimokado (JPN), Tiki Gelana (ETH), Sarah Crouch (USA), Fate Tola (ETH), Tirfi Tsegaye (ETH), Flomena Cheyech Daniel (KEN), Atsede Baysa (ETH), Amane Beriso (ETH), Tadelech Bekele (ETH), Fatuma Sado (ETH)
Mile 1 (6:05), Mile 2 (11:52) - about nineteen women together running at quite a slow pace... Prokopcuka continues to be at the lead - as one of the oldest in the field we don't expect her to end at the top three, but no other women want to take leadership.
The women have started. It's a large field and the pace looks easy... About 36 women have started earlier than the rest of the runners and all are together as the race starts downhill. Jelena Prokopcuka is running at the front (slow) with Buzunesh Deba immediately behind. No one is ready to push the pace.
The Women's race will begin at 9:32AM EDT. Stay tuned.
More Boston News:
More Coverage Links:
Coverage Homepage
Post Race:
Men's Race and Commentary
Women's Race and Commentary
Complete Searchable Results
Race Day: As It Happens - Live Coverage (the real-time notes/mile-by-mile)
Pre-Race:
Race Preview & Starter Lists |
Elite Athlete Past Matchups |
Prize Money
Weekend Experience:
Pace Calculator/Spectator Guide |
Course Experience As a Runner
Extras:
Athlete/Course Videos |
Boston Marathon Books
More News: Press Releases |
News
| 
