Boston Marathon
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- Key People:
- Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot
- Notable Honorees:
- Joan Benoit Samuelson
Recent News
Boston Marathon, footrace from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, U.S., to the Back Bay section of Boston, a distance of 42,195 metres (26 miles 385 yards). The world’s oldest annual marathon, it was held first in 1897 and annually thereafter on Patriots’ Day (originally April 19; from 1969 the third Monday in April), which commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775) in the American Revolutionary War. The Boston Marathon is one of the world’s six major marathons, along with the New York City, Chicago, Berlin, London, and Tokyo marathons. It is sponsored by the Boston Athletic Association. Runners (some 20,000 in the early 21st century, as opposed to about 200 in 1960) come from all over the world to participate.
The marathon’s first winner was John J. McDermott, who completed the 24.5-mile (39.4-km) race in less than three hours. The race length was increased to its current distance in 1927. In 1966 Roberta Gibb became the first woman to complete the race, though she ran without an official number. In 1967 Kathy Switzer, who had given her name as K.V. Switzer on the race application, was issued an official number and completed the marathon, although the race director tried to have her removed from the course. In 1972 the Boston Marathon became the first marathon race officially to admit women runners. Three years later it became the first major marathon to hold a wheelchair race.
![Rich Harden no. 40 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers. July 31, 2008 at Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Cubs defeated the Brewers 11-4. Major League Baseball (MLB).](https://cdn.britannica.com/03/125703-131-EA5B0A7E/Rich-Harden-Chicago-Cubs-Milwaukee-Brewers-Miller-July-31-2008.jpg)
In 2013 two bombs exploded near the finish line of the marathon approximately five hours after the race started, resulting in three deaths and more than 260 injured spectators and participants. The subsequent search for the suspects in the terrorist bombing led to a deadly shoot-out and a manhunt that shut down the Greater Boston area for a day.
Winners of the Boston Marathon are provided in the table.
year | men* | hr:min:sec |
---|---|---|
*Won by a U.S. runner except as indicated. | ||
1897 | John J. McDermott | 2:55:10 |
1898 | Ronald J. MacDonald (Can.) | 2:42:00 |
1899 | Lawrence J. Brignolia | 2:54:38 |
1900 | John J. Caffery (Can.) | 2:39:44 |
1901 | John J. Caffery (Can.) | 2:29:23 |
1902 | Sammy Mellor | 2:43:12 |
1903 | John Lorden | 2:41:29 |
1904 | Michael Spring | 2:38:04 |
1905 | Frederick Lorz | 2:38:25 |
1906 | Tim Ford | 2:45:45 |
1907 | Tim Longboat (Can.) | 2:24:24 |
1908 | Thomas Morrissey | 2:25:43 |
1909 | Henri Renaud | 2:53:36 |
1910 | Fred Cameron (Can.) | 2:28:52 |
1911 | Clarence DeMar | 2:21:39 |
1912 | Michael Ryan | 2:21:18 |
1913 | Fritz Carlson | 2:25:14 |
1914 | James Duffy (Can.) | 2:25:01 |
1915 | Edouard Fabre (Can.) | 2:31:41 |
1916 | Arthur Roth | 2:27:16 |
1917 | Bill Kennedy | 2:28:37 |
1918 | not held | |
1919 | Carl Linder | 2:29:13 |
1920 | Peter Trivoulides | 2:29:31 |
1921 | Frank Zuna | 2:18:57 |
1922 | Clarence DeMar | 2:18:10 |
1923 | Clarence DeMar | 2:23:47 |
1924 | Clarence DeMar | 2:29:40 |
1925 | Charles Mellor | 2:33:00 |
1926 | John C. Miles (Can.) | 2:25:40 |
1927 | Clarence DeMar | 2:40:22 |
1928 | Clarence DeMar | 2:37:07 |
1929 | John C. Miles (Can.) | 2:33:08 |
1930 | Clarence DeMar | 2:34:48 |
1931 | James P. Hennigan | 2:46:45 |
1932 | Paul DeBruyn (Ger.) | 2:33:36 |
1933 | Leslie S. Pawson | 2:31:01 |
1934 | Dave Komonen (Can.) | 2:32:53 |
1935 | John A. Kelley | 2:32:07 |
1936 | Ellison M. Brown | 2:33:40 |
1937 | Walter Young (Can.) | 2:33:20 |
1938 | Leslie S. Pawson | 2:35:34 |
1939 | Ellison M. Brown | 2:28:51 |
1940 | Gerard Côté (Can.) | 2:28:28 |
1941 | Leslie S. Pawson | 2:30:38 |
1942 | Joe Smith | 2:26:51 |
1943 | Gerard Côté (Can.) | 2:28:25 |
1944 | Gerard Côté (Can.) | 2:31:50 |
1945 | John A. Kelley | 2:30:40 |
1946 | Stylianos Kyriakides (Greece) | 2:29:27 |
1947 | Suh Yun-Bok (Korea) | 2:25:39 |
1948 | Gerard Côté (Can.) | 2:31:02 |
1949 | Karl Leandersson (Swed.) | 2:31:50 |
1950 | Ham Kee-Yong (S.Kor.) | 2:32:39 |
1951 | Shigeki Tanaka (Japan) | 2:27:45 |
1952 | Doroteo Flores (Guat.) | 2:31:53 |
1953 | Keizo Yamada (Japan) | 2:18:51 |
1954 | Veikko L. Karvonen (Fin.) | 2:20:39 |
1955 | Hideo Hamamura (Japan) | 2:18:22 |
1956 | Antti Viskari (Fin.) | 2:14:14 |
1957 | John J. Kelley | 2:20:05 |
1958 | Franjo Mihalic (Yugos.) | 2:25:54 |
1959 | Eino Oksanen (Fin.) | 2:22:42 |
1960 | Paavo Kotila (Fin.) | 2:20:54 |
1961 | Eino Oksanen (Fin.) | 2:23:39 |
1962 | Eino Oksanen (Fin.) | 2:23:48 |
1963 | Aurele Vandendriessche (Belg.) | 2:18:58 |
1964 | Aurele Vandendriessche (Belg.) | 2:19:59 |
1965 | Morio Shigematsu (Japan) | 2:16:33 |
1966 | Kenji Kimihara (Japan) | 2:17:11 |
1967 | David McKenzie (N.Z.) | 2:15:45 |
1968 | Amby Burfoot | 2:22:17 |
1969 | Yoshiaki Unetani (Japan) | 2:13:49 |
1970 | Ron Hill (U.K.) | 2:10:30 |
1971 | Alvaro Mejía (Colom.) | 2:18:45 |
1972 | Olavi Suomalainen (Fin.) | 2:15:39 |
1973 | Jon Anderson | 2:16:03 |
1974 | Neil Cusack (Ire.) | 2:13:39 |
1975 | Bill Rodgers | 2:09:55 |
1976 | Jack Fultz | 2:20:19 |
1977 | Jerome Drayton (Can.) | 2:14:46 |
1978 | Bill Rodgers | 2:10:13 |
1979 | Bill Rodgers | 2:09:27 |
1980 | Bill Rodgers | 2:12:11 |
1981 | Toshihiko Seko (Japan) | 2:09:26 |
1982 | Alberto Salazar | 2:08:52 |
1983 | Greg Meyer | 2:09:00 |
1984 | Geoff Smith (U.K.) | 2:10:34 |
1985 | Geoff Smith (U.K.) | 2:14:05 |
1986 | Robert de Castella (Austl.) | 2:07:51 |
1987 | Toshihiko Seko (Japan) | 2:11:50 |
1988 | Ibrahim Hussein (Kenya) | 2:08:43 |
1989 | Abebe Mekonnen (Eth.) | 2:09:06 |
1990 | Gelindo Bordin (Italy) | 2:08:19 |
1991 | Ibrahim Hussein (Kenya) | 2:11:06 |
1992 | Ibrahim Hussein (Kenya) | 2:08:14 |
1993 | Cosmas N'Deti (Kenya) | 2:09:33 |
1994 | Cosmas N'Deti (Kenya) | 2:07:15 |
1995 | Cosmas N'Deti (Kenya) | 2:09:22 |
1996 | Moses Tanui (Kenya) | 2:09:16 |
1997 | Lameck Aguta (Kenya) | 2:10:34 |
1998 | Moses Tanui (Kenya) | 2:07:34 |
1999 | Joseph Chebet (Kenya) | 2:09:52 |
2000 | Elijah Lagat (Kenya) | 2:09:47 |
2001 | Lee Bong-Ju (S.Kor.) | 2:09:43 |
2002 | Rodgers Rop (Kenya) | 2:09:02 |
2003 | Robert K. Cheruiyot (Kenya) | 2:10:11 |
2004 | Timothy Cherigat (Kenya) | 2:10:37 |
2005 | Hailu Negussie (Eth.) | 2:11:45 |
2006 | Robert K. Cheruiyot (Kenya) | 2:07:14 |
2007 | Robert K. Cheruiyot (Kenya) | 2:14:13 |
2008 | Robert K. Cheruiyot (Kenya) | 2:07:46 |
2009 | Deriba Merga (Eth.) | 2:08:42 |
2010 | Robert Cheruiyot (Kenya) | 2:05:52 |
2011 | Geoffrey Mutai (Kenya) | 2:03:02 |
2012 | Wesley Korir (Kenya) | 2:12:40 |
2013 | Lelisa Desisa (Eth.) | 2:10:22 |
2014 | Meb Keflezighi | 2:08:37 |
2015 | Lelisa Desisa (Eth.) | 2:09:17 |
2016 | Lemi Berhanu Hayle (Eth.) | 2:12:45 |
2017 | Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya) | 2:09:37 |
2018 | Kawauchi Yuki (Japan) | 2:15:58 |
2019 | Lawrence Cherono (Kenya) | 2:07:57 |
2020 | not held | |
2021 | Benson Kipruto (Kenya) | 2:09:51 |
2022 | Evans Chebet (Kenya) | 2:06:51 |
2023 | Evans Chebet (Kenya) | 2:05:54 |
year | women* | hr:min:sec |
1972 | Nina Kuscsik | 3:10:26 |
1973 | Jacqueline Hansen | 3:05:59 |
1974 | Michiko Gorman | 2:47:11 |
1975 | Liane Winter (W.Ger.) | 2:42:24 |
1976 | Kim Merritt | 2:47:10 |
1977 | Michiko Gorman | 2:48:33 |
1978 | Gayle Barron | 2:44:52 |
1979 | Joan Benoit | 2:35:15 |
1980 | Jacqueline Gareau (Can.) | 2:34:28 |
1981 | Allison Roe (N.Z.) | 2:26:46 |
1982 | Charlotte Teske (W.Ger.) | 2:29:33 |
1983 | Joan Benoit | 2:22:43 |
1984 | Lorraine Moller (N.Z.) | 2:29:28 |
1985 | Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach | 2:34:06 |
1986 | Ingrid Kristiansen (Nor.) | 2:24:55 |
1987 | Rosa Mota (Port.) | 2:25:21 |
1988 | Rosa Mota (Port.) | 2:24:30 |
1989 | Ingrid Kristiansen (Nor.) | 2:24:33 |
1990 | Rosa Mota (Port.) | 2:25:24 |
1991 | Wanda Panfil (Pol.) | 2:24:18 |
1992 | Olga Markova (Russia) | 2:23:43 |
1993 | Olga Markova (Russia) | 2:25:27 |
1994 | Uta Pippig (Ger.) | 2:21:45 |
1995 | Uta Pippig (Ger.) | 2:25:11 |
1996 | Uta Pippig (Ger.) | 2:27:12 |
1997 | Fatuma Roba (Eth.) | 2:26:23 |
1998 | Fatuma Roba (Eth.) | 2:23:21 |
1999 | Fatuma Roba (Eth.) | 2:23:25 |
2000 | Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) | 2:26:11 |
2001 | Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) | 2:23:53 |
2002 | Margaret Okayo (Kenya) | 2:20:43 |
2003 | Svetlana Zakharova (Russia) | 2:25:20 |
2004 | Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) | 2:24:27 |
2005 | Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) | 2:25:13 |
2006 | Rita Jeptoo (Kenya) | 2:23:38 |
2007 | Lidiya Grigoryeva (Russia) | 2:29:18 |
2008 | Dire Tune (Eth.) | 2:25:25 |
2009 | Salina Kosgei (Kenya) | 2:32:16 |
2010 | Teyba Erkesso (Eth.) | 2:26:11 |
2011 | Carolina Kilel (Kenya) | 2:22:36 |
2012 | Sharon Cherop (Kenya) | 2:31:50 |
2013 | Rita Jeptoo (Kenya) | 2:26:25 |
2014 | Rita Jeptoo (Kenya) | 2:18:57 |
2015 | Caroline Rotich (Kenya) | 2:24:55 |
2016 | Atsede Baysa (Eth.) | 2:29:19 |
2017 | Edna Kiplagat (Kenya) | 2:21:52 |
2018 | Desiree Linden | 2:39:54 |
2019 | Worknesh Degefa (Eth.) | 2:23:31 |
2020 | not held | |
2021 | Diana Kipyokei (Kenya) | 2:24:45 |
2022 | Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya) | 2:21:01 |
2023 | Hellen Obiri (Kenya) | 2:21:38 |