April 21 (UPI) — John Korir, champion of the 2024 Chicago Marathon, overcame an early fall and clocked an average mile of 4:45 to win Monday’s 2025 Boston Marathon in 2:04:45. Fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi was the top female finisher.
With his victory, Korir logged the second-fastest time in Boston Marathon history and became the first brother of a former champion to win. Wesley Korir captured the 2012 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:12:40.
“Now, I’m the fastest in the family,” Korir, 28, said on the ESPN2 broadcast.
Lokedi, a two-time New York Marathon champion and last year’s runner-up in Boston, set a course record of 2:17:22. She also denied 35-year-old Hellen Obiri of a third consecutive title.
“I’m always second to her,” Lokedi, 31, said of Obiri. “Today, I was like there is no way, I just had to put it out there and fight to the end and see how it goes. I’m so glad I ran that fast. She was right behind me.”
Tanzanian Alphonce Simbu and Kenyan Cyprian Kotut both clocked times of 2:05:04, 19 seconds behind Korir. Sumbu was awarded with second place for crossing the line just ahead of Kotut.
American Conner Mantz (2:05:08) placed fourth.
Obiri, a bronze medalist at the 2024 Summer Olympics, finished in 2:17:41, 19 seconds behind Lokedi. Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2:18:06) was the third female finisher. Jess McClain, who clocked a 2:22:43, was the top American female. She placed seventh.
A total of 128 countries were represented at the 129th edition of the 26.2-mile event, which started in Hopkinton, Mass., wound through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton and Brookline and ended on Boylston Street in downtown Boston.
