Roba
takes third women's title, Joseph Chebet wins men's race in Boston
Bert Rosenthal (AP)
20 April - Kenya's men added yet another victory to their decade of dominance in the Boston Marathon, and Ethiopia's Fatuma Roba kept her own formidable streak alive, too.
Joseph Chebet, a runner-up in his previous three marathons, ended his string of second-place finishes by winning Monday's race in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 52 seconds.
Chebet is the ninth straight Kenyan champion, equalling the race record set by U.S. runners between 1916-25. There was no individual competition in 1918, only a team race.
"Everybody in the world is trying to catch the Kenyans, but they can't," Chebet said.
Roba, the 1996 Olympic gold medallist, eased to victory in 2:23:25, matching the three consecutive titles won by Germany's Uta Pippig from 1994-96.
While Chebet and Roba overwhelmed their opposition, two crowd favourites - defending champion Moses Tanui of Kenya and four-time champion Bill Rodgers - did not finish.
Tanui, also the champion in the race's centennial year in 1996, apparently was bothered by leg cramps and dropped out near the 37-kilometre mark. Rodgers, seeking to break the course record for over-50 by an American, dropped out shortly before the 33.8-kilometre mark because of dehydration.
"I can run the race," the 51-year-old Rodgers said, "but I can't push hard for records."
For Chebet, whose previous two losses were by three seconds each, this was his third victory. He won the first two marathons he entered, in Amsterdam in 1996 and in Turin, Italy, in 1997.
After his heartbreaking losses last year, Chebet said he had to train harder to win again, and this time, he began preparing about two months ahead of his previous schedule.
Chebet took the lead for good just past 35.4 kilometres from Ecuador's Silvio Guerra.
Guerra, seeking to become the first South American winner since Colombia's Elviro Mejia in 1971, built his lead between miles to as much as a quarter-mile before he began labouring.
"To win a race, you have to take a risk, so I took the lead," Guerra said. ``I started to push hard, but I started to get blisters on my feet and slowed down."
Guerra held on to finish second at 2:10:18 and was followed by two South Africans - Frank Pooe at 2:11:37 and Abner Chipu at 2:12:45. Kenya's John Kagwe, who beat Chebet at New York in 1997 and 1998, wound up fifth for the second straight year at 2:13:57.
Roba ran the final miles with a headband given to her by fans along the course. The large Ethiopian community in the Boston area gave Roba great support.
"They gave me a big boost," she said.
Roba was followed by 1997 New York City champion Franziska Rochat-Moser of Switzerland in 2:25:51, two-time Olympic medalist Yuko Arimori of Japan in 2:26:39 and South African Colleen de Reuck in 2:27:53.
The wheelchair champions each won for the third consecutive year, with Franz Nietlispach of Switzerland taking the men's title in 1:21:36, and Louise Savage of Australia edging seven-time winner Jean Driscoll of the United States for the women's crown, with both timed in 1:42:23.
The 103rd running of the race drew a field of 12,797, the second-largest in history, behind the 38,708 who started in 1996.
Chebet and Roba completed two days of marathon prowess by Africans. On Sunday, Abdelkader El Mouaziz of Morocco and Joyce Chepchumba of Kenya won in London, and Kenyans Japhet Kosgei and Tegla Loroupe won in Rotterdam.
