Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia broke away early in the Boston Marathon on Sunday and held on for a commanding victory, earning the satisfaction he had been missing from the race the year before. Lemma took the lead in the first few miles and went on to win in 2:06:17, leading by more than two minutes at the halfway point.
Lemma finished 41 seconds ahead of his fellow countryman Mohamed Esa, who rallied late to take second place ahead of Kenyan Evans Chebet, who was denied a third consecutive Boston crown. By the time those chasing could cut into his lead, it was too late.
Lemma’s tenacious triumph from start to finish stood in stark contrast to Kenyan Hellen Obiri’s late surge that allowed her to win the women’s title in 2:22.37 for her second consecutive year.