Hellen Obiri captures 2nd-straight Boston Marathon title, is first woman to repeat since 2005
Obiri edged out fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi for the title.
Hellen Obiri has won the Boston Marathon for the second year in a row, finishing in 2:22:37.
It was a tight race, but the two-time Olympic silver medalist was able to create enough separation for the win.
“Last year I was pretty familiar to the marathon, but this year my training was perfect,” Obiri said. “We trusted everything we were doing, we started to speed, and we say we’re upgraded form last year. So when we won last year, of course I was saying I’m going to win this one. Winning is like love. It’s something precious to me.”
In the end, Obiri outlasted fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi. The two pulled away from the pack and were virtually tied until mile 25.
“I think Sharon gave me a very tough competition and she’s a very nice girl,” Obiri said. “She gave me a lot of pressure to run and I’m happy for her. I’m extremely happy with my family here and my friends watching me.”
Obiri won her Boston Marathon debut last year, finishing in 2:21:38. She is the first woman to repeat since Catherine Nedreba in 2005.
Obiri was joined at the finish line by her daughter, who wore her medal. Her daughter was part of her motivation to push through the last mile and get the win.
“I tried to tell myself, ‘I’m not good right now, I’m not going to let this one go.'” Obiri said. “So I tried to fight my way up the hill and I said, like, ‘my family is watching, my daughter is still watching, so how can I tell her. So I tried to push the best that I could and I said, like, ‘Kenyan people are watching right now’ and they know that if I can win here it’s automatic into the Olympics. I am fighting for the Olympics.”
The top three finishers in the race, Obiri, Lokedi, and 2017 champion Edna Kiplagat are all from Kenya, giving the country a sweep of the podium.
“For me, I am so happy because defending the title was not easy,” Obiri said. “Since Boston started only six women have done it. Can I be one of them? To be one of them I had to work extra hard and I’m so happy now that I am done of them. People will look back and say Hellen was one of them.”
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