Yehualaw clinches Boston Marathon podium
The NN Running Team toasted a podium finish at the 129th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America as Yalemzerf Yehualaw finish third in a high-class women’s elite race.
Recording a time of 2:18:06, the Ethiopian dipped well below the previous course record time of 2:19:59 but had to settle for third as Sharon Lokedi of Kenya denied her compatriot Hellen Obiri a hat-trick of Boston Marathon titles, clocking 2:17:22 to clinch a 19-second victory.
For Yehualaw the 2022 Hamburg and London Marathon victor and 2024 Amsterdam Marathon champion it represented another successful outing for the 25-year-old athlete.
On a sunny but cool morning athletes enjoyed near perfect conditions as the athletes set out in pursuit of glory on the third-stop on the 2025 Abbott World Marathon Majors circuit.
The elite women made a steady start with Ethiopian Rahma Tusa leading a pack of around 20 – including Yehualaw - through a 5km split of 16:49.
However, the pace had quickened by the 10km checkpoint - reached in 32:51 - as world champion Armane Beriso headed a now 15-strong lead group with Yehualaw looking composed and in close order.
The first significant move of the race came a little after 15km as Beriso stepped on the gas. Very quickly the lead group was blown apart to just five with Yehualaw striding confidently to the front for several kilometres.
At halfway it was Lokedi, the 2022 New York City Marathon champion, who led the field through in 1:08.46 closely tracked by Irine Cheptai, Yehualaw, Beriso and Obiri as the quintet seized control of the race.
At 25km little separated the top five with Beriso in 1:21:22 setting the pace tracked by Yehualaw. The next kilometre saw the challenge of Cheptai fold while Lokedi also briefly drop off the pace. Yehualaw once again took up the lead tracked by Beriso and Obiri with the dogged Lokedi reattaching herself to the lead group, who hit the 30km split in 1:37:40.
In a gruelling battle between the leaders Beriso was the first to crack. A little before 35km she was spat out the back with Yehualaw, Obiri and Lokedi now locked in a battle for the podium.
Heading into the suburb of Brookline the pair slugged out it like a trio of heavyweight prize fighters with both Yehualaw and Lokedi taking a turn at the front. Unfortunately, however with around 3km remaining the Ethiopian was dropped, her chances of a securing second Abbott World Marathon Majors victory over.
In a pulsating finale, Lokedi opened up a slight advantage in the final kilometre to slowly edge clear to deny Obiri a three-peat. Yehualaw battled on gamely in the latter stages to claim third and bank another major podium.
Daniel Mateiko was the pick of the NN Running Team athletes in the elite men’s race as the Kenyan placed ninth in 2:07:52 behind his countryman John Korir who added the Boston Marathon title in 2:04:45 to the 2024 Chicago Marathon crown he claimed six months earlier.
Setting out from the start in Hopkinton a large lead group of 21 runners – led by Connor Mantz of the USA - went through the 5km split in 14:20 – safely containing the NN Running Team trio of Mateiko, Haymanot Alew and Victor Kiplangat, the 2023 world champion.
By the 10km mark defending champion Sisay Lemma had swept to the front, reaching the split in 28:52 with Mateiko and Alew maintaining pace. Kiplangat had however, drifted 13 seconds off the back in 20th spot.
By the halfway mark it was Canadian Rory Linkletter who led the field through in 1:01:52 with Mateiko and Alew safely ensconced among the lead group, which also included Lemma, Korir and 2022 and 2023 Boston Marathon victor Evans Chebet.
A large group of 15 men remained in contention for podium honours at 25km reached in 1:13:37 as Mantz headed the field with both Mateiko and Alew well positioned inside the top six. Shortly after 25km Lemma abandoned attempts to complete the race.
Thirteen men remained in the lead group at 30km with Mantz and Australian Patrick Tiernan in 1:28:39 heading the field with the NN Running Team duo remaining firmly in the mix as the race moved into to its critical phase towards the Newton Hills.
Shortly after 30km Korir – who has survived an early fall - launched a vicious attack, burst to the front and rapidly opened up a gap on the chasing six which included Mateiko. Alew, who last year ran a PB of 2:03:31 for third in Berlin, drifted off the pace and dropped out a little after 35km.
As Korir cranked up the pace – opening up an 18-second advantage by 21 miles (33.8km) - Mateiko had drifted back to sixth – 29 seconds shy of the leader.
Korir continued to relentlessly pile on the pressure and by 40km he held a decisive 58-second lead ahead of Mantz, Berlin Marathon runner-up Cybrian Kotut and Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania with Mateiko a little further down the road maintaining a top six placing.
Korir, whose brother, Wesley won the 2012 Boston Marathon, crossed the line on Bolyston Street triumphant in 2:04:45 with Simbu edging a tight sprint for second from Kotut in 2:05:04. Matieko slowed in the latter stages but still secured a top ten placing.
Kiplangat of Uganda, who was sat 21st at halfway, finished strongly to grab 13th in 2:10:13.