Kenyan duo John Korir and Sharon Lokedi successfully defend Boston Marathon titles

Kenyan runners John Korir and Sharon Lokedi delivered remarkable performances on Monday, April 20, to successfully defend their Boston Marathon titles.

Korir dominated the men's race, crossing the finish line in an unofficial time of 2:01:52, shattering the previous course record of 2:03:02 set by fellow Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai in 2011. 

Tanzania's Alphonce Simbu took second place with a time of 2:02:47, closely followed by another Kenyan, Benson Kipruto, who finished in 2:02:50

"The race felt like I am back home. People cheered from the start to the finish line," Korir said "Then there's a place where I arrived and they said, 'Hey, you're on the course record!' And I said, 'Oh, I can make course record, let me start, push as fast as I can. And I think I enjoyed more than last year because today I am feeling good.'"

"This year was a breeze for me because I had no problems from the start to the finish, and I enjoyed it. That's why I said I have enjoyed this year's Boston (more) than last year," he added.

Korir's achievement is especially impressive given the Boston course’s notorious difficulty, and his time came just one minute and 17 seconds short of the current men’s marathon world record. Despite his blistering pace, he said he was not focused on running a sub-two-hour marathon.

Lokedi leads Kenya's clean sweep

On the women's side, Lokedi surged ahead after the 30‑kilometer mark to claim victory in 2:18:51, marking the second‑fastest winning time in women's Boston Marathon history. Although she did not surpass her own course record of 2:17:22 set last year, her performance was a commanding display of endurance and speed.

The podium was completed by Kenyans Loice Chemnung and Mary Ngugi‑Cooper, who finished second and third with times of 2:19:35 and 2:20:07 respectively, giving Kenya a clean sweep in the women's race.

After the race, Lokedi said the experience of winning last year humbled her and helped her remain patient before making her break. She also reflected on the support of her compatriot and friend Hellen Obiri, who missed the event reportedly to focus on preparations for  the London Marathon later this month.

"It was a bit different. I really wish I had her there," Lokedi admitted. "Yesterday, she texted me and she was like, 'I know you can do it. I believe in you. Just go out there and show them who you are.'"

It was a historic day for Kenya as both Korir and Lokedi not only defended their titles but now hold the men's and women's Boston Marathon course records.