WESLEY KORIR, SHARON CHEROP WIN BOSTON MARATHON
THE BOSTON GLOBE
The day is here for the 116th running of the Boston Marathon. With temperatures soaring into the 80s, officials strongly urged runners to take extreme caution today. The Boston Globe will provide updates from the race on this page throughout the day:
12:54 p.m.: A colorful stream of runners is continuing cross the finish line. Official timing and scoring will continue until about 6 p.m., seven hours after the last competitor crossed the starting line in Hopkinton. That’s an extra hour longer than normal, to accommodate runners who throttled back because of the heat.
12:49 p.m.: Men’s winner Wesley Korir was asked if he thinks he will now get a place on the Kenyan Olympic team. “I don’t care what happens after this. I’m just very, very happy to win Boston,” he said. The race may prove fatal to the Olympic hopes of 2011 champion Geoffrey Mutai, who was forced to drop out on Commonwealth Avenue before Heartbreak Hill because of cramps. He received medical attention, but is reportedly OK. Mutai was one of six runners named to the Kenyan team provisionally, but in a country with the best distance runners in the world, he needed a good showing in Boston to win one of the three available spots.
12:38 p.m.: Men’s winner Wesley Korir, who emerged in the final two miles to claim the title, said that when he was at about mile 20 in sixth place he wanted only to finish in the top five. He acknowledged having cramps about about mile 13, but said his faith helped him endure. “I just kept praying and singing and asking God for the energy,” he told WBZ-TV.
12:32 p.m.: Sharon Cherop’s winning time of 2:31:50, run in 80-degree heat, isn’t among the top 100 finishes in women’s Boston Marathon history.
12:31 p.m.: In the women’s race, the best-finishing American was Sheri Piers of Falmouth, Maine, who came in 10th with a time of 2:41:55.
12:29 p.m.: Jason Hartmann of Boulder, Colo., was the highest-finishing American in the race. He ran in 2:14:41, less than two minutes behind winner. He was the only American man in the top 10.
12:22 p.m.: As the rest of the field slogs through the course, the temperature on Heartbreak Hill has climbed to 82 degrees.
12:17 p.m.: For the fifth consecutive year, the women’s race was decided by three seconds or less. That makes a total of just 10 seconds’ difference in five years.
12:16 p.m.: As he finished, men’s winner Wesley Korir just repeated the words “oh wow” over and over.
12:15 p.m.: In both the men’s and women’s races, Kenyans swept the three top spots.
12:14 p.m.: In the men’s race, Levy Matebo finished second and Bernard Kipyego third.
12:12 p.m.: There are reports that defending women’s champion Caroline Kilel of Kenya, who dropped off the pace awhile ago, is walking on the route near Fenway Park.
12:12 p.m.: Kenyan Wesley Korir overtook Levy Matebo to win the men’s division in 2:12:40. | Men’s winner
12:09 p.m.: Sharon Cherop’s unofficial time was 2:31:50, while Jemima Jelagat Sumgong crossed at 2:31:52.
12:07 p.m.: In the men’s race, Wesley Korir closed some of the distance between himself and Levy Matebo. It shapes up as another duel between them to the finish line.
12:03 p.m.: Kenyan Sharon Cherop outlasted Jemima Jelagat Sumgong in a duel as temperatures climbed into the 80s along the course. Cherop won in 2:31, by only several seconds. Cherop finished in third place at Boston last year. | Women’s winner
12:02 p.m.: Kenyan Wesley Korir, a graduate of the University of Illinois, moved into second place, having passed Mathew Kisorio.
12:02 p.m.: Levy Matebo increased his lead over the men to 20 seconds.
12:01 p.m.: As Sharon Cherop and Jemima Sumgong run neck-and neck, remember that the last four women’s marathons here have been decided by a total of 8 seconds.
11:59 a.m.: Behind men’s leaders Levy Matebo and Mathew Kisorio at 35K were Wesley Korir, Bernard Kipyego, Laban Korir, Wilson Chebet, and American Jason Hartmann.
11:52 a.m.: The women ran through Coolidge Corner, and the temperature was 82 degrees. They were on a pace for a 2:32 finish.
11:50 a.m.: In the women’s race, Kenyan Georgina Rono dropped behind her countrywomen Sharon Cherop and Jemima Jelagat Sumgong.
11:45 a.m.: Kenyan Levy Matebo made a move as he and Mathew Kisorio ran down the back of Heartbreak Hill. Matebo looked strong, and Kisorio faded to about 10 yards back.
11:44 a.m.: Leaders Mathew Kisorio and Levy Matebo were elbow to elbow as they ran up Heartbreak Hill. They passed 20 miles in 1:39:50, which is a 2:10:00 marathon pace. The third place runner is not in sight.
11:41 a.m.: Reports from the course said defending champion Geoffrey Mutai dropped out of the race at the 30K mark because of cramping.
11:40 a.m.: The men’s race has become a duel between Mathew Kisorio and Levy Matebo. They were 30 seconds ahead of a small pack of runners in third place that includes defending champion Geoffrey Mutai.
11:39 a.m.: Ethiopian Firehiwot Dado has dropped off the lead in the women’s race as they passed Boston College, leaving three Kenyans battling for supremacy: Sharon Cherop, Georgina Rono, and Jemima Jelagat Sumgong.
11:33 a.m.: Two Kenyans made a move as the men approached the Newton Hills. Mathew Kisorio and Levy Matebo have surged into the lead. They passed 18 miles in 1:30:01.
11:31 a.m.: The men passed the 17 mile mark, with three Kenyans, Mathew Kisorio, Levy Matebo and defending champion Geoffrey Mutai, leading as the pack has thinned out. They have picked up the pace substantially, running the last mile in 4:49. Kisorio went through 17 miles in 1:25:05.
11:30 a.m.: Defending champion Caroline Kilel of Kenya has dropped off the lead pack in the women’s race, leaving four women running shoulder-to-shoulder.
11:27 a.m.: The women ran 30K in 1:48:51. They are on pace for a marathon finish of 2:30. Last year. Caroline Kilel won in 2:22.
11:23 a.m.: A volunteer walked out onto the course to hand water to the women’s leaders and collided briefly with the women. Nobody fell down, but the incident slowed leader Caroline Kilel.
11:22 a.m.: There was a bit of a breakaway by a pack of six men at 15 miles. They ran their last mile in 4:54. The new, smaller, lead pack included defending champion Geoffrey Mutai, Mathew Kisorio, Nicholas Arciniaga and Wilson Chebet. They passed 16 miles in 1:20:15.
11:21 a.m.: The BAA reported that of the 26,716 runners who were awarded numbers, 22,426 actually started the race. That’s 84 percent, with more than 4,000 runners staying out after officials warned about today’s heat.
11:19 a.m.: The women’s lead pack is down to about five runners, including defending champion Caroline Kilel of Kenya, Sharon Cherop of Kenya, Georgina Rono of Kenya, and Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia.
11:15 a.m.: The men passed the half marathon mark in 1:06:10, with Dickson Chumba of Kenya in the lead by a few steps.
11:14 a.m.: Women’s wheelchair winner Shirley Reilly, a resident of Arizona, said the warm weather actually helped her. “This is pretty cool for me,” she told WBZ-TV at the finish line.
11:01 a.m.: The men’s lead pack of 15 is spreading out a little. Though everyone is staying in contact, the pace has slowed even further. They passed 11 miles in 55:29, more than three minutes off last year’s record pace. Most of the elites took water again at the 11 mile mark.
10:59 a.m.: The elite women passed the 20K mark in Wellesley in 1:13:25, which is a full marathon pace of 2:34:17 - about 12 minutes slower than last year’s finish.
10:57 a.m.: Joshua Cassidy’s course record in the men’s wheelchair division is now official. He finished in 1:18:25, two seconds better than the previous record.
10:55 a.m.: American Shirley Reilly edged Wakako Tsuchida for the women’s wheelchair title. Reilly, with a time of 1:37:36, finished just ahead of Tsuchida after a sprint to the finish. Tsuchida finished in 1:37:37. | Women’s wheelchair winner.
10:52 a.m.: The women ran Mile 13 in 5:25, their fastest mile so far. Caroline Kilel retook the lead, but only slightly. About eight women were in the lead pack.
10:51 a.m.: The women are still running an easy pace of about 2:58, about a half-hour slower than recent Boston Marathons.
10:50 a.m.: Joshua Cassidy said he actually welcomed the heat en route to the men’s wheelchair title. “My head was blowing up, vision getting narrow... but just don’t think about it,” he told WBZ-TV at the finish line.
10:46 a.m.: Ten elite women runners were bunched together as they approached Wellesley College, led by Sharon Cherop of Kenya. They passed 12 miles in 1:11:05.
10:44 a.m.: The lead pack of more than a dozen men passed through Framingham Center and crossed the 8-mile mark in 40:07, about a 2:10 finishing pace. The pack included virtually all the elite men.
10:43 a.m.: Wakako Tsuchida was holding the lead in the women’s wheelchair race over American Shirley Reilly, finishing Mile 21 in 1:19:38.
10:42 a.m.: Joshua Cassidy hoisted the men’s wheelchair trophy on Boylston Street as the Canadian national anthem played. Cassidy broke Ernst Van Dyk’s course record by an unofficial count of 2 seconds.
10:40 a.m.: The final wave of marathoners just started their race in Hopkinton. Included in the group was former Patriots player Tedy Bruschi.
10:36 a.m.: The elite women ran 10 miles in 59:15, about 8 minutes slower than Joan Benoit Samuelson ran the same distance in 1983. Mile 10 was run in 5:56.
10:35 a.m.: Joshua Cassidy, from Toronto, won the men’s wheelchair race with a time of 1:18:25, an unofficial record. | Men’s wheelchair winner.
10:33 a.m.: Glenn Randall has been swallowed up by the large lead pack in the men’s race. He went through 5 miles in 24:36 with a 10 second lead, but in the next mile he faded and was caught by defending champion Geoffrey Mutai and most of the elite runners. The 6-mile split was 29:51.
10:31 a.m.: The elite women are still closely bunched. They ran 15K in 55:17, with Caroline Kilel in the lead. The estimated record is 48:08, set by Joan Benoit in 1983, before the marathon recorded kilometer split times.
10:29 a.m.: Joshua Cassidy may have fallen off the record pace, but he has a huge lead on both Kurt Fearnley of Australia and defending champion Masazumi Soejima of Japan as he heads into Boston. Nine-time winner Ernst Van Dyk has fallen to fifth place. Cassidy passed 23 miles in 1:09:20.
10:26 a.m.: In the women’s wheelchair race, Wakako Tsuchida and Shirley Reilly finished 25K in 55:39.
10:25 a.m.: Joshua Cassidy is still ahead in the men’s wheelchair race, though he has fallen off course-record pace. His time at the 20-mile mark was 59:54, 17 seconds off Ernst Van Dyk’s checkpoint record of 59:37.
10:21 a.m.: The men, despite the heat, started on pace for a 2:07:00 finish.
10:20 a.m.: The elite female runners have picked up the pace, running their last mile in 5:42, 16 seconds faster than their previous mile.
10:18 a.m.: Glenn Randall continued to lead the men’s race in the early going. He had a 15-second lead as he went through three miles in 14:35 and 5K in 15:05. Randall is a graduate of Dartmouth College, and is considered an Olympic hopeful in cross country skiing. His mother was a member of the 1980 Norwegian Olympic team as a cross country skier.
10:15 a.m.: The men’s lead pack went through two miles in 9:42, with American Glenn Randall of Mesa, Colo., running along well in front, followed by American Nicholas Arciniaga of Flagstaff, Ariz.
10:08 a.m.: The elite women finished five miles in 30:05. The record is a remarkable 25:35, set by Joan Benoit Samuelson in 1983.
10:07 a.m.: The unofficial one-mile split for the men was a fairly slow 4:51. Among the leaders in a big pack was American Nicholas Arciniaga.
10:05 a.m.: The BAA reported that Wakako Tsuchida of Japan, winner of the past five women’s wheelchair marathons, and Shirley Reilly of Arizona were tied at mile 12, both racing in 41:45.
10:05 a.m.: Joshua Cassidy went through the half marathon in 37:37, 22 seconds better than Ernst Van Dyk’s checkpoint record.
10:02 a.m.: Defending champion Caroline Kilel and Rita Jeptoo of Kenya, and Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia have been trading the lead in the women’s race.
10:01 a.m.: The elite men, including defending champion Geoffrey Mutai, have crossed the starting line in Hopkinton. The first wave of the complete field also launched their runs with the elite men. There are two more waves of the complete field, beginning at 10:20 and 10:40.
9:56 a.m.: Joshua Cassidy of Toronto is nearing the halfway point of what could be a record men’s wheelchair race. He went through 12 miles in 34:22.
9:54 a.m.: The elite women ran their third mile in 5:57, faster than the first two miles as they pick up the pace slightly on this warm day.
9:51 a.m.: Shirley Reilly of Arizona has overtaken defending champion Wakako Tsuchida of Japan in the women’s wheelchair division at mile 9 with a time of 30:13.
9:49 a.m.: The elite men and the first wave of the remaining field are assembling at the starting line.
9:44 a.m.: The women’s lead pack ran the first mile in 6:15.
9:41 a.m.: About seven minutes in, the women were on a 2-hour, 40-minute pace, about 15-20 minutes slower than Boston’s top finishes.
9:40 a.m.: Joshua Cassidy’s time through five miles was well under course-record pace. He broke the checkpoint record of 13:52 set in 1993 by Jim Knaub.
9:39 a.m.: The elite women runners are setting a slow pace in the 80-degree weather. After six minutes, all the runners are still bunched together.
9:37 a.m.: Continuing her five-year dominance of the women’s wheelchair division, Wakako Tsuchida of Japan is in the lead at the 5-mile mark with a time of 15:51.
9:36 a.m.: Joshua Cassidy led the pack of men’s wheelchair entrants through the 5K and 4 mile checkpoints. His time at 5K was 7:59. The temperature was 80.6 degrees at the start in Hopkinton, according to the BAA.
9:32 a.m.: The field of elite women crossed the starting line on their 26.2 mile journey to Boylston Street. Defending champion Caroline Kilel is among the runners in the group.
9:25 a.m.: Some of the runners preparing for the marathon were taking the heat in stride. “Slightly worried,” said Kim Bench, who came from Draper, Utah, to run her second marathon with her sister Amy. “But we’re tough women.” Allyne Winderman was planning to run and drawing on her experience from a past Honolulu Marathon where the temperatures were in the 80s. “We’ll run a little slower, but we’ll be fine,” said Winderman, who added it was probably more humid in the Honolulu race than it will be in Boston today.
9:22 a.m.: The handcycle competitors just left the starting line in Hopkinton.
9:18 a.m.: Another group has started racing, as the wheelchair division left the starting line in Hopkinton.
9:01 a.m.:The mobility impaired participants kicked off the competition with the first starting gun of the day.
8:42 a.m.: Marathon officials have been very clear in emphasizing to runners that today should not be treated as a race, but rather an experience, and if the experience proves to be too much, runners need to make the smart decision. “What we’re doing ... is increasing the fluids out on the course itself, almost doubling them, more ice on the course at the water stations and the Red Cross stations, even in the emergency rooms at the hospitals along the course,” race director Dave McGillivray said. He added message boards would be stationed along the course to encourage runners to go slow, and fire departments would set up sprays for runners to cool off.
8:36 a.m.: Forecasters said the record high temperature for today, 84, set in 2003, may be broken in Boston. North and west of Boston the temperature may even reach 90 degrees.
8:24 a.m.: Marathon race director Dave McGillivray spent much of the morning delivering a final word of caution to all runners. “The one thing that we can’t control is obviously the weather,” said McGillivray, who appeared on Boston.com’s live video broadcast from Hopkinton. “Runners themselves need to heed all cautions and warnings. ... Maybe it’s not a day to set a personal record.”
8:15 a.m.: Marathon officials advised on Sunday that “only the fittest runners should consider participating” because of the heat. The BAA will allow runners to defer their qualification to the 2013 race if they opt not to run because of the heat.