Boston Marathon
History, Winners, Bombing, & Facts
Boston Marathon, footrace from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, U.S., to the Back Bay section of Boston, a distance of 42,195 metres (26 miles 385 yards). The world’s oldest annual marathon, it was held first in 1897 and annually thereafter on Patriots’ Day (originally April 19; from 1969 the third Monday in April), which commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord (1775) in the American Revolutionary War. The Boston Marathon is one of the world’s six major marathons, along with the New York City, Chicago, Berlin, London, and Tokyo marathons. It is sponsored by the Boston Athletic Association. Runners (some 20,000 in the early 21st century, as opposed to about 200 in 1960) come from all over the world to participate.
Boston Marathon; Catherine Ndereba
The marathon’s first winner was John J. McDermott, who completed the 24.5-mile (39.4-km) race in less than three hours. The race length was increased to its current distance in 1927. In 1966 Roberta Gibb became the first woman to complete the race, though she ran without an official number. In 1967 Kathy Switzer, who had given her name as K.V. Switzer on the race application, was issued an official number and completed the marathon, although the race director tried to have her removed from the course. In 1972 the Boston Marathon became the first marathon race officially to admit women runners. Three years later it became the first major marathon to hold a wheelchair race.
In 2013 two bombs exploded near the finish line of the marathon approximately five hours after the race started, resulting in three deaths and more than 260 injured spectators and participants. The subsequent search for the suspects in the terrorist bombing led to a deadly shoot-out and a manhunt that shut down the Greater Boston area for a day.
Winners of the Boston Marathon are provided in the table.
year
men*
hr:min:sec
*Won by a U.S. runner except as indicated.
1897
John J. McDermott
2:55:10
1898
Ronald J. MacDonald (Can.)
2:42:00
1899
Lawrence J. Brignolia
2:54:38
1900
John J. Caffery (Can.)
2:39:44
1901
John J. Caffery (Can.)
2:29:23
1902
Sammy Mellor
2:43:12
1903
John Lorden
2:41:29
1904
Michael Spring
2:38:04
1905
Frederick Lorz
2:38:25
1906
Tim Ford
2:45:45
1907
Tim Longboat (Can.)
2:24:24
1908
Thomas Morrissey
2:25:43
1909
Henri Renaud
2:53:36
1910
Fred Cameron (Can.)
2:28:52
1911
Clarence DeMar
2:21:39
1912
Michael Ryan
2:21:18
1913
Fritz Carlson
2:25:14
1914
James Duffy (Can.)
2:25:01
1915
Edouard Fabre (Can.)
2:31:41
1916
Arthur Roth
2:27:16
1917
Bill Kennedy
2:28:37
1918
not held
1919
Carl Linder
2:29:13
1920
Peter Trivoulides
2:29:31
1921
Frank Zuna
2:18:57
1922
Clarence DeMar
2:18:10
1923
Clarence DeMar
2:23:47
1924
Clarence DeMar
2:29:40
1925
Charles Mellor
2:33:00
1926
John C. Miles (Can.)
2:25:40
1927
Clarence DeMar
2:40:22
1928
Clarence DeMar
2:37:07
1929
John C. Miles (Can.)
2:33:08
1930
Clarence DeMar
2:34:48
1931
James P. Hennigan
2:46:45
1932
Paul DeBruyn (Ger.)
2:33:36
1933
Leslie S. Pawson
2:31:01
1934
Dave Komonen (Can.)
2:32:53
1935
John A. Kelley
2:32:07
1936
Ellison M. Brown
2:33:40
1937
Walter Young (Can.)
2:33:20
1938
Leslie S. Pawson
2:35:34
1939
Ellison M. Brown
2:28:51
1940
Gerard Côté (Can.)
2:28:28
1941
Leslie S. Pawson
2:30:38
1942
Joe Smith
2:26:51
1943
Gerard Côté (Can.)
2:28:25
1944
Gerard Côté (Can.)
2:31:50
1945
John A. Kelley
2:30:40
1946
Stylianos Kyriakides (Greece)
2:29:27
1947
Suh Yun-Bok (Korea)
2:25:39
1948
Gerard Côté (Can.)
2:31:02
1949
Karl Leandersson (Swed.)
2:31:50
1950
Ham Kee-Yong (S.Kor.)
2:32:39
1951
Shigeki Tanaka (Japan)
2:27:45
1952
Doroteo Flores (Guat.)
2:31:53
1953
Keizo Yamada (Japan)
2:18:51
1954
Veikko L. Karvonen (Fin.)
2:20:39
1955
Hideo Hamamura (Japan)
2:18:22
1956
Antti Viskari (Fin.)
2:14:14
1957
John J. Kelley
2:20:05
1958
Franjo Mihalic (Yugos.)
2:25:54
1959
Eino Oksanen (Fin.)
2:22:42
1960
Paavo Kotila (Fin.)
2:20:54
1961
Eino Oksanen (Fin.)
2:23:39
1962
Eino Oksanen (Fin.)
2:23:48
1963
Aurele Vandendriessche (Belg.)
2:18:58
1964
Aurele Vandendriessche (Belg.)
2:19:59
1965
Morio Shigematsu (Japan)
2:16:33
1966
Kenji Kimihara (Japan)
2:17:11
1967
David McKenzie (N.Z.)
2:15:45
1968
Amby Burfoot
2:22:17
1969
Yoshiaki Unetani (Japan)
2:13:49
1970
Ron Hill (U.K.)
2:10:30
1971
Alvaro Mejía (Colom.)
2:18:45
1972
Olavi Suomalainen (Fin.)
2:15:39
1973
Jon Anderson
2:16:03
1974
Neil Cusack (Ire.)
2:13:39
1975
Bill Rodgers
2:09:55
1976
Jack Fultz
2:20:19
1977
Jerome Drayton (Can.)
2:14:46
1978
Bill Rodgers
2:10:13
1979
Bill Rodgers
2:09:27
1980
Bill Rodgers
2:12:11
1981
Toshihiko Seko (Japan)
2:09:26
1982
Alberto Salazar
2:08:52
1983
Greg Meyer
2:09:00
1984
Geoff Smith (U.K.)
2:10:34
1985
Geoff Smith (U.K.)
2:14:05
1986
Robert de Castella (Austl.)
2:07:51
1987
Toshihiko Seko (Japan)
2:11:50
1988
Ibrahim Hussein (Kenya)
2:08:43
1989
Abebe Mekonnen (Eth.)
2:09:06
1990
Gelindo Bordin (Italy)
2:08:19
1991
Ibrahim Hussein (Kenya)
2:11:06
1992
Ibrahim Hussein (Kenya)
2:08:14
1993
Cosmas N'Deti (Kenya)
2:09:33
1994
Cosmas N'Deti (Kenya)
2:07:15
1995
Cosmas N'Deti (Kenya)
2:09:22
1996
Moses Tanui (Kenya)
2:09:16
1997
Lameck Aguta (Kenya)
2:10:34
1998
Moses Tanui (Kenya)
2:07:34
1999
Joseph Chebet (Kenya)
2:09:52
2000
Elijah Lagat (Kenya)
2:09:47
2001
Lee Bong-Ju (S.Kor.)
2:09:43
2002
Rodgers Rop (Kenya)
2:09:02
2003
Robert K. Cheruiyot (Kenya)
2:10:11
2004
Timothy Cherigat (Kenya)
2:10:37
2005
Hailu Negussie (Eth.)
2:11:45
2006
Robert K. Cheruiyot (Kenya)
2:07:14
2007
Robert K. Cheruiyot (Kenya)
2:14:13
2008
Robert K. Cheruiyot (Kenya)
2:07:46
2009
Deriba Merga (Eth.)
2:08:42
2010
Robert Cheruiyot (Kenya)
2:05:52
2011
Geoffrey Mutai (Kenya)
2:03:02
2012
Wesley Korir (Kenya)
2:12:40
2013
Lelisa Desisa (Eth.)
2:10:22
2014
Meb Keflezighi
2:08:37
2015
Lelisa Desisa (Eth.)
2:09:17
2016
Lemi Berhanu Hayle (Eth.)
2:12:45
2017
Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya)
2:09:37
2018
Kawauchi Yuki (Japan)
2:15:58
2019
Lawrence Cherono (Kenya)
2:07:57
2020
not held
2021
Benson Kipruto (Kenya)
2:09:51
2022
Evans Chebet (Kenya)
2:06:51
year
women*
hr:min:sec
1972
Nina Kuscsik
3:10:26
1973
Jacqueline Hansen
3:05:59
1974
Michiko Gorman
2:47:11
1975
Liane Winter (W.Ger.)
2:42:24
1976
Kim Merritt
2:47:10
1977
Michiko Gorman
2:48:33
1978
Gayle Barron
2:44:52
1979
Joan Benoit
2:35:15
1980
Jacqueline Gareau (Can.)
2:34:28
1981
Allison Roe (N.Z.)
2:26:46
1982
Charlotte Teske (W.Ger.)
2:29:33
1983
Joan Benoit
2:22:43
1984
Lorraine Moller (N.Z.)
2:29:28
1985
Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach
2:34:06
1986
Ingrid Kristiansen (Nor.)
2:24:55
1987
Rosa Mota (Port.)
2:25:21
1988
Rosa Mota (Port.)
2:24:30
1989
Ingrid Kristiansen (Nor.)
2:24:33
1990
Rosa Mota (Port.)
2:25:24
1991
Wanda Panfil (Pol.)
2:24:18
1992
Olga Markova (Russia)
2:23:43
1993
Olga Markova (Russia)
2:25:27
1994
Uta Pippig (Ger.)
2:21:45
1995
Uta Pippig (Ger.)
2:25:11
1996
Uta Pippig (Ger.)
2:27:12
1997
Fatuma Roba (Eth.)
2:26:23
1998
Fatuma Roba (Eth.)
2:23:21
1999
Fatuma Roba (Eth.)
2:23:25
2000
Catherine Ndereba (Kenya)
2:26:11
2001
Catherine Ndereba (Kenya)
2:23:53
2002
Margaret Okayo (Kenya)
2:20:43
2003
Svetlana Zakharova (Russia)
2:25:20
2004
Catherine Ndereba (Kenya)
2:24:27
2005
Catherine Ndereba (Kenya)
2:25:13
2006
Rita Jeptoo (Kenya)
2:23:38
2007
Lidiya Grigoryeva (Russia)
2:29:18
2008
Dire Tune (Eth.)
2:25:25
2009
Salina Kosgei (Kenya)
2:32:16
2010
Teyba Erkesso (Eth.)
2:26:11
2011
Carolina Kilel (Kenya)
2:22:36
2012
Sharon Cherop (Kenya)
2:31:50
2013
Rita Jeptoo (Kenya)
2:26:25
2014
Rita Jeptoo (Kenya)
2:18:57
2015
Caroline Rotich (Kenya)
2:24:55
2016
Atsede Baysa (Eth.)
2:29:19
2017
Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)
2:21:52
2018
Desiree Linden
2:39:54
2019
Worknesh Degefa (Eth.)
2:23:31
2020
not held
2021
Diana Kipyokei (Kenya)
2:24:45
2022
Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya)
2:21:01
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