An accomplished field of marathon world champions and gold medal winners allowed a novice road runner with a track background steal the race.
Kenyan Hellen Obiri made a decisive move on Ethiopian burner Amare Beriso at Kenmore Square and held on the break the tape in the women’s professional race in the 127th running of the BAA Boston Marathon.
Obiri crossed the finish line with a stellar time of 2:21:38 in her Boston debut despite cold, wet weather conditions and a steady headwind. Obiri finished sixth (2:25:49) at New York on Nov. 6, 2022 in her only other marathon.
The majority of Obiri’s spectacular career was spent on cross country paths and indoor and outdoor tracks. She won the silver medal in the 5,000 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and is the only women in history to win world titles in indoor and outdoor track and cross country.
Obiri, 33, effortlessly transitioned from the oval to the Abbott Marathon Majors and she did it on the sport’s biggest stage and toughest course.
“First of all, moving from the track to road races it was a big challenge for me because I used to do track with not a lot of milage,” said Obiri, who trains in Boulder, Colo. “For the marathon, I had to do like 40K (per day) when I was training for this one.
“I thought maybe my fastest would be in New York but it never went the way we planned. I had to do Boston so I decided I had to build for this race.”
Beriso, who had the fastest marathon time in the field, was second in 2:21:50, followed by Israeli national Lonah Salpeter (2:21:57) and Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh (2:20:00).
The feel-good story of the race was Emma Bates of Boulder, Colo., who finished fifth with a 2:22:10 clocking. Bates recorded the second fastest time by an American woman in BAA history in her Boston debut. Bates was the pace setter from mile marker 19 to 24 before fading from the pack.
“It was a good first Boston so I am very proud of myself for having the second fastest time out there, especially going out so slow,” said Bates. “The latter stages of the race, especially after Heartbreak Hill, I felt like I had so much momentum and that is what we really practice in our long runs and workouts.
“My coach (Joe Bosshard) is always telling us to float during those last four miles. That is all I was thinking about, float, float, float.”
The women’s field took on a tactical tone from the onset, with the favorites holding back as the field entered the downhill out of Hopkinton Center. Kenyan Maurine Chepkemoi was the pace setter as the massive pack breezed past the six kilometer marker.
Beriso was the point woman in a pack of nine as it exited the Framingham Flats and made its way past scenic Lake Cochituate toward the heavily-populated stretch through Natick Center.
Salpeter, a Kenya native who competes for Israel, surged from the back of the pack to become the pace setter as the race reached the one-hour mark.
Salpeter and Kenyan Angela Tanui were shoulder to shoulder with Bates looking composed and in control on their right flank. The front runners enjoyed a raucous reception as they sailed past Wellesley College and into the town center.
“For me this race was really nice because the field was strong,” said Salpeter. “Today for me, this was my toughest race but I really enjoyed and competed.
“I came here well prepared to see what happens. I am happy for my time today and my position.”
Bates took the lead with a surge at the firehouse turn and set the pace on the first of the Newton hills. Salpeter and Bates led the tightly knit field of nine as the pack crested Heartbreak Hill. Bates relentlessly pushed the pace as the race reached 22 miles at Cleveland Circle, but fell back when Beriso and Obiri took the lead in the approach to Kenmore Square.
“We got into a rhythm and it is always tough running with the top ladies because it is always such a quick change of pace,” said Bates. “It kind of felt like a fartlek (interval training) out there but I trusted that I was going to be able to maintain that pace with them and be in the top five.
“I just kind of stuck my nose in it thinking that I would get maybe a win. But it was those last two miles that they were kind of breaking it down to 5.0’s (five-minute mile pace) and I could not hang that much.”