HOPKINTON-TO-BOSTON, Massachusetts, April 21 — After barely making it through the first 100m, John Korir blew open a competitive race at 20M and went on to win the 129th running of the Boston Marathon in 2:04:45 — third-fastest ever on the aided course. Only Geoffrey Mutai and Moses Mosop, at 2:03:02 and 2:03:06 with a significant tailwind in ’11, have covered the point-to-point route faster.
The 24-year-old Kenyan, listed by some stats sources as John Kipkosgei, is the younger brother of ’12 Boston champ Wesley Korir and made note of that in celebrating his victory: “Today I made it, and we are happy as a Korir family to have two brothers winning Boston.”
While Korir — winner in Chicago last fall by just shy of 2:00 — was able to cruise home, there was much more drama in the podium battle among Tanzanian Alphonce Felix (2nd in 2:05:04), Kenyan Cybrian Kotut (3rd in 2:05:04), and American Conner Mantz (4th in 2:05:08). Mantz got some consolation moving to No. 2 on the U.S. all-time aided list trailing only Ryan Hall’s 2:04:58 Boston clocking in ’11.
Ethiopian trackster Muktar Edris finished 5th (2:05:59) in his marathon debut, ahead of BYU alums Rory Linkletter (6th in 2:07:02), and Clayton Young (7th in 2:07:04). Zap Fitness’ Ryan Ford closed well to finish 10th in 2:08:00.
After his breakout 2:02:43 win last October in Chicago, Korir toed the line ready to challenge defending champ Sisay Lemma, but he barely got started when he tumbled to the pavement.
“Someone tripped me from behind,” Korir said, “and what came to my mind was ‘Should I stay down, or should I wake up and go?’ So something told me to wake up and go and that everything will be OK.”
Korir was able to catch up on the downhill getaway and soon ran amid a cumbersome lead group — with former NCAA XC champions Mantz and Aussie Patrick Tiernan keeping the pace more than honest. Linkletter and Young also featured at the front leading a pack of 16 across the halfway mat in 61:52.
Taking advantage of ideal racing conditions, the runners maintained a rather brisk but uneventful pace. Even Mantz’s ever-earnest stride seemed a bit tamed as he awaited what lay ahead.
Korir couldn’t wait and just before 25K threw in a sharp surge that shifted everyone into racing mode heading downhill across the Charles River and into the Newton Hills.
It was just a teaser move as Korir relaxed up the first of Boston’s three storied climbs. The topography alone pared the lead pack to 6. Approaching 20M Korir took off, swerving across the road to break free.
“That was the plan,” Korir said. “My coach [Ron Mann] and my brother and everyone in my crew, we said at 20M I will try and make the move. If I make the move, I was going to make a big gap and anyone will not be able to close. I tried and it worked well.”
Amazingly well, as Korir replicated his masterful closing dash in Chicago, reeling off a string of sub-4:40 miles to ditch his rivals. After building a minute’s lead at 40K, Korir throttled back and relished his rise to the top: “The star was born last year in Chicago, so the star is still on.”
Even after running a huge 2:39 PR Mantz admitted, “It is a little tough to take. There was a pack of 4 of us running a lot of the way together, and seeing John Korir make his move and missing the opportunity to go with him. And then even when I tried, I wasn’t ready to do that into the headwind.”
About losing out in the 5K-long podium battle with Felix and Kotut, Mantz said, “I expected that last 1000 I was going to have a little bit extra, but I made my hard move and they responded as if I wasn’t even making a move. So, it was a little bit humbling.”
Mantz concluded, “You always have a goal to win, and the goal was to prove that I could be in a position to win or be on the podium. Missing it and getting outkicked over the last 300m is a little bitter, but it was still probably my best race I’ve had and so I was very happy about that.”
Mantz’s effort opens the door to a run at Khalid Khannouchi’s 2:05:38 AR: “I think that record is very possible in the right race and the right weather day. Yes, it’s doable, but I don’t want to say it’s going to be easy by any means.”
Young, Mantz’s training mate and fellow Paris Olympian, ran confidently, determined “to cover as many moves as possible. About mile 20, my right calf tightened up and I was like, ‘Crap, this hurts so bad.’ I was pretty broken and the pack pulled away.”
Dinged up, Young managed to hang onto a Top 10 position. “The highlight,” he said, “was working with Rory, one of my former BYU teammates. We have been competitive for a long time, so it feels nice to cross that line and know that I gave it everything I had and it was a good day.”
BOSTON MARATHON MEN’S RESULTS
(aided course)
1. John Korir (aka Kipkosgei) (Ken) 2:04:45; 2. Alphonce Felix (Tan) 2:05:04; 3. Cybrian Kotut (Ken) 2:05:04;
4. Conner Mantz (US) 2:05:08 a-c PR (a-c AL; 2, 2 A);
5. Muktar Edris (Eth) 2:05:59 a-c PR; 6. Rory Linkletter (Can) 2:07:02 a-c PR;
7. Clayton Young (US) 2:07:04 a-c PR (a-c 6, x A);
8. Tebello Ramakongoana (Les) 2:07:19; 9. Daniel Kibet (Ken) 2:07:52;
10. Ryan Ford (US) 2:08:00 a-c PR (a-c 9, x A);
11. Patrick Tiernan (Aus) 2:08:08; 12. Wesley Kiptoo (Ken) 2:08:54 a-c PR; 13. Victor Kiplangat (Uga) 2:10:13; 14. CJ Albertson (US) 2:10:16; 15. Erenjia Jia (Chn) 2:10:22; 16. JP Flavin (US) 2:10:50 a-c PR; 17. Tsegay Tuemay (Eri) 2:11:03; 18. Colin Bennie (US) 2:11:46; 19. Charlie Sweeney (US) 2:12:00 a-c PR;
20. Joe Whelan (US) 2:12:16 a-c PR; 21. Reed Fischer (US) 2:12:40; 22. Colin Mickow (US) 2:13:01; 23. Brian Shrader (US) 2:13:10; 24. Robert Miranda (US) 2:13:41; 25. Jake Heslington (US) 2:13:51 a-c PR; 26. Yudai Fukuda (Jpn) 2:13:57 a-c PR; 27. Turner Wiley (US) 2:14:31; 28. Tesfu Tewelde (Eri) 2:14:55; 29. Ben Kendell (US) 2:15:20; 30. Nathan Martin (US) 2:15:31.
