BOSTON, Massachusetts, 20 April 2005 — Ethiopia’s Hailu Negussie broke Kenya’s stranglehold on the Boston Marathon here Monday, lifting the men’s title in a time of 2 hours 11 minutes 45 seconds.
While Kenyan Catherine Ndereba captured her second straight women’s title in 2:25:13, becoming the first woman to win four Boston crowns, Kenya’s men were denied victory for just the second time since 1991.
Negussie joined 2001 champion Lee Bong-ju as the only non-Kenyan winner since then.
Early leader Stephen Kigora of Kenya had pulled along a large pack of runners, numbering as many as 30 going through seven miles. A sharp increase in pace on the 16th mile, which Kigora clocked at 4:44, turned up the heat and split the leaders into two groups, leaving a leading pack of seven runners, including Negussie, defending champion Timothy Cherigat and 2003 winner
Robert Cheruiyot with US Olympian Alan Culpepper between the two packs.
Kigora paid the price for his burst of acceleration and faded from contention as Cherigat picked up the gauntlet heading into in the Newton Hills, surrounded by his fellow Kenyans with Negussie the lone Ethiopian.
By mile 22, Negussie had evened out the odds by taking up the pace.
The Kenyan challenge dropped to three runners — Cheruiyot, Wilson Onsare and Benson Cherono - with Cherigat’s title defense fading.
Onsare and Cherono were also dropped soon after as Negussie and Cheruiyot broke free, the Ethiopian stealing a slight advantage in the break and moving on at mile 23.
Negussie turned in consecutive miles of 4:47 and 4:52. By the 25-mile mark, his lead over Cheruiyot had opened to 28 seconds as he became the first Ethiopian to win the men’s title since Abebe Mekonnen in 1989.
Onsare took second in 2:12.21 with Cherono third in 2:12.48
Ndereba, 32, had won in 2000, 2001 and 2004 and she returned to the winner’s podium yet again thanks to a commanding performance, which saw her cross the line 1 minute 50 seconds ahead of Ethiopian Elfenesh Alemu.
