Kenyan runner John Korir shattered the Boston Marathon course record on Monday, crossing the finish line on Boylston Street in 2 hours, 1 minute and 52 seconds — the fifth-fastest marathon time ever recorded. Korir, 29, improved on the previous Boston record of 2:03:02 set by compatriot Geoffrey Mutai in 2011 by over a minute, becoming back-to-back champion at the world's oldest and most prestigious annual marathon, which celebrated its 130th edition this year. Fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi also defended her women's title, finishing in 2:18:51.

Korir made his decisive move as the race entered the Newton Hills, a challenging stretch that includes the famous Heartbreak Hill climb roughly 30 kilometres into the course. He opened a 40-second lead over the chasing pack and, with a mile to go, was seen glancing behind him, spreading his arms and sticking out his tongue as he cruised to victory. A favourable tailwind helped the entire elite field to exceptional times: Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania finished second and 2021 champion Benson Kipruto of Kenya third, both also breaking the old Boston record. Zouhair Talbi — a Moroccan-born athlete who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics for Morocco before becoming an American citizen — was fifth in 2:03:45, the fastest time ever by an American man at Boston. Korir earned $150,000 for the win and an additional $50,000 bonus for the course record, along with a gilded olive wreath sent from the plains of Marathon, Greece. It is worth noting that Boston's course does not qualify for official world record certification due to its elevation drop and point-to-point layout, which can provide a wind advantage.

Lokedi, who broke the women's course record by more than two and a half minutes last year, took control entering the Newton Hills and steadily extended her lead. She pulled off her gloves and smiled her way down Boylston Street, finishing 44 seconds ahead of runner-up Loice Chemnung. In the wheelchair races, Swiss athlete Marcel Hug claimed his ninth Boston title in 1:16:06, while Britain's Eden Rainbow-Cooper won the women's wheelchair division for the second time in 1:30:51.

The race took place in cold but ideal running conditions — temperatures started in the low single digits Celsius with frost on the ground in Hopkinton, the suburb west of Boston where the race begins, but clear skies and a tailwind made for fast racing across the 42.195-kilometre course. The 130th edition also carried historical weight: the race honoured the 60th anniversary of Bobbi Gibb becoming the first woman to run Boston in 1966, doing so without an official bib number at a time when women were barred from entry. A new statue of Gibb, created by the pioneer herself, was unveiled at the start line. The Boston Marathon, which has been run every year since 1897 except for 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, remains a defining event in global distance running — and Monday's performances underlined why.