Kenya’s John Korir defended his Boston Marathon title in style, recording a new course record at the 130th edition of the oldest race on Monday evening in the USA.
Korir broke away from the chaser group consisting of his compatriot Benson Kipruto and world champion Felix Simbu of Tanzania to overtake the leader, Ethiopia’s Melkesa Mengesha, at the 31.2 km mark, sprinting to the finish line in a new course record of 2 hours, 1 minute and 52 seconds, breaking fellow Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai’s 15-year-old record.
Korir, who also won this year’s 10km race at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour in February, smashed the long-standing Mutai course record of 2:03:02 set in 2011.
Simbu finished 2nd in 2:02:47, with other Kenyan Kipruto completing the podium positions in 2:02:50.
