Kenya once again stamped its mark as one of the most dominant nations in long-distance races as four runners secured podium finishes, effectively winning millions in the process at the 2025 Boston Marathon on Monday.
John Korir was the star of the show in the men's race, securing first place with an impressive time of 2:04:45. There was little doubt about Korir's win, as he was dominant for a large chunk of the race before eventually pulling away from competition at the 20-mile mark.
Korir was followed by Tanzanian runner Alphonce Felix Simbu, who came in second with a time of 2:05:04. Another Kenyan, Kotut Cyprian, claimed third with a near-identical time of 2:05:04.
Korir's cause was thoroughly helped by the fact that Ethiopia's Sisay Lemma, last year's Boston Marathon champion, pulled out of the race at the 17th mile mark.
Thanks to his win, Korir bagged the highest prize money, which stood at $150,000 (about Ksh19.4 million). Kotut's third-place finish earned him a respectable $40,000 (about Ksh5.1 million).
The women's race was arguably more interesting, mainly because of the subplots involved. After finishing in second place last year, Sharok Lokedi redeemed herself as she clinched first place with a personal best time of 2:17:22.
Because she smashed the course record of 2:19:59—previously held by Buzunesh Deba since 2014—she earned an additional $50,000 (Ksh6.4 million) in bonus prize money. In total, Lokedi's victory netted her a staggering Ksh25.8 million.
Lokedi was toe-to-toe with her Kenyan counterpart Hellen Obiri, who was hoping to make history with a three-peat of the oldest marathon in history. Obiri, however, was no match for a determined Lokedi and had to settle for second place, clocking a personal best time of 2:17:41.
Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia took third place in the women’s category, clocking 2:18:06 in what was a fiercely competitive race from start to finish.
Like Korir, Lokedi also secured a $150,000 (approximately Ksh19.4 million) cash prize for stopping the clock in first place. Obiri's second-place finish earned her $75,000 (about Ksh9.7 million) while also cementing her place as one of the country's best female marathoners in her era.
Because four Kenyans secured podium finishes at the Boston Marathon, it effectively means they collectively secured a staggering Ksh59 million from the race.
This was more than the money collected by the Kenyans in the 2024 edition, which only saw one Kenyan, Evans Chebet (3rd), secure a podium finish in the men's category.
