Salina Kosgei Wins Boston; Kara Goucher 3rd

By Peter Vigneron
Running Times
Photo by Victah Sailer, Photo Run

In the slowest Boston Marathon since 1985, Kenyan Salina Kosgei defeated Dire Tune on the strength of an incredible sprint finish that produced the narrowest winning margin in the event's 113-year history.

Kosgei crossed the finish line in front of Tune, the 2008 champion, in 2:32:16 to the Ethiopian's 2:32:17, breaking free from a three-woman group that was intact well into the race's 26th mile. Kosgei sat comfortably among a large lead group for much of the race until surging into the lead on Hereford Street in Boston's Back Bay. In a remarkable duel, Kosgei and Tune ran side by side the length of Boylston Street until the race's final steps. Her 1-second margin of victory was a record, besting the 2-second mark that Tune recorded in her victory last year. Tune collapsed shortly after crossing the finish line. American Kara Goucher, who led for much of the last 10K and was in serious contention until Kosgei's move, ran 2:32:25 to finish third.