Sisay Lemma, Hellen Obiri Earn $150K for 2024 Boston Marathon Wins
Ethiopian Sisay Lemma won the men’s race at the 2024 Boston Marathon, crossing the line in 2:06:17. The 33-year-old jumped out to an early lead, leading the men’s pack by 80 seconds at the 15K mark and enjoying a lead of as much as two and a half minutes. Lemma earns $150,000 with today’s win.
Lemma, sponsored by Adidas, won the 2023 Valencia Marathon and the 2021 London Marathon. He finished in 30th place last year at Boston and had not finished the race in two other previous attempts.
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“I wanted redemption for [my previous finishes], that’s why I came,” Lemma told ESPN’s Hannah Storm via an interpreter on the broadcast after the race. “I was able to redeem myself from last year, and I won, so I’m happy.
“My plan was to break the course record [2:03:02, set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011], but it’s so hilly, up and down, and that took a lot of me and made me tired,” Lemma said.
Mohamed Esa of Ethiopia finished second in 2:06:58, and Evans Chebet of Kenya, the two-time defending Boston Marathon champion, finished third in 2:07:22. Esa will take home $75,000 in prize money for his finish and Chebet $40,000.
Top American man CJ Albertson finished seventh in 2:09:53, good enough for $10,500 in prize money. Fellow American Elkanah Kibet, who finished fourth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February, crossed 14th in 2:12:32, followed by American Ryan Eiler, who finished 15th in 2:14:22.
In the women’s race, Hellen Obiri of Kenya defended her Boston Marathon title in 2:22:37, outlasting the huge group of women that lingered in the front pack well through the marathon’s portion of hills. Obiri, who runs for the On Athletic Club in Boulder, Colo., sponsored by On Running, also won the 2023 New York City Marathon in November and has now won three of the four marathons she has raced. The 34-year-old is the first defending women’s champion since Catherine Ndereba won in 2004 and 2005.
Sharon Lokedi of Kenya finished second in 2:22:45, and 41-year-old Edna Kiplagat, rounding out the Kenyan podium sweep, crossed third in 2:23:21. The three women remained in a pack late in the race, until Obiri and Lokedi broke away with a 4:41 at Mile 24, and Obiri pulled in front of Lokedi shortly after.
“Sharon is a strong lady, so I tried to push, and I tried doing my best,” Obiri told ESPN’s Storm after the race. “You know when somebody’s behind you and you try to push, Sharon gave me that … I’m happy for her.”
Emma Bates was the top American woman, finishing 12th in 2:27:14. This is Bates’ first race back after partially tearing her plantar fascia at the 2023 Chicago Marathon in October, an injury that kept her out of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February. Bates was followed by Americans Sara Hall in 15th at 2:27:58, 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden in 16th in 2:28:27 and Jenny Simpson in 18th in 2:31:39.
Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men’s wheelchair race in 1:15:33, breaking his own course record of 1:17:06 which he set in 2023. Hug will take home $40,000 for his win–his seventh in Boston–and an additional $50,000 for breaking the course record. Eden Rainbow-Cooper of Great Britain won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:35:11, setting a personal best of more than 12 minutes. This is the first major marathon win for the 22-year-old.
This year’s race saw a total of $1,137,500 in prize money—$806,000 distributed to the top 10 men’s and women’s open division finishers, $313,500 to the top 10 men’s and women’s wheelchair finishers and $18,000 to the top three men’s and women’s masters finishers. Additionally, $77,000 in prize money, with bonuses for course records, will be distributed to the top three finishers in various para athletics divisions, as well.
This is the first Boston Marathon in which Bank of America is the title sponsor; John Hancock was previously the title sponsor for 39 years.
Rob Gronkowski served as the field marshal for the 2024 Boston Marathon—and no, the four-time Super Bowl champion did not commit to running the race next year. In keeping with Patriots’ Day tradition, the Boston Red Sox played the Cleveland Guardians beginning at 11:10 a.m. ET at Fenway Park. Even though baseball games are speeding up, Lemma and Obiri finished their marathons (likely) faster than the length of the Red Sox-Guardians game. To round out Patriots’ Day, the Boston Bruins will play tonight at the Washington Capitals at 7 p.m. ET.
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