Boston Marathon 2011 - As It Happens

The 115th Running of the Boston Marathon - As It Happens

Refresh this page every few minutes to see the latest updates. We'll have all of the updates for all races on this one page - trying to make it as easy as possible for our readers to see what's happening.

Note, as you read these reports, they will appear in reverse chronological order. Newest updates will be at the top of each section.

Men's Race | Women's Race | Wheelchair Races

Overview
Why Boston? At 115 years old, this is the most famous and storied marathon in the world. And the 115th running will be no different.

The weather could not be FASTER. The 2011 Boston Marathon will feature a 20mph tailwind to push the runners toward the finish line. Will the runners choose to take advantage of that to chase a new course record. The defending champions told us before the race that they were injured to different degrees - will that affect the overall race? Whatever happens, let's expect great things.

Men's Race back to top

The Finish. Geoffrey Mutai is the fastest - and now the man who has run the fastest marathon ever: 2:03:02 - a new course record by 2:50... Moses Mosop takes second in 2:03:06 and Gebre Gebremariam was third in 2:04:53. Ryan Hall was fourth in 2:04:58 - the fastest time ever run by an American for 26.2 miles, although it will not count as an official record on this downhill course and on a windy day...

24Mile (1:52:49), 25Mile (1:57:30). It's still a two man race... Will this be faster than the course record? Yes... Will it be the fastest marathon ever run - maybe...

22Mile (1:43:47). 2:11 ahead of the prior course record... Mosop has caught Mutai and it is a two man race.

35K (1:42:35). Mutai is six seconds ahead, but strong - the time may be faster than the world record (although not eligible to count as a world record). Gebremariam is 28 seconds away from second place, but possibly firm in third. Three men are near each other in third, fourth and fifth: Bekana Daba, Philip Kimutai Sanga and Ryan Hall.

20Mile (1:34:05), 21Mile (1:39:18). Mutai's lead is seven seconds, but looks secure. Mosop is behind...

19Mile (1:30:03), 20Mile (1:34:05). 2:22 ahead of course record... Geoffrey Mutai, the fastest man in the field, picked up the pace. At first, Mosop stayed with Mutai with Gebremariam struggling to hold on. But ultimately, no one could keep up with Mutai and he is beginning to run away from the field.

18Mile (1:25:15), 30K (1:28:23). The men are 1:32 ahead of course record. The group is the same eight men...

17Mile (1:20:14). Ryan Hall has caught back up to the front men and is beginning to lead again. There are eight men now as Hall and Abrehem Cherkos have joined the others.

16Mile (1:15:20). The six men are 1:43 ahead of the prior course record... What a perfect day to run fast!

14Mile (1:06:09) 15Mile, 25K (1:13:16). The race is beginning. Approximately 5 men are moving away from the others. Geoffrey Mutai, Robert Kipchumba, Bekana Daba, Moses Mosop, Gebre Gebremariam and Philip Kimutai Sanaga. These six are now dominant.

10Mile (47:03), 11Mile (51:53), 12Mile (58:42), 13Mile (1:01:24). Halfway (1:01:54). The pace is blistering - it is now 1:31 ahead of the previous course record... Twelve men are in the pack - Peter Kamais is out...

15K (43:45). The men are on pace for a 2:03:05, When Gebresellassie set his world record, he passed 15K at 44:02. Of course the Newton Hills are still to come, and of course the tailwind and downhill course will make this ineligible as a world record, but even so... Fourteen men in the field as Joseph Chirlee, Alistair Cragg and Stephen Kibiwot have fallen out of the lead group.

8Mile (37:34). Ryan Hall has opened a gap of three seconds - he also seems to be a man running to his own beat. Many have commented that Hall is smart and knows the course - he runs the tangents well and on this day when there is no headwind and no need to draft, Hall runs on one side of the road taking the shortest possible path while the others don't...

7Mile (32:45). Ryan Hall fell back into the pack but then regained his position at the front. The men are 1:10 ahead of the pace when the course record was set.

10K (29:06). The pack still contains 17 men, Juan Carlos Cardona is the only to have fallen off at this point.

4Mile (18:31). This is 49 seconds ahead of the time through 4 miles when Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot set the course record in 2010.

3Mile (14:00), 5K (14:29). Eighteen men - all of the favorites are in the lead group. Hall continues at the front setting the pace toward a wind-aided course record. The leading group contains: Ryan Hall (USA), Evans Cheruiyot (KEN), Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (KEN), Robert Kipchumba (KEN) Bekana Daba (ETH), Gilbert Yegon (KEN), Geoffrey Mutai (KEN), Moses Kigen Kipkosgei (KEN), Moses Mosop (KEN), Abreham Cherkos (ETH), Gebre Gebremariam (ETH), Tadese Tola (ETH), Joseph Chirlee (USA), Alistair Cragg (IRL), Philip Kimutai Sanga (KEN), Peter Kamais (KEN), Steven Kibowott (KEN), Deressa Chimsa (ETH).

2Mile (9:19). Ryan Hall is really pushing the pace... That's 12 seconds faster than last year when the course record was set.

The Men's race has started! As is always the case, the pack is large. Ryan Hall is leading, running on the left of the road. With no headwind and a big tailwind, the runners are all across the width of the road.

The Men's Race will start at 10:00AM ET.

Women's Race back to top

Caroline Kilel wins in 2:22:36. Desiree Davila takes second just behind in 2:22:38 - the fastest time an American has ever run on this course. Sharon Cherop takes third in 2:22:42. Off the podium, Caroline Rotich finishes fourth in 2:24:26 and Kara Goucher is fifth in 2:24:52.

Davila makes the first moves and gets slightly ahead as Cherop falls off the back. But Caroline Kilel is strong and makes a great surge to move into first place and appears certain to gain the win. But Davila comes back to move ahead of Kilel with 200 yards to go... But that is all Davila has left, she can not maintain that at all - Kilel can move ahead for the win...

40K (2:15:13). Davila is slipping back...

23Mile (2:05:21), 24Mile (2:10:35)... Davila is beginning to extend her lead, by just a few seconds. She must know that the others may have a stronger final kick - she needs to break them now.

22Mile (2:00:02). Desiree Davila continues to lead, as Timbilili has dropped off the lead. Three women are far and way alone at the front: Davila, Cherop and Kilel...

21Mile (1:54:49). Desiree Davila continues to lead, Caroline Kilel is just behind and Sharon Cherop and Alice Timbilili strung out behind.

19Mile (1:43:38), 20Mile (1:49:08). Desiree Davila has joined the front pack and is leading! Dire Tune has fallen back...

30K (1:41:49). The lead women have caught and are passing Smith. Kara Goucher has dropped off a bit and Desiree Davila has passed Goucher to stand in sixth place and as top American.

18Mile (1:38:14). Kim Smith has started to limp. She needed to stop - and it appeared that she would be out, but then she started to run again. She is not completely out. Behind, we can see that the chase pack is thinning.

16Mile (1:21:21), 17Mile (1:32:22). Kim Smith continues to lead, but her lead is beginning to diminish.

14Mile (1:15:43), 15Mile (1:21:21), 25K (1:24:15). Kim Smith is 46 seconds ahead of the others, but 43 seconds behind the pace that would create a course record. The same 13 women are still running behind.

20K (1:07:11), Halfway (1:10:52). Kim Smith is now ten seconds behind Okayo's course record time at the half. But she is 50 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. Desiree Davila had regained the main pack, but Miskier Mekonen Demissie has fallen well out of it. That makes Kim Smith followed by 13 women...

10Mile (53:54), 11Mile (59:22). Smith is now just one second ahead of the course record, but still about 40 seconds ahead of any other woman.

15K (50:09). Kim Smith is 40 seconds ahead of the next thirteen women who are together. Desiree Davila has fallen out of the main pack is now 15 seconds behind that group.

7Mile (37:36). Kim Smith's lead is extended to 33 seconds. She had seemed to touch her leg around mile 5 and we thought that might mean something, but obviously not. Or not yet.

10K (33:29). Kim Smith is 26 seconds ahead of the pack. The main pack is down to 14. Silvia Skvortsova, Tatyana Pushkareva - the 2010 runner-up and Blake Russell are now 30 seconds behind the main pack..

4Mile (21:27), 5Mile (26:57). Kim Smith continues to run ahead of the previous course record pace, she seemed to lose some time on the field, but then opened it back up. The official weather conditions have been reported to us: 47 degrees, feeling like 40 degrees factoring in the wind chill. 21 mile winds from the west, gusting to 30 miles.

5K (16:41). Kim Smith is 22 seconds ahead of the previous course record pace - the first 5K run by Margaret Okayo in her 2002 course record run. The rest of the field - 18 other women - is a full 30 seconds behind. The tailwind is obviously helping both Smith and the rest of the field. In the field are: Hellen Mugo (KEN), Desiree Davila (USA), Yolanda Caballero (COL), Caroline Kilel (KEN), Woynishet Girma (ETH), Teyba Erkesso (ETH), Tirfi Tsegaye (ETH), Kara Goucher (USA), Dire Tune (ETH), Florence Kiplagat (KEN), Miskier Mekonen Demissie (ETH), Blake Russell (USA) Werknesh Kidane (ETH), Alice Timbilili (KEN), Sharon Cherop (KEN), Caroline Rotich (KEN), Silvia Skvortsova (RUS), Tatyana Pushkareva (RUS). We're already noting that Catherine Ndereba is not there. We expect she did not start.

Mile 2 (10:37) Kim Smith is now 20 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack and is exactly on course record pace. She told us before the race that she felt she was in incredible shape. Her pace will put her in ahead of her previous personal best.

Mile 1 (5:18) Kim Smith has immediately moved ahead of the field - perhaps deciding to keep the field fast or just making use of the steep downhill and tailwind on the first mile. The rest of the pack - huge, of course, is already 12 seconds back...

The Women's Race will start at 9:32AM ET.

Wheelchair Race back to top

The Finish (1:18:50). Soejima manages to gain the lead while Fearnley holds onto second and Van Dyk has to make due with third place - all finishing within one second of each other. For Van Dyk, this is a repeat of 2007 when he was also third, behind Soejima... Except for 2007, Van Dyk has won every year since 2001. This was the first visit to Boston for Fearnley.

40K (1:14:33). Van Dyk and Soejima are together and have nearly caught Fearnley. The race might belong to anyone...

35K (1:05:56). Fearnley has opened nearly a thirty minute lead on Van Dyk and Soejima.

15K (30:38), 20K (42:07), 25K (45:24), 30K (55:49). Kurt Fearnley has caught Ernst Van Dyk at the Newton Hills. On the way up the hils, Fearnley seems to be starting to move ahead...

10K (17:20). Ernst Van Dyk tells us that he is a big guy and needs to get to the top of the hills before anyone else. If Kurt Fearnley is with Van Dyk at the Newton Hills - watchout. Because of this, Van Dyk is doing what he does... Behind, two men - Soejima and Fearnley - work together 37 seconds back.

The wheelchair race has started. As he likes to do, Ernst Van Dyk has taken off quickly and runs through 5K 8:23. Three men work together behind, with Masazumi Soejima leading Krige Schabort and Kurt Fearnley.

The Wheelchair Race will start at 9:17AM ET.

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