Boston Marathon: Champions crowned on soggy Marathon Monday

Notable runners in the 2023 Boston Marathon

30,000 athletes from more than 100 countries are running from Hopkinton to Boston in a quest to complete the Boston Marathon. Wet weather conditions greeted runners Monday.

The Boston Marathon course winds through Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, and Brookline before finishing on Boylston Street in Boston.

 

Henry Richard, brother of Martin Richard, finishes second Boston Marathon

Henry Richard, the brother of Martin Richard, the youngest person killed in the attacks 10 years ago, finished his second Boston Marathon.

Henry ran with Team MR8, which included several of Martin's former classmates.

"It was a very emotional day, being the 10-year anniversary, but running as one, running as a team really kept us going the whole way," Henry Richard said.

"It's a very emotional race for me, for my family, for my friends, Martin's friends, so definitely thought of him the whole way." 

Ten years after Martin was killed in the 2013 bombings, his friends are finally 18, old enough to run.

"They are really happy," said Jack Burke, Martin's friend. "Along the race we were kind of like fan favorites and it's super heartwarming. People like know the name and know what we stand for and it's honoring his legacy."  

Henry Richard, Team MR8 finish Boston Marathon
By WBZ-News Staff
 

Boston has emerged stronger than ever

From a window above Boylston Street stood a quintessential symbol of "Boston strong", marathon bombing survivor Heather Abbott. 

"Today definitely is a celebration," she said. "The city really did bounce back and was resilient, especially that 2014 year when it was a huge marathon."

Now, ten years later, Abbott runs a foundation that helps people who've suffered traumatic limb loss get expensive prosthetics. 

Heather Abbott cheers on Boston Marathon runners 10 years after bombing
By WBZ-News Staff
 

Chara conquers first Boston Marathon

Big Z can do it all - Bruins legend Zdeno Chara finished his first Boston Marathon in 3:38 - an incredible mark for a first-timer. 

The Stanley Cup champion was running to support Team Hoyt and Andover's Thomas E. Smith Foundation. 

Boston Bruins NHL hockey great Zdeno Chara (3333) crosses the finish line of the Boston Marathon, Monday, April 17, 2023, in Boston. Charles Krupa / AP

Click here for updates on other celebrity runners. 

By WBZ-News Staff
 

Top American finishers

American athletes in this year's Boston Marathon captured one title and finished strong in others.

Susannah Scaroni, from Washington, overcame a loose wheel to win her first Boston Marathon in the women's wheelchair race. Former Boston champion Daniel Romanchuk, from Maryland, finished second in the men's wheelchair division behind Switzerland's Marcel Hug. 

American Emma Bates finished fifth, and the BAA said her time of 2:22:10 was the second-fastest ever for an American woman in Boston, behind only Marblehead's Shalane Flanagan. 

Scott Fauble was the top-finishing American men's runner, coming in 7th.

By WBZ-News Staff
 

Kenya's Hellen Obiri wins women's race

Hellen Obiri of Kenya crosses the finish line and takes first place in the professional Women's Division during the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

Kenya's Hellen Obiri pulled away from the pack late and won not only her first Boston Marathon, but her first professional marathon.

Obiri was an injury replacement in the elite field of runners for the 127th Boston Marathon, but crossed the finish line before anyone else at an unofficial time of 2:21:38. 

She pulled away from a group of four other runners over the final couple of miles, beating out Ethiopia's Amane Beriso by 12 seconds.

By WBZ-News Staff
 

Evans Chebet wins second straight Boston Marathon

Evans Chebet of Kenya crosses the finish line and takes first place in the professional Men's Division during the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

Evans Chebet pulled away late and won his second straight Boston Marathon on Monday, beating out fellow Kenyan Benson Kipruto and Gabriel Geay of Tanzania over the final stretch of the men's race.

Chebet pulled ahead by a few seconds over the last mile to become the first back-to-back winner in Boston in 15 years. 

He finished the 127th Boston Marathon with an unofficial time of 2:05:54, beating his 2:06:51 finish in 2022.

By WBZ-News Staff
 

High-tech security

A robot-like dog from Boston Dynamics is part of the security operations for the marathon.

A k-9 dog looks on as a robotic dog from Boston Scientific patrols the starting line before the start of the 127th Boston Marathon, Monday, April 17, 2023, in Hopkinton, Mass. Mary Schwalm / AP
By WBZ-News Staff
 

Susannah Scaroni wins women's wheelchair division despite loose wheel

Susannah Scaroni of the United States crosses the finish line and takes first place in the professional Women's Wheelchair Division during the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

Susannah Scaroni hit a little bump in the road early on Monday, but not even a loose wheel could derail her quest for her first Boston Marathon victory.

After taking an early lead, Scaroni had to pull over and fix a loose wheel ahead of the 15K mark. She not only kept her lead, but went on to double it as the race continued.

Up by just over a minute at the halfway point, Scaroni's lead was up to nearly two minutes by the 25k mark of the race. The 31-year-old from Washington led by nearly five minutes late in the race and won her first Boston Marathon by over a mile, finishing in 1:41:45 (unofficial time) on Monday.

By WBZ-News Staff
 

Marcel Hug breaks own course record, wins men's wheelchair race

Marcel Hug of Switzerland crosses the finish line and takes first place in the professional Men's Wheelchair Division during the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The "Silver Bullet" is the Boston Marathon champ once again. Switzerland's Marcel Hug won his sixth men's wheelchair crown in Boston on Monday, taking the race with an unofficial finish of 1:17:06 to break his own course record.

Hug took a lead early in Monday's race and never looked back. He built a nearly two-minute lead by the 10k mark and was ahead by over three minutes by the 15k mark. 

His lead over Sho Watanabe and Jetze Plat was nearly six minutes by the 25k point, and continued to grow from there.

By WBZ-News Staff
 

2023 Boston Marathon officially underway

The elite men break from the starting line during the 127th Boston Marathon, Monday, April 17, 2023, in Hopkinton, Mass. Mary Schwalm / AP

The 127th running of the Boston Marathon is officially underway.

The men's and women's wheelchair races got underway at 9 a.m., followed by professional men and women, and para athletics participants.

At 10 a.m., the first wave of runners took off on the 26.2 mile course.

By WBZ-News Staff
 

David Ortiz serving as grand marshal

David Ortiz serving as grand marshal of Boston Marathon

David Ortiz will serve as the grand marshal of Monday's race.

He'll ceremonially guide runners along the course and will arrive at the finish line just before the champions break the tape.

By WBZ-News Staff
 

Latest WBZ NEXT Weather forecast

Next Weather: WBZ Morning Update For April 17
By WBZ-News Staff
 

Former athletes, past winners among notable runners

Notable runners in the 2023 Boston Marathon

There are several notable runners in this year's Boston Marathon.

Former Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, Red Sox players Brock Holt and Ryan Dempster, Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie and tennis star Monica Rakkit are among those who will be out on the course.

By WBZ-News Staff
 

Marathon start times

Start times for the 2023 Boston Marathon
  • Military March       6:00 a.m. ET
  • Men's Wheelchair      9:02 a.m. ET
  • Women's Wheelchair      9:05 a.m. ET
  • Handcycles & Duos      9:30 a.m. ET
  • Professional Men      9:37 a.m. ET
  • Professional Women      9:47 a.m. ET
  • Para Athletics Division      9:50 a.m. ET
  • Wave 1      10:00 a.m. ET
  • Wave 2      10:25 a.m. ET
  • Wave 3      10:50 a.m. ET
  • Wave 4      11:15 a.m. ET
By WBZ-News Staff
 

What spectators / runners can't bring

These items are not allowed along the Boston Marathon course:

  • Personal hydration system products (such as CamelBak)
  • Weight vests or any sort of vest with pockets or water bladders
  • Guns, knives, or any item that may be used as a weapon
  • Backpacks, any similar item carried over the shoulder, or handbags of any size
  • Props including sporting equipment, military and fire/gear and signs or flags* larger than 11 inches x 17 inches
  • Glass containers
  • Any container capable of carrying more than one liter of liquid
  • The use of selfie sticks or similar items is prohibited while running the Boston Marathon
  • Strollers, including baby strollers
  • Suitcases & rolling bags
  • Costumes covering the face or any non-form fitting, bulky outfits extending beyond the perimeter of the body
  • Any item larger than 5 inches x 15 inches x 5 inches
  • Folding chairs
By Julie Eich
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